The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-09
CHAMBERLAIN
SAVES REGIME
Continued from Page One)

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ties, inviting labor and lib
erals to take portfolios in his
cabinet.
The labor party convention
on Monday may decide to re-
verse it's decision not to par
ticipate in the government.
1t was evident the opposi-
ton expects Chamberlain-a
picture of WEAKNESS at the
end of the seven-hour tumult
lat least to reconstruct his
cabinet to satisfy their scorn-
full c~ondemnations of mud
ding"
Sir John Simon, chancellor
of the exchequer, Sir Samuel
Hoare, air minister, Oliver
Stanley, secretary for war,
and Leslie Burgin, supply
minister, were members men,
toned as likely to go.
Day Of Drama
A day of drama and excitement
such as ancient Westminster has
not witnessed in years was capped
when Churchill, a tory "reber' who
fired many a barb at the Chamber
lain escutcheon in the days of ap-
peasement, rose to make the clos
ing speech for the government.
Accepting full responsibility"
for the admiralty's decision not to
attempt to force Trondheim Fjord
"a blow which Admiral Of the
Fleet Sir Roger Keyes yesterday
said would have left Adolf Hitler
holding losing cards in Norway -
Churchill said Britain had 2 1000
troops facing 100, 900 Germans and
had the choice of getting them out
or leaving them to be destroyed"
Britain's surface navy would
have invited losses amounting to
''disaster" from the German air
fleet, he said, had an attempt been
made to cut German communica-
tons to Norway in the S~kagerrak.
Moreover, he warned, British in
feriority in the number of wal
planes will condemn US for some
time to come to a great deal of diff
ficulty and suffering and danger
which we must endure with firm
ness until more favorable condi-
lions can be established-as they
assuredly will be-"
In Great Peril
At no time in the last war, he de-
clared ominously, was Britain as
in as great peril as today.
His surprisingly mild statement,
however, turned into a sort of cat
ane dog fight when the first lord,
chin jutting out, angrily shouted at
hecklers, you dare not listen to
argument" and added the most de-
vastating rejoined known to British
politics:
IL S not 6TlClSn!
Reassuringly, he said the British
now had the Narvik airport, and
that I'VE now fight for Narvik."
Nevertheless, the tone of his
speech was of a man who has lost
some of his old buoyant optimism.
Germany's air preponderance
must be given Its deadly DUE" he
solemnly asserted as a result of
Britain's failure to keep up in the
last five years.
He stressed the perils of naval
occupations in waters teeming with
submarines anG destroyers each
with its bouquet of torpedoes" and
dominated by German aircraft
operating from nearby bases.
Sudden Decision
Earlier the tense drama had seen
the sudden decision of the labor
party to follow the debate with a
motion amounting to a question OF
confidence which would force
Chamberlain to resign if he lost.
Stung by the bitter words Of
Laborite Herbert Morrison, Cham.
berlain crumpled his notes in his
pocket and sprang from his seat to
cry, Il accept the challenge, 1 vel.
come it, indeed! At least we shall
sec who is with us and who is
against us. I call on my friends
to support us in the lobby tonight
After it was over the opposition
MP's said the flight of 40 or more
government supporters to the other
camp and the large number OF
absentees seriously weakened the
Prime Minister'S control of his
own party.
The opposition was surprised by
its own strength and said it por-
tended the early fall of the gov
eminent.
The vote contrasted with the gov
ernment's 292-129 victory on the
first of five wartime motions of
censure. That was on the question
of restricting the sale of Palestine
land to Jews, however, and did not
represent in any way the test of
today's ballot.
C%hurchill's speech by its very
mildness and frankness disarmed
the opposition which had expected
laundering blows. He made no at
tempt to minimize the British de-
feat. .-. .
Air parity is considered vital to
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