Evening star., 1941-12-26
Text of ChurchiNs Address to Congress

rility, valor and virtue Of the Eng
disappearing world, with all its gal
axy of loyal friends are associated
in a common community or state,
we can be reunited by the simple
but supreme God. l think it would
be reasonable to hope that the end
of 1912 will see us quite definitely
in better position than we are
now. And that the year l943 will
enable us to assume the initiative
upon an ample scale. Some people
may be startled or momentarily
depressed when, like your President,
I speak of long. hard war.
Our peoples would rather know
the truth, somber though it be: and
after all, when we are doing the
most blessed work in the world.
not only defending our hearths and
homes but the cause of freedom in
every land, the question of whether
deliverance comes in 1912 or 1943
or 1914 falls into its proper place
in the grand proportions of human
history.
Sure I am that this day now. we
are the masters of our fate; that
/ the task which has been set us is
not above our strength; that its
| pangs and tolls are not beyond
our endurance, as long as we have
faith in our cause and unconquer-
able willpower, salvation will not
be denied us.
In the words of the sonnet, We
shall not be afraid of evil tidings;
his heart is fixed, trusting in the
Lord
Not all the tidings will be evil.
On the contrary, mighty strokes of
war already have been dealt against
the enemy-the glorious defense of
their native soils by the Russian
armies and people. Wounds have
been inflicted upon the Nazi tyranny
and system which have bitten deep
and will tester and inflame not only
in the Nazi body but in the Nazi
mind.
The boastful Mussolini has crum-
pied already. He is now but a
lackey and a serf, the merest utensil
OF his maSer'S will He has inflicted
great suffering and wrong upon his
industrious people. He has been
stripped of all his African empire.
Abyssinia is liberated. Our armies
of the East which were so weak
and ill-equipped at the moment of
the French desertion, now control all
the regions from Heron to Bengasi,
from Apollo and Cyprus to the
northeast of the Nile.
Desert Battle Fiercely Fought.
For many months We devoted our
selves to preparing to take the Of
fensive in Libya The very con-
siderable battle which has been pro-
i: u +here for the last six weeks
in the desert mas been most fiercely
fought on both sides. Owing to the
difficulties of supplies upon the
desert flank we were never able to
bring numerically equal forces to
lombard the enemy. Therefore, We
had to rely upon superiority in num-
bers and qualities of tanks and air.
craft-British and American.
For the first time, aided by these
we have fought the enemy with
equal weapons. For the first time
We have made them feel the sharp
edge of those tools with which he
has enslaved Europe. The armored
forces of the enemy in Cirenaica
amounted to about 10000 men, OF
whom third were German. Gen
Auchinlech set out to destroy totally
that armored force and I have every
reason to believe tht his aim will be
accomplished.
I am so glad to be able to place
before you members of the Senate
and the House of Representatives al
this moment, when you are enter
ing the war. the proof that with
proper weapons and proper organi-
zation, we are able to beat the life
out of the savage Nazis. What Hit
Ter is suffering in Libya is only q
sample and a foretaste of what
we have got to give him and his
accomplices wherever this wal
should lead us in any quarter OF
the globe
Empire Growing Stronger.
There are good tidings also from
the blue waters. The lifeline of sup
plies which join our two nations
across the ocean without which al
would fail-that lifeline is flowing
steadily and freely in spite of al
that the enemy could do.
The back of the British Empire
which many thought 18 months agt
was broken. is now incomparably
stronger and is growing strongel
with every month. Lastly, if yol
,, will forgive me for saying so, tn,
best tidings of all, the United State
united as never before and VIII,
have drawn the sword for freedom
and cast away the scabbard. All thes
tremendous steps have led the sub
jugated peoples of Europe to lift III
their heads again in hope; they hav
put aside forever the shameful temp
! tation of resigning themselves to tn
conquerors will. Hope has returned
! to the hearts of scores of millions O
d.. men and women, and with that hop
l there bllrpS the flame of anpe