Evening star., 1940-05-28
Heavy Losses Seen
If British Attempt
Channel Retreat
(Tert OF Churchill Statement
on Page A-4
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 28.-Great Brit
ain and her gravely endangered
army in Flanders were pledged to-
day by Winston Churchill to fight
Nazi Germany's might to the last
ditch through disaster and grief"
despite the capitulation of King
Leopold of Belgium and perhaps half
a million of his fighting men.
Neutral military observers expect
ed the encircled British army in
Belgium and Northern France. with
its left flank exposed to the fury of
German attack by the Belgian
Kings surrender. would try to fight
its way southwark through the Ger
man iron corridor to the French
armies on the Aisne.
Cries Of "Shame!" echoed through
the deep vault of the House of Com
mons as Prime Minister Churchill
told Of Leopolds capitulation.
Cheers roared to the rafters when
he said the British and French
would fight on despite the Kings
action, that the Belgian government
had in effect deposed him and that
the Allies would continue "to defend
the world cause to which we have
bound ourselves"
Withdrawal Considered.
Although naval spokesmen ad-
mitted that attempted withdrawal
of the British army by sea from Bel
GUM was under consideration, neu-
trail observers were of the opinion
that such an operation, under the
overpowering punishment of the
German air force ct channel ports,
would produce more casualties than
the desperate tight southwark.
Nothing which may happen to
U.s." the Prime Minister said solemn
". "in this battle can in any way re-
leve US Of our duty to defend the
world cause to which We have bound
ourselves"
A thunder Of cheers arose then in
the House.
Surrender Of the Belgian Army,
Mr.. Churchill went on, had appre-
ciaoly added to the grave peril of
the British Expeditionary Force in
Flanders, but the troops were never
theless In good heart, although beset
on three sides and from the air.
House Cries SHANE"
Cries of "shame!" went up in the
old halls of the House on the an
nouncement of the capitulation.
The Prime Minister began his
speech by telling the House that
Belgium had asked an armistice with
Germany.
The British and French govern
ments instructed their generals i'm
mediately to dissociate themselves
from this procedure and to perse-
we're IN operations in which they
now are engaged. Mr.. Churchill in
formed the House.
Il have no intention to suggest to
the House that we should attempt
at this moment to pass Judgment
on the action of the King of the
Belgians in his capacity as COM
mander in chief of the Belgian
Army" Mr.. Churchill declared.
Belgium's Army had, he said.
fought very bravely" and suffered
and inflicted heavy losses"
Desperate Situation"
The hard-pressed British army of
Flanders can drive southwark toward
the French forces massing along the
Aisne or grope blindly toward the
Channel ports with its left while
the right fights off the German
onslaught.
These alternatives appeared to-
day to confront the B. E. F. in a
desperate situation.
British military sources viewed
the position as of "the utmost grav-
ity. Neutral military attaches de-
clared either movement would mean
Britain must sacrifice considerable
stores of ammunitions, materials and
even guns.
Either alternative would produce
(see LONDON, Page A-l4)