Evening star., 1940-08-20
Text of Churchi|Ts Speech on War

and the means not only to go on
indefinitely but to strike heavy
and unexpected blows.
The road to victory may not be
so long as we expect. But we have
no right to count upon this.
Be 1t long or short, rough or
smooth, we mean to reach our
journeys end
Intends to Enforce Blockade
OF All Axis Held Europe.
1t is our intention to maintain
and enforce strict blockade not
only of Germany, but of Italy,
France and all other countries that
have fallen into the German power.
I read in the papers that Herr
Hitler has also proclaimed strict
| blockade of the British islands.
No one can complain of that.
I remember the Kaiser doing 1t in
the last war.
What indeed would be matter
of general complaint would be If
We were to prolong the agony Of
all Europe by allowing food to go
In to nouriSh the NaziS and aid
| their war effort, or to allow food
| to go in to the subjugated peoples
which would certainly be pillaged
off them by their Nazi cOnquerOrS.
There have been many proposals,
founded on the highest motives,
| that food should be allowed to pass
the blockade for the relief of these
populations.
I regret that we must refuse
| these requests.
The Nazis are boasting that they
have created a new unified economy
in Europe.
Germans Boast They Have
Ample Reserves of Food.
They have repeatedly stated that
they possess ample reserves of food
and that they can feed their cap
tive peoples.
| In a German broadcast of June
27 it was said that while MIR.
Hoovers plan for relieving France,
Belgium and Holland deserved COM
mendation, the German forces had
already taken the necessary steps.
We know that in Norway, when
the German trops went in, there
were food supplies to last for a
year.
We know that Poland, though not
rich country, usually produced
sufficient food for her people.
| Moreover, the other countries
which Herr Hitler has invaded all
held considerable stock when the
Germans entered and are them
selves very substantial food pro-
ducers.
If all this food is not available
now it can only be because it has
been removed to feed the people
of Germany and to give them in
creased rations there during the
last few months.
At this season of the year, and
| for some months to come, there is
the least chance of scarcity, as the
harvest has just been gathered in.
Many Foods Are Essential
To War Manufactures.
There is another aspect.
| Many of the most valuable foods
are essential to the manufacture of
vital war materials. Fats are used
to make explosives, potatoes to make
the alcohol for motor spirit. The
plastic materials now so largely used
for aircraft construction are made
of milk.
If the Germans use these COM
modities to help them bomb our
women and children, rather than
to feed the populations who produce
them, we may be sure that any i'm
ported food would go the same way,
directly or indirectly, or be employed
to relieve the enemy of the response
bilities he has assumed.
Let Hitler bear his responsibilities
to the full, and let the peoples OF
Europe who groan beneath his yoke
aid in every way the coming OF
the day when it will be broken.
Meanwhile, we can arrange in ad-
vance for the speedy entry of food
into any part of the enslaved area.
when this part has been wholly
cleared of German forces and has
genuinely regained its freedom.
We shall do our best to encourage
the building up of reserves of food
all over the world, so that there
will always be held out before the
eyes of the peoples of Europe, in
cluding-I say it deliberately-the
German-Austrian peoples, the GER
tainty that the shattering of the
Nazi power will bring to them all
immediate food, freedom and peace.
Cataract of Disaster
Has Poured Out Upon Us.
Rather more than a quarter OF
year has passed since the new
government came into power in this
country.
What a cataract of disaster has
poured out upon us since then!
The trustful Dutch overwhelmed
their beloved and respected sover-
eign driven into exile, the peaceful
city of Rotterdam the scene of
massacre as hideous as anything in
the 80 Years War, Belgium invaded
and beaten down, our own fine ex-
peditionary force, which King Leo
pold called to his rescue, cut off and
almost captured; escaping as it
seemed only by miracle and with
the loss of all its equipment; our
ally France out, Italy in against us.
All France in the power of the
enemy, all its arsenals and vast
masses of military material con-
verted to the enemy's use; puppet
government set up at Vichy which
may. at any moment be forced to
become our foe; the whole western
seaboard of Europe, from the North
Cape to the Spanish frontier, in
German hands; all the ports, all the
airflelds upon this immense front
employed against us as potential
springboards of invasion; the Ger
man air power, numerically so far
outstripping ours, has been brought
so close to our island that what we