Evening star., 1942-09-10
Churchill Reports

Prime Minister Winston Churchill's
report to the House of Commons is
notable for its scope, its clarity and,
in the main, for its frankness. The
House was given a detailed account
OF his recent journeyings through
the Near and Middle East to Moscow,
together with sort of balance sheet
estimating every phase of the world
wide war. The whole affair was
marked by an atmosphere of mutual
cordlallty and confidence, in happy
contrast to his former appearance
before the House, when Churchill's
mood was touchy and angry criticism
was rife among the Commons. The
Prime Minister'S realistically factual
survey obviously disarmed potential
critics. A scheduled two-day debate
on foreign policy boiled down to a
single session, with no dissent.
Mr.. Churchills remarks on the
ten-day conference of British and
American strategists held in Lon
don last July and on the far-reach-
ing decisions then made, are
interesting additions to President
Roosevelt's pronouncements on the
war in his Labor Day address.
Taken together, they emphasize the
impression that America and Britain
have evolved definite program of
grand strategy which Is being
jointly worked out with special en-
phasis upon the European theater
of action.
The Prime Minister'S account of
recent operations in the Mediter-
ranean and Near East adds consid-
erably to our knowledge of those
fields, He made no bones over the
North African disaster in May and
June, which virtually destroyed the
British Eighth Army during a 400
mile retreat with a loss of over
10000 men and vast quantities of
equipment. In his judgment, how
ever, Rommels recent attack on the
Ell Alamein front was a major move
in which he was so roughly handled
by the new Eighth Army that his
striking power is badly blunted and
Egypt may be considered safe for
long time to come. That is cheering
news. sga tss-sr -fart sfn
Heartening likewise is his survey
of the war at sea, where U-boat
depredations are being partially
controlled and wherein "the line of
new building of merchant ships of
the United Nations has definitely
crossed and maintained itself on the
graphs above the line of sinkings."
For, as MIR. Churchill points out, this
far-f1ung sea struggle is ''the foun-
dation" of all our efforts. eff we
lost that, all else would be denied
U.S."
The least satisfactory part of Mr..
Churchill'S report is that of Russian
relations. 1t is unsatisfactory both
in what it discloses and in what 1t
attempts to minimize. The un-
escapable impression is that the
Prime Minister'S Moscow conferences
with Joseph Stain did not result in
a full meeting of minds. Despite
Mr.. Churchill's reference to the
Tower of Babel" it Is clear that
more than language barrier was
involved. Churchill admitted that
"the Russians did not think we or
America have done enough to take
the weight off of them; that it was
difficult to get the Russians to un-
derstand the difficulties in aiding
them, and that Russian cordiaIity is
dependent upon deeds and not
words" The Prime Minister con-
f1ned his assessment of the present
military situation on the Russian
front to the remark that it was now
the eighth of September. This OBJ
vIous reference to General Winter
was offset by his statement that the
British Tenth Army in Persia is
being rapidly strengthened and, with
substantial air forces which it will
require, may eventually give support
to the Russian left flank and, in any
case, defend the soil of Persia" That
looks as though Mr.. Churchill has
his doubts about Russian prospects
in South Russia and the Caucasus.
With the notable exception of
Russia, the Prime Minister'S report
to the House was infused through
out with restrained optimism. It
certainly seems to have satisfied the
Commons.
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