Evening star., 1940-09-17
Danger Not Passed,
He Says, but Nation
Is Now Confident
BY the Associated Press.

| oy lNc hsSOSldlcu lIcoss
! LONDON, Sept. 17.-In a session
kept secret for more than two hours
because of relentless Nazi air raids,
Winston Churchill warned the House
of Commons today that Adolf Hitler
is pressing steadily the massing of
his sea-borne forces of invasion
against both Great Britain and Ire
| land
AT the same time the Prime Min
lister declared that that nation could
await the decision in the constant
battle of the air over England with
sober and increasing confidence"
because of the mounting strength
Of Britain's own air arm.
THE deployment of the German
barges and ships in preparation for
! invasion of Great Britain and Ire
land continues steadily and we must
| expect that he tHitler) will make
the attempt at what he judges to be
the best opportunity" said the
Prime Minister.
"All our preparations must, there
fore, be maintained in a state Of
vigilance.
The process OF waiting no
doubt imposes a heavy strain on all
concerned, but We must also not
underrate the damage inflicted on
the enemy by the very heavy and
prolonged nightly bombing upon his
concentration of shipping and upon
all focal points of his assembly Of
troops"
Text of Statement.
Following is the text of Prime
Minister Churchill's statement:
I do not feel it necessary to make
any lengthy statement to the House
today upon the general war position
Practically all the facts that are not
of secret nature have already been
made public. The advance of the
Italian army from Libya is in prog
ress. The two British platoons which
have been holding Salum have been
withdrawn. Sharp fighting is taking
place upon the desert fianks between
the armored vehicles, but the enemy
Is still at some distance from our po-
sition or resistance. We must see
what happens.
The deployment of the German
barges and ships in preparation of
invasion Of Great Britain and Ire
land continues steadily, and we must
expect that Hitler will make the at
tempt at what he judges to be the
best opportunity. All our prepara-
tions must therefore be maintained
in state of vigilance
The process of waiting, keyed up
to concert pitch day after day is apt
in time to lose the charm of novelty.
There is no doubt it imposes heavy
strain on all concerned. but we mast
also not underrate the damage in
flicted upon the enemy by the very
heavy and prolonged nightly bomb
ing upon his concentration of ship
ping and upon all focal points of his
assembly of troops.
Ascendancy in the Air.
Undoubtedly serious injury has
been done to his ships and barges
and meanwhile our own strength,
I am able to assure the House, de-
velops steadily by land, by sea, and,
above all, in the air
Sundays action was the most
brilliant and fruitful of any fought
upon a large scale by fighters of
the Royal Air Force up to the
present. The figures have already
been made public to the best of my
belief-and I have made searching
inquiries and several cross-checks--
they are not in any way exaggerated.
Neither side has yet employed more
than a portion of its forces. but there
are good reasons for believing at the
present time that very grievous
inroads are being made upon the
enemy's superiority of numbers, and
that we may await the decision of
the prolonged air battle with sober
but increasing confidence.
The German attacks upon the civil
population have been concentrated
mainly upon London in the hopes of
terrorizins the citizens into submis-
sion or to throw them into confusion
tSee CHURCHILL, Page A-D