Evening star., 1941-12-27

memory of those who heard 1t.
Nothing compares with it-not even
the great speech which President
Wilson made in London shortly after
the armistice of 1918. For here was
an address made in a moment OF
depression, with victory far off and
disappointments on every side. Here
is A message from the leader of one
free people to another-delivered as
is so characteristic of democracy in
the free air of a legislative assembly
that is master of its own destiny.
The event is historic not merely,
however, because it foreshadoWs a
new collaboration for war but a
comradeship in peace. The mistakes
of the last postwar period brought
the second world war. Mr.. Churchill
struck out boldly for an understand
ing that will keep the English-speak-
ing peoples together in peace as in
war.
Bound Tightly.
The old. old objections to the sur
render of sovereignty are not heard
now as the armed forces of Britain
and America prepare TO accept each
others commands The objective Is
victory and the British and Ameri-
can governments are working so
closely together that no treaty or
agreement or pact ever bound two
nations more tightly than the in
formal understandings which have
already been reached.
President Roosevelt has the con-
fldence and friendship of the Brit
ish Prime Minister and the latter
feels the same about the American
leader. This is not their first op-
portunity for major decisions. Their
conference last summer was prelim-
mary to what both must have visu-
allied as the inevitable trend
Americas participation in the war.
The Prime Minister'S speech to
Congress was a job that could not
have been done as we'll or as author
itatively by an American spokesman.
For he knows at first hand the en-
tire strategy. Why have not the
Philippines or Malaga been better
defended? Why was the Pacific left
relatively unprotected? With the
candor that has made Mr.. Churchill
famous he disarmed critics at once
by admitting that lease-lend made
possible a victory in Libya and as
Sured the safe transportation of
planes and supplies thus saving the
British Isles as an all-important
base of operations. To have dis
persed American supplies might have
cost Britain the war in Europe and
severely complicated Americas task,
Each theater of war or potential war
had to be considered in relation to
future eVentualltieS.
At Psychological Moment.
But it may be inferred that Hit
ler too, has revealed that he can
not fight on all fronts at the same
time and that the japanese will not
be able always to maintain the
initiative. Congress needed the
words of MI. Churchill to enable
them to get broad perspective on
the whole expanse of war operations.
His speech came at a psychological
moment when the utmost patience
LIS essential and when forebearance
is going to be more than ever de-
sirable as the Army and Navy strive
70 put into effect with limited
weapons and ships the strategy OF
defense that must subsequently turn
into a major offense.
The British Prime Minister COW
cred the main points with convinc-
ing words. He could point to Libya
as an example of what the British
soldier could do if given tanks and
air power. American tanks and
American planes helped bring about
the victory in North Africa. There
is no invincibility to the Nazi ex-
cept in tools prepared in abundance
before the democracies got going.
The British Prime Minister wanted
the American Congress to be pre-
pared for reverses now but to set
their sights for the more distant
future-the end of 1912 and the be-
ginning of 1943. He even mentioned
1914, not because he expects the
turning point then but in order that
the British and American peoples
may not be grieved if the calcula
tions now made are in error by II
months or so. After all. he said
what is a year more or less if de-
liverance comes in the end.
Hitler First Objective.
Although Mr.. Churchill made no
mention of the possible loss of the
Philippines or the islands that may
have to be surrendered in the Pa
cific and although he did not men
tion the defeat at Hong Kong. it
was plain that he was seeking to
direct attention to the greater
strategic importance of Singapore
and perhaps the slow but sure
mobilization of weapons and men
through the active assistance of
China and later Russia.
But it is Europe and the blows
that may fall in Spain and West
ern Africa which are in the fore
front of attention, and Mr.. Church
i'll made it very clear that the en-
try of Japan into the war did not
change the main objective-to re-
press Hitler and turn the tide of