Imperial Valley press., 1944-03-28
CHURCHILL'S, THE VOICE
OF A WAR WEARY MAN

i MANY intent lSUo1e1S sunday Bflme
Minister Churchill, in his war address
to the world, sounded like a weared
man There was lacking the terse. snap
by voice 1t was his first talk since his
illness following the Tehran conference
A year had elapsed since he gave a re-
view of the global conflict
Perhaps it was because the premier is
tired and worn by war and illness that
he coined the expression of "fifty-five
months of war; Formerly he had meas
ured the war in terms of years.
If the millions listening 20 Britain'S
premier expected something definite and
assuring on immediate plans of the allies,
especially as to the invasion from the
west, they sorely were disappointed. And
as to his review of activities from Cairo
to now, ii was bit tiresOme. There was
little in that part of his address that
the world has not known, even by the slow
and unsatisfying release of war news.
Mostly the premier was talking to Brit
ons. He bluntly told them an election
must be held Immediately after peace
and in making this announcement he
made a bid for continued leadership by
hoping there might be something he
still could accomplish for the King
He then launched into a sweeping de-
fense Of what he has designated his -four
year reconstruction plan" And here
he reflected some of his Old-time fire by
advising that much of the plan may be
in operation before the elections. He
emphasized his housing program in
which he pledged that Britons may not
lack decent and modern homes after the
war nor will returned soldiers be with
out shelter And here the premier re-
minded his people that he was in an
official place during the mastering out
period after the first world war and
sharply warned that he knew something
about that job. As to mastering out,
he told his people they could not expect
immediate and wholesale release of men
under arms when the armistice comes.
There was a lack of taking people into
his confidence in discussing tactics and
future plans. He saw an earlier collapse
of Japan after Hitler is defeated than
he had predicted year ago.
Notably brief were references to the
Italy and India fighting. He mentioned
that Mountbatten is fighting hard bat
tie and that the decision not yet is in
mht. He spoke of the British opening
the Burma road and paid high tribute
t6 New Zealand and Australian troops
irr stopping the Japs and devoted a mo-
ment to the steady pushing back of the
Japs by the American navy and troops.
He did reveal that big part of the Brit
ish navy is in the Indian ocean waiting
torengage the Nip navy in case it comes
out for action and gives the U. S. the
slip.
There was the customary eulogy of
the fighting Russians with the hint of
serious crack in the Hitler program when
the Balkans receive the full force of i'm
l,- = H. ho
Germans mailed fist.
AS to the months of fighting in Italy
and the stalemate at AnZio and Cassino
there was nothing. He did refer to the
collapse of Italy as removing many dlvl-
sions of troops from the axis side.
Neither was there mention Of the situ-
alton over Stalin's recognition of the Bad
oglio regime in Italy or hint of relations
with the French groups
s%The most cheering part OF the address
was the unqualified declaration that the
U-Boat menace is wiped out and that the
allies now can send out 1000 air bomb
ers to hundred by the Germans.
Reactions to the talk in London
brought praise from one side Of the
press. On the other hand the labor
minded newspapers did not mince words
in declaring the premier had not suffi-
ciantly clarified his stand and views.
The most general comment in this
country showed disappointment in the