The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-25
BRITAIN TO FIGHT
TO SAFE FREEDOM
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BILE of guaranteeing future security
Of Europe.
AS he pledged a fight to the fin.
ish, until we are satisfied that free
dom is SAFE" the conflict with Ger
many produced these new results:
The naval trawler Benvolio, 352.
ton vessel engaged in minesweeping,
sank after hitting a mine with ten
of her men lost. The vessel was
the 30th of the British navy to go
down since the war began.
Four Subs Sunk
The air ministry announced Roy
al Air Force planes secuted deep into
greater Germany for the second sue
cessive night, ranging as far afield
as Prague, capital Of dismembered
Czecho-Slovakia. Officials said be-
sides Prague, points secuted included
Kiel, Hamburg and Bremen. One
plane made a forced landing in Bel
GUM; the of six was arrested.
The British press reported with
out official confirmation that Royal
Air Force planes had sunk three
German submarines and a merchant
man had rammed and sunk another.
The toll of merchantmen victims
of the war ose with the founder
ing of the British steamer Royal
Archer, 1886 tons, while being tow
ed after striking a mine. Danish
advices said the 1,206-ton Danish
ship Aase had been sunk in the At
lantic with 16 seamen lost.
Winding UP a series of pep meet
ings by cabinet ministers with an
address in his home town of Birm-
ingham, the gaunt. 70-year-old
Chamberlain delivered one Of his
sharpest fight talks of the war.
Chamberlain decried Nazi aims as
destruction of Britain and "domi'
nation of the world"
Britain, on the other hand, he said
to the cheers of the crowd, is fight
ing a Crusade" for freedom and to
abolish 'the spirit of militarism and
accumulation of ornaments which
is pauperizing all Europe and not
in the least Germany herself"
"How in concrete terms are these
aims to be secured?'' he asked, and
answered.:
First, independence of the Poles
and Czechs must be assured.
"Secondly, we must have some
tangible evidence that will satisfy
us that any pledges or assurances
given will be fulfilled. Under the
present German government there
can be no security for the future"
He called Finland's fight against
invading Russia a "heroic struggle
against "a gigantic and unwieldly
adversary" and IN an incisive pas
sage on the British raid into a Nor
wegian ford to free 299 British cap
tives from a German prison ship
said:
"a neutral must not complain
if Britain commits a mere techni-
cal breach of neutrality. taking nc
neutral life and touching no neu'
trail property" in freeing men ell
legally made prisoners"
Chamberlain replied to a vote Of
thanks from his audience with the
words:
Ladies and gentlemen: I am still
young. Time is before me. I hope
that even yet 1 may have the chance
of putting my energies into the work
of peace"
In celebrating on the aims in the
war against Germany, Chamberlain
declared:
I'm what I have put forward as
our aims there is nothing humili
ating or oppressive for anybody ane
on such a basis we for III part
should be ready to seek a settle
ment with any government that ha6
subscribed to those aims and giver
proof of their sincerity.
"But the next step does not
die with us. We are resolved thai
freedom shall prevail and unit
we are satisfied that freedom is safe
we shall continue to do battle witt
Iall our soul and all of our strength
and of the strength of the whole
empire"
The prime minister's demand fol
restoration of independence Of Pole:
and Czechs as a primary requisite
of peace was echoed in an address:
by Sir Archibald Sinclair, leader O.
the liberal opposition in the house
who ,1So escorted Gov,