Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-05
b The Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 5.-FollotDing
it, the teri OF Prime Minister
ChnrchilPs speech in the House
OF Commons today:
These memorable transactions be.
tween Great Britain and the United
States which I foreshadowed when
last addressed the House have nov
been completed.
So far as can make out they have
been completed to the general salts
faction of the British and American
peoples, and to the encouragement
of our friends all over the world.
1t would be mistake to try tC
read into the official notes which
have passed more than the docu.
ments bear on Their faces. The ex-
changes which have taken place are
simply measures of mutual assist
ance rendered to one another by two
friendly nations in a spirit of conf.
dence, sympathy and good will.
These measures are linked to-
gether in formal agreement They
must be accepted or rejected. Only
very ignorant persons would sug-
gest that the transfer Of the Amer
lean destroyers to the British flag
constitutes the slightest violation OF
international law or affects in the
smallest degree nonbelligerency OF
the United States.
Says Hitler Will Not
Like the Transaction.
No doubt Herr Hitler will not like
this transference of destroyers. !
have no doubt he will pay the United
States out of ever he gets the chance
Qaughter). That is why I am very
glad that the armed air and naval
frontiers of the United States have
been advanced along a wide arc into
the Atlantic Ocean and that this will
enable them to take danger by the
throat while it Is still hundreds Of
miles away from their homeland.
The Admiralty tell us also they
are very glad to have these so de-
stroyers, and they will come in most
convenient to bridge the gap which
inevitably intervenes before our con-
siderable wartime program of new
construction comes into service.
I suppose the House realizes that
we are going to be a good deal
stronger next year at sea than we
are now, though that Is quite strong
enough for the work in hand
There will be no delay in bringing
rto - NJ xye
service-;n fact, British crews are
already meeting them at various
ports where they are being deliv-
cred.
That is case of what one might
call the long arm of coincidence.
Says England, Also, Holds
Back Full Air Strength.
The House will have observed that
Rumania has undergone a severe
territorial mutilation. Personally ]
have always thought that the SOUTH
ern part of the Dobruja ought to be
restored to Bulgaria, and I have
never been too happy about the way
Hungary was treated after the last
war.
We have not at any time adopted,
since this war broke, the line that
nothing could be changed in the
territorial structure of various coun-
tries. On the other hand we do not
propose to recognize any territorial
changes which take place during the
war unless they take place with the
free consent and good will of the
parties concerned.
No one can say how far Herr Hit
ler's empire will extend before this
war is over. But I have no doubt
1t will pass away as swiftly-per-
haps more swiftly-than did Ma
poleon's army. although, of course,
without any of its glitter or glory.
The general air battle of which I
spoke last time we met together
continues. In July there was a
great deal of air activity, but Au-
gust has been a real fighting month.
Neither side has put out its full
strength.
The Germans have made a very
substantial and important effort to
gain the mastery and they have
certainly put forth a larger pro-
portion of their total air strength
than we have found it necessary up
to the present to employ against
them. Their attempts to dominate
the Royal Air Force and our anti
aircraft defenses by daily attacks
have proved very costly to them.
Still Heavier Air War
Expected This Month.
The broad figures of three to one
In machines and of six to one in
pilots and crews of which we are
assured do not by any means repre-
sent the total injury inflicted upon
the enemy.
We must be prepared for heavier
fighting in this month of Septem-
Der. The need of the enemy to
obtain a decision is very great, and
If he has the numbers with which
we have hitherto credited him he
should be able to magnify and null
tiply his attacks during September.
Firm confidence Is felt by all re-
responsible officers of the R. A. F.
in our ability to Withstand this
largely increased scale of attack
and we have no doubt that our
peoples will take the example from
our airmen and be proud to share
their dangers with them and to
stand up to these attacks.
The men and women in our fac
tories have a chance to show their
mettle and to be worthy of our boys
in,sthe air and not to make their
task longer and harder by the slight
est flinching.
That is the temper of the nation.
Even if the average attack is doubled
or.<trebled which last is most un-
likely we can stand it, however long
and we shall emerge from it actually
and relatively stronger In the air
than we were before.
Our air force today is more