Evening star., 1940-03-19
BY J. c. STARK,


claimed the allies readiness for
anything the axis powers are pre-
pairing. defended his course in the
Finnish war and warned Norway
and Sweden they are in grave dam
ger
A packed House of Commons
heard the grizzled Prime Minister
make these statements in a sweep
ing resume of British policy He
termed the German air raid on
Scapa Flow Saturday a failure and
declared "the time and place for us
to strike" must be decided by ex-
perts.
Mr.. Chamberlain compared Brit
aims aims with the moral peace"
outlined Saturday by President
Roosevelt.
I'VE intend to fight until it has
been secured" he said
Allies Ready for Anything.
His speech, one of the longest war
reviews he has made, contained
these salient points:
l. The allies are ready and watch
full for anything which might evolve
from the Hitler -Mussolini meeting
at Brenner Pass.
2. Sumner Welles, gathering in
formation for President Roosevelt.
had chance to see the allies
unity of purpose"
3. The Finnish Russian peace
terms brought danger to the very
doorstep" of Sweden and Norway
4. Before the northern war ended
the allies were preparing 100000
men to help the Firms as we'll as
their Scandinavian neighbors who
were threatened with German at
tack if they allowed passage of
foreign troops.
5. Only one Warship was damaged
In the Scapa FLOW raid Saturday:
all battleships and battle cruisers
came through unscathed.
Government Policy Hit.
The government policy was~at-
tackled after Mr.. Chamberlain spoke
by the two opposition leaders, Lib
eral Sir Archibald Sinclair and La
borite Maj. Clement Attlee. and by
Leslie Hore-Belisha, who was ousted
as war minister in cabinet shake
up January s. All three scored the
government for allowing Germany
to keep the initiative in the war.
Mr.. Hore-Belisha, chief critic Of
the governments policy in last
weeks brief Commons debate. de-
declared today that events have
shown that it was unfortunate that
the allies allowed their intended
Initiative to be wrested from them"
Asserting that the blockade was
the sole offensive weapon they have
employed to bring about the defeat
of Germany" Mr.. Hore-Belisha
asked: rs it enough or must we in
tensify our pressure in other direc-
tions?"
He declared that those who visited
the Finnish front were uniformly
of the opinion that "a powerful REIN
forcement in the air could have
broken the Russian onslaught"
Britain and France hesitated. the
enemy acted and Finland was lost"
Mr.. Hore-Belisha said.
Sitting Quiet" Policy Hit.
"The initiative must not be left
with Hitler said Maj. Attlee. I'VE
cannot have a policy of wait and
see"
Maj. Attlee demanded a strength
ening of the home front and de-
clared the Prime Minister must in
war be ruthless with inefficiency."
Maj. Atlee, in the sharpest attack
yet made on the governments war
policy. declared: Il want to see war
cabinet that lays down war princi-
pies. that makes decisions.
"a policy of sitting quiet would be
suicidal" Maj. Attlee said. mo one
wants the area of this conquest en-
larged. but we cannot see German
influence extended: converting a
friendly neutrality into enforced CO.
operation. We have to show skill and
initiative to prevent the slipping
away of our friends"
Maj. Attlee said that the lesson
to be learned from Finland was
that if you want to defeat aggression
you must stand together"
Neutral Policy Criticized.
Mr.. Chamberlain had declared
that the doctrine of neutrality under
which Norway and Sweden had
acted in the Finnish war was based
on the assumption that anything
was better for a small neutral than
to be involved in war between
Germany and the allies. and that
it was a matter of indifference to
small neutral states whether Ger
many or the allies won. OF this
Maj. Attlee said:
Until these assumptions are
abandoned and the necessary deduc-
tions drawn from that abondon-
ment, the policy of neutral states
will neither correspond to realities
nor be adequate to safeguard their
interests
Asserting that the British French
allies had been prepared to send
at least 100000 men to Finland's aid
before the end of April and also to
aid Sweden against any German
intervention, Mr.. Chamberlain de-
scribed the allies readiness to enter
the northern conflict.
Previously Premier Daladier had
told of preparation of an expedition
of $4,000 for Finland.
The Prime Minister said the expe-
dition to Finland had been ap-
proved by the allied supreme war
council February and was ready
to leave at the beginning of March,
two months before Field Marshal
(See CHAMBERLATN, Page A-2J