Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-28
Battle Of Atlantic Big Issue
Of War, Premier Declares

senses can mistake. Hitler can
not find safety from avenging
Justice In the East, In the
Middle East or In the Far East.
In order 60 win this war he
must either conquer this island
by invasion or he must cut the
ocean lifeline which joins us TO
the United States
when I spoke TO YOU early In
February many people believed
the NaEi bOastings that the In
vaSion of Britain was about to
begin. Nor has II begun yet.
And, with every week that
passes, we have grown stronger
on the sea, in the air and in the
numbers. quality, training and
equipment of the great armies
that now guard our island
Turning from the invasion peril.
Churchill dealt with "our lifeline
across the Atlantic" saying:
What Is to happen IL so many
of our merchant ships are sunk
that we cannot bring in the food
We need 10 HeHFish our brave
people: What II the supplies OF
war materials and war weapons
which the United States are
seeking 10 send us in such enor-
nous quantities should In large
part he sunk on the way: What
IL 10 happen then?
FEBRUARY THREAT
'In February, as you may re-
member, that bad man In
one OF his raving outbursts
threatened us with a terrifying
increase in the numbers and
activities of his U-boats and his
air attacks. not only on our Is
land but,-thanks to his use OF
French and Norwegian harbors
and thanks to the denial to us
of the Irish bases-would fall
upon our shipping far out into
the Atlantic.
I'VE have taken and are TAX
ing all possible measures to meet
this deadly attack and We are
now fighting against 1t with
might and main. That Is what Is
called the battle of the atlantic,
which. In order TO survive, we
have got to win on salt water
lust as decisively as we had to
win the Battle of Britain last
August and September in the
air"
Giving Britain's first compre-
hensive official explanation of the
recent defeats suffered on both
sides of the eastern Mediterranean
by the British, Churchill declared
Every few people realize how
small were the forces with which
Gen.. (Sir Archibald P) Wavell
=. took the bulk of the Ital-
ian masses in Libya prisoners.
: In none of his successive vic
tories could General Waveil
maintain in the desert or bring
into action at one time more
than two divisions, or about 3d.
900 men.
CALL FROM GREECE
"When he reached Bengszi
and what was left of MussOlini's
Iegions scurried back along the
dusty road to Tripoli, a call was
made upon us which we could
not resist. Let me tell you about
that call
you will remember how In
November the Italian dictator
fell upon the unOffending Greeks
and. without reason and without
warning. invaded their country.
And how the Greek armies, re-
viving their classic fame, hurled
his armies back at the double
quick.
Meanwhile, Hitler. who had
been creeping and worming his
way steadily forward. doping
and poisoning and pinioning one
after the other, Hungary. Ru-
mania and Bulgaria, suddenly
made II clear that he would
come to the rescue Of his fellow
criminal. The lack of unity
among the Balkan states had
enabled him 20 build up a mighty
army In their midst.
BUSY WITH ITALIANS
"While nearly all the Greek
troops were busy beating the
Italians. the tremendous Ger
man military machine suddenly
tcwered up on their other flank.
I'm Their mortal peril the
Greeks turned 10 US fc- succor.
Strained as were our resources,
we could not say them nay. BY
solemn guarantee, given before
the war, Great Britain had
promised them her help. They
declared they would fight for
their native soil even II neither
o: their neighbOrs Turkey and
Yugoslavia) made common cause
with them and even II We left
them to their fate.
But we could not do that.