The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-02-17
CHURCHILL IS
 VERY DEFIANT
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| COQtlnucQ rom rage U
 3. Called on members of the
 House to vote in line with their crit
 icism rather than their sentiment thus demanding real showdown in debate next week.
 4. Indicated that there might be cabinet changes later. Not Pugnacious The Prime Minister was firm but not pugnacious as he faced the most critical house since he took office Churchill was cheered by the house. Sir Stafford Cripps, often men, toned as candidate for war cab inet post, attended the first session since his return from Moscow. Churchill said the German war ships had been heavily damaged.
 The discussion following Church. ills speech was noteworthy for lack of direct criticism of the Prime Minister.
 Captain Frederick J. Bellenger, Laborite, was the harshest of Churchill's critics, implying that the Prime Minister should be busted or superseded.
 "The whole conduct of the war depended on the right kind of leader and the right kind of policy" he said. There is in this country and in this house at present feeling that we have not got the right kind of person for direction of the war to satisfactory conclusion"
 They will have to be worked up in gunnery and other practices and before they can agaln play a part in the war the Royal Navy rein forced will be by various units of the highest quality" he said. "A similar strengthening process is go- ing forward in the navy of the Uni- ted States"
 Naval Inquiry Opened
 He revealed that naval inquiry had opened yesterday on the pass age of the German ships but he aS- serted that their departure from Brest, where they were menace on the flank of British lines of com munication, had improved instead of harming the naval situation.
 Tentatively promising a house of commons debate next week on the general war situation, he warned of the effect that angry debate might have not only on enemy nations but Allied ones, and urged the house to keep tits reputation for hrmness and courage in face of diversity" He called the fall of Singapore "a tragedy, a lamentable misfor- tune," and said 1t would not be pru- dent to speculate Ion the various evil consequences which may fol- low" the fall.
 But he said that the 1orthcom- ing debate would include the pros poets of retrieving Singapore by the combined action of the Allied pow CTS concerned, and he recalled that the possibility Of the fall of sings- pore had been foreseen in the last war debate in commons.
 In his warning against recrimin. ations, he said he did not accuse members of parliament of panic.
 'Nonetheless, l think that de. bate held today, with charges ard counter-charges across the house at this moment of anxiety and distress would contribute to what I might call the rattling process going on in parts of the press"
 Frank, Fettered Nevertheless he said he thought the next debate, centering on the Far East, should be e long one and should be absolutely frank and fet- tered only by regard for the public interest"
 Though his statement on, Singa- pore was brief, he went into detail on the German feet
 Four thousand tons of bombs wer rained on Brest," he said. Brit ish planes made 3,299 bombing sor- ties against the German ships there and in these raids we lost PAT per- sonnel and 43 aircraft" Gle meant that 3,299 planes in all had bombed Brest.)