Evening star., 1940-02-23
All London AccIaims
760 Sailors Back
From Graf Spec Fight
King Decorotes Them
After Greet Parade;
Churchill Speoks
BY the Associated Press.


LONDON, Feb. 23.-King and
commoner of this island power to-
day acclaimed 760 veterans Of the
battle of Montevideo, which resulted
in the destruction of the German
pocket battleship Admiral Graf
Spec, as they paraded before the
greatest crowd Of cheering Britons
since. the coronation.
Winston Churchill, first lord of
the admiralty, told them their vic
tory warmed the cookies of British
hearts," but sobered his listeners by
saying 5000 compatriots had lost
their lives in the hard and unre-
lenting struggle on the sea-" He
said sea activities to combat Ger
many were being expanded.
He spoke at banquet for the sea-
men from the cruisers Exeter and
Ajax after their triumphal parade
and bestowal of decorations by King
George VI in a ceremony at the
Horseguards' Parade.
Widows Honored Also.
Accompanied by Prime Minister
Chamberlain, the King inspected
the veterans and awarded decora-
tions not only to officers and men
Of the two cruisers but to widows
of several sailors.
Londoners who had waited more
than five hours broke police lines
to give the men of the cruisers
Exeter and Ajax a tumultons greet
ing.
Queen Elizabeth watched the flag
waving, shouting pageant from a
window of the admiralty. then took
her place beside the King as he took
the mems salute while the bands
played Hearts of Oak"
The King shook hands and spoke
warmly to Mrs. w. Russell, widow of
a Marine, in presenting her the
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
Banquet Follows Parade.
Mr.. Churchill spoke at the Guild
hall. where the seamen were ban
quoted after the great parade.
He told them that naval auxiliary
vessels now totaled about 1,700 and
the number was increasing rapidly
until not only cargoes by which We
live but the high purposes we have
in hand are all brought safely into
port"
For one stroke that goes home,
for one clutch that grips a raider,
there are many which miss their
mark" Mr.. Churchill said.
For every success there are many
disappointments, and you must
never forget that dangers that are
seen are only a small part of those
that are warded of by care and
foresight and therefore pass un-
noticed"
Defends Raid on Norway.
The rescue of the 299 British mer-
chant seamen held aboard the Ger
man prison ship Altmark under
the nose Of the enemy and amid the
tangles of one-sided neutrality" Mr..
Churchill said, proved that "the
long arm of British seapower can
be stretched out not only for foes
but also for faithful friends"
ITO Nelson's immortal signal that
England expects that every man
will do his duty there may now be
added last weeks The navy Is
here" Mr.. Churchill said-referring
to the destroyer Cossack's raid on
the Altmark.
"The admiralty and the fleet" he
said, "are learning together of the
special conditions Of this hard and
novel war"
Achilles At Auckland.
While honors were being heaped
on the men of his majesty's cruisers
Ajax and Exeter for the victory last
December 13 off the Uruguayan
coast, the Achilles, third of the three
British cruisers in the Gray Spec
battle, arrived today at Auckland,
New Zealand, to the acclaim of
thousands who lined the shore to
cheer her men.
Scotland Yard took extra pre-
cautions to prevent demonstrations
by the outlawed Irish Republican
army during today's parade after
two downtown explosions injured
about IL persons last night. I. r. A.
terrorists were suspected by police
Of having set off bombs which ex-
ploded in busy oxford street and at
the marble arch, entrance to Hyde