The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-02

<, fact that our American friends are not fariweather freinds." he said.
 2yO0o Tanks To Russia
 The Prime Minister said that Britain had sent more than 2,O00 tanks to Russia to aid the Red Army on the eastern front.
 After touching on the American and Russian situations, Churchill turned to a full explanation of the Libyan defeat, answering critics, in- cluding former War Secretary Leslie Hore- -Belisha, who charged that blundering had threatened not only loss of the pathway to the Near East but of British sea power. Churchill accepted full constitu- tional responsibility for everything that has happened"
 Churchill said that he was "in favor of the freedom of expression" shown in the two-day war debate in commons which he was closing and pointed out that "no other country would use or date to use" such freedom in times "of mortal peril such as this through which we are passing"
 We are this moment in the pres- ence of recession of our hopes and prospects, for the Middle East and the Mediterranean, unequalled since the fall of France" Churchill said.
 Churchill said that most of the 50,000 men lost in Egypt and Libya in the last two weeks were prisoners but that great amounts of war ma- terials also had fallen to the enemy, despite British efforts to apply a scorched earth policy.
 "The evil effects of events in Tur- key, Spain, France and French North Africa cannot yet be meas- ured," Churchill said.
 The Prime Minister said that the fall of Tobruk in a single day was utterly unexpected by the house of commons, the public, the war cab- met and the chief of staff"
 Tobruk Fall Unexpected
 He said that it also was unexpect- ed by General Sir Claude Auchin- leck.
 The night before Tobruk fell Churchill said he received a tele- gram from Auchinleck saying that an adequate garrison with good de- lenses and supplies for 90 days had been arranged there.
 "The question of whether Tobruk should have been held or not Is dif- ficult and disputable," the prime minister said.
 Churchill added:
 Military misfortunes of the last fortnight in Libya and Egypt have completely transformed the situa- ton not only in that theater but throughout the Mediterranean
 We have lost upwards of 50000 men, by far the larger proportion of whom are war prisoners
 Despite carefully organized dem- olition, large quantities of stores have fallen into the enemy,s hands"
 Churchill pointed out that Auchin- leck had decided to try to hold To- bruk and "the war cabinet and their professional advisers through out had agreed with him before- hand"
 "l am very ready III pehalI oI the government to take my full share of responsibility" he added.
 The prime minister said that when he went to the United States to talk with President Roosevelt, both he (ChurchilD and the chief of general staff, Gen. Sir Alan Brooke, agreed that the situation was entering wearing down phase similar to conditions of last autumn"
 Our resources were much larger than the enemy's as were our ap- preaching endorsements" he said.
 He said when he entered MT. Rocsevelt's room on June 21 T was greatly shocked by report that To- bruk had fallen"
 q found 1t difficult to believe, but a few minutes later my own telegram was forwarded from Lon- don," he continued. T hope the House realizes what a bitter pang it was to me-"