Evening star., 1939-10-18
Text of Chamberlain Talk
Prime Minister Makes Statement
On Progress of War to Commons

reSS OF the war at sea, activity has
been unremitting both in attack and
defense. I am sure that the whole
nation is grateful to the Royal Navy
for their untiring efforts to ward
off enemy attack and to remove the
menace of the submarine so that
the steady flow of trade to and from
our shores may remain unbroken.
In carrying out their task, the
Navy has, during this week, sus-
tanned severe losses both in officers
and men, and the House will desire
to pay their tribute to the memory
of all who have given their lives in
the defense of their country whether
on sea, on land or in the air.
The success achieved against u
boats has already been referred to
by my right honorable friend Win
ston ChurchilD in his statement
yesterday. A heavy toll has been
taken Of the U-boats since the war
began. The failure of this form of
attack to interfere with our trade
may be judged when I inform the
House that it is estimated that the
losses sustained by British shipping
entering and leaving our ports dur
ing the week ending October II rep
resented only about one-half of l
per cent of the total number of
SailingS.
Attacks by enemy aircraft on our
fleet bases have begun. This is a
new feature of the war but one
which was fully expected. The ex-
tent of the enemy's disappointment
at the failure of these attacks to
inflict any serious injury upon our
ships may be measured by the fan
tastic nature of the claims which
they have felt obliged to invent.
Again Denies Ships DAMAGED.
1t is not true and I must repeat
it once again, though by now the
news grows stale through repetition,
that the Hood, or the Repulse, or any
other capital ship has suffered the
least damage. The same is true of
the Ark Royal.
The people of this country are
resolute enough to bear bad news,
and the government have not hesi-
tated to publish the full extent of
any losses they have sustained.
Those imaginary losses which the
German broadcasts have described
with such unblushing impudence
may serve for time to raise their
spirits, but in the end their falslty
will be demonstrated and the con-
sequent disappointment will be only
the more depressing.
We on our side have no inten-
ton of claiming successes of which
we are not convinced. It is far more
important that the world should be
able to believe implicitly in the
truth OF the comminiques we issue
than that we should reap the short
lived advantages which distortions
OF the truth may bring. We know
that in the air battles which, dur
ing the last two days, have for the
first time been fought over our own
coasts we have destroyed eight
enemy aircraft without losing a
single machine of our own. We be-
leve that several more German
bombers may have failed to reach
home. The total number of air.
craft taking part in the raids did
not exceed 30.
Enemy Casualties rs Per Cent.
The casualties which we have in.
flicted upon the enemy have thus
certainly exceeded Is per cent of
the attacking force and may have
been higher. These results are a
splendid tribute to the courage and
determination of the officers and
men of the Royal Air Force, and the
House will be glad to know that the
auxiliary air force have won a first
and resounding success by bringing