Evening star., 1944-05-25
Mr.. ChurchiII's Address

Mr.. IhurChlIIS Address
In his revealing and comprehen-
sive address yesterday, Prime Min
lister Churchill expressed himself so
forthrightly on so many of the
worlds most complex political is
sues that almost everything he said,
as well as what he left unsaid, will
undoubtedly lend itself to searching
examination and exhaustive debate
for many days to come. A brief and
adequate summary is not possible,
but if his far-ranging views were
fenced in by any single thought at
all, that thought was simply this:
That there is now no problem more
important or more pressing than the
problem of winning the war with the
utmost speed and with the least
possible cost In blood.
Mr.. Churchill had much to say
some Of it highly controversial
about Turkey, Italy, Spain, Greece,
Yugoslavia, France, Germany, ia
pan, Russia, Poland, the Atlantic
Charter and future world organi-
zation with power to maintain peace.
He made it clear, for instance, that
it was still the intention of the Al
lies to impose terms of uncondition-
al surrender on the Germans and
japanese, and though not overop-
timistic. he was encouraging enough
about the difficult Polish Russian
situation, and he had hopeful news
to offer about the unifying effects
OF the new Greek government and
the new government to be formed
by the Yugoslavs, and his remarks
on Spain were Illuminating almost
to the point of being sensational.
AS for collective security after the
war, he took his stand for q system
not unlike the League Of Nations
but League with teeth in 1t.
Yet, in discussing these and SINH
lar problems. Mr.. Churchill empha-
sized that there were no easy an
swers or no handy blueprints to meet
every complication. Moreover, he
held to the underlying thought that
such questions were subordinate to
the main purpose Of the Allies-"to
beat the enemy as soon as possible
and to gather all forces together for
that purpose in priority to any other
purpose" Thus, "in one place we
support a king, in another a Com
munist. There is no attempt by US
to enforce particular ideologies. We
only want to beat the enemy and
then in happy and serene peace
let the best expression be given the
will OF the people"
To perfectionists, to those who are
impatient to make over society and
reform human nature in the space
OF a day, all this may seem to be
little more than policy of expe-
diency and weak compromise. But
MIR. Churchill-and it might be Mr..
Roosevelt or Mr.. Stain speaking
has cogent words to offer on this
score: ''T'he duty Of all persons re-
sponsible for the conduct of foreign
affairs, in world at war of this
deadly character, and of all who in
different ways exercise influence is
to help the fighting men perform
the heavy task entrusted them by
insuring them all possible ease in
the execution, and advantage in
victory -. They should always think
Of the soldier in battle and ask
themselves whether what they say
or write will make his task easier"
If this be expediency, then Mr..
Churchill is frank and happy to con-
fess that he is guilty of it. It is a
policy which he defends superbly
well, being convinced himself that
it will speed the end of the war and
thus help us to deal promptly with
the vast political tasks that will con-
front us then. In his own words:
1--WE must not suppose that these
questions cannot be answered and
that these difficulties cannot be
overcome and that complete victory
will not be a powerful aid to the
solution of all these problems, and
that the goodwill and practical COM
nonsense which exists in the ma
jority of men and the majority of
nations will not find its full express
sion in that new structure which
must regulate the forces of every
people as far as they may clash
with another people"
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