Evening star., 1943-06-30

| occasion from world events to our
domestic Affairs. Here 1t may Justly
be said that our slowly wrought
British institutions. have proved
themselves even better adapted to
this crisis than any we have known
in the past. His majesty has a ma
tional government composed of
leading men Of all parties officially
authorized by their parties to serve
the state and only the state at the
present juncture.
On the home front I submit with
dif1ldence and confidence that in
the important spheres of finance,
labor, agriculture and food and sew
eral others I can mention efficient,
vigorous and successful administra-
ton has been provided. This will
bear comparison with what hap
pened not only in the last war
which we also won-but has not
been outclassed by what is happen
ing in any other country or under
any other system, democratic or
totalitarian.
Press Praised for Showing
Discretion and Patriotism.
Our vast and influential newspa-
per press has known how to combine
independence and liveliness with
discretion and patriotism.
I rejoice that both houses Of Par
Lament have preserved even in our
most bitter period full authority and
freedom. AS an old House Of Com
mons man I would add that If I am
here today to receive as Prime Min
lister the honors which you pay me
it is because and. only because of
the resolute, overwhelming and un-
wearying support 1 have received
from the most famous and most vi
tai of all parliamentary assemblies
OF all our institutions there Is
none which has served us better in
the hour of need than our ancient
monarchy. All that we have Is CEN
tered upon and embodied by the
King and Queen, most dearly be-
loved and honored by all the coun-
try. We all welcome back here our
gracious and gallant King from his
visit to the victorious army in Africa
None reioices on his return with more
fervor than his Minister who took
the responsibility for advising him
not to restrain his royal pleasure
in journey of this peculiar charac-
| ter.
The general progress of war is
! Ct Tx1,1 no
won by the Allies. Every one has
heard of the battle in Tunisia when
| 350,000 Germans or Italians were
made captive or slain and of the
immense quantities Of war material
and shipping which were captured
or destroyed. We have rejoiced sob
erly but all the more profoundly
at this signal military episode, which
ranks with the magnificent Russian
victory at Stalingrad and which
takes its place in Britain with her
NOSE famous victories.
There was another victory, a no
less notable battle which was fought
in May in the Atlantic against the
U-boats.
In May the German admiralty
made extreme exertions to prevent
the movement to Great Britain of
the enormous conveys OF food and
materials which are continuously
received from the United States and
which we must bring in safely If
our war-making capacity is to be
maintained. Long lines of U-boats
were spread to meet these conveys,
and is or 20 U-boats were concen-
trated in each attack.
To meet this the British and
American and Canadian forces of
the sea and air hurled their strength
at the U-boats. The fighting took
place mainly around the conveys
and also over a wide expanse of
ocean. 1t ended in the total defeat
of the U-boat attack.
30 U-boats Destroyed.
More than 30 U-boats were
certainly destroyed in the month of
May, f1oundering in many cases with
their crews in the dark depths Of
the sea. Staggered by these deadly
losses the U-boats have recoiled to
lick their wounds and mourn their
dead
Now as result of the May victory
and massacre of U-boats we have
had in June the best month we
have ever known in the whole 46
OF the war. The prodigious Ship
building exertions of the United
States and the considerable contri-
button of Britain and also Canada
have produced an output of new
ships which is somewhere between
seven and ten times as much as our
losses from enemy action in the
month of June.
Since the middle of May scarcely
single merchant ship has been
sunk in the whole of the North At
lantlc. In June also, although the
conveys are not being seriously at
tackled at the present time, U-boat
losses have been most solid and
encouraging.
give these facts purposely in a
form which conveys the truth with
out giving precise or detailed infor-
nation to circles wider than those
with which we ourselves are con-
cerned. There are two conclusions
to be drawn from them. The first
is that we must not assume that
this great improvement will be
maintained or that bad patches do
not lie ahead. The second is that,
although encouraged by the grow
ing success of our methods, we must
redouble Our efforts and ingenuity.
The disasters of the U-boats in
May and June have a bearing on
another phase of our offensive war.
These two months have seen the
heaviest discharge of bombs on the
munitions and industrial war CEN
ters of Germany.
Three years ago Hitler boasted
ne would rub out the cities of Brit
ain. Certainly in the nine months
before he abandoned his attack we
suffered very heavy damage to our
buildings and grievous hindrance to
our life and work More than 10000
of our people were killed and 100, 900
wounded. But now those who sowed
the wind are reaping the whirlwind.