On 14th February, 1940, they said: If
peace were concluded with Germany, and there is good reason to believe
that it could now be concluded on terms which would satisfy any
reasonable person. … Again, on 23rd February they spoke of the peace
policy of the B.U.F., that is the British Union of Fascists, before and
after the war as the same: Mind Britain's business. It says: Hitler
bears close resemblance to Mr. Churchill. That was just a month before
the war, at a time when Mr. Churchill was not in a position to influence
our policy. Then, after the war: Mr.
Churchill added another distinction to his conquest in the course of
his speech on the wireless. He is the first man to call the Germans '
Huns.' Again: ''Whenever during the last war Mr. Churchill edified us
with a cocksure pronouncement on the progress of hostilities it was
always invariably the prelude to a bad reverse.'' On
16th December, 1939, it says: Imagination boggles at Mr. Hore-Belisha
and Mr. Winston Churchill wondering a single second over the failure of
their Departments to meet their obligations. What they would worry
themselves sick about would be if their own salaries were not paid
promptly. On 23rd February, 1940, it says: Now that the sound and fury
of Mr. Winston Churchill has been hushed awhile "— He was not Prime
Minister then— when our Prime Minister quits his post in a middle of a
war to cross the Atlantic we expect him to return with something more
substantial than even an Eight Point Declaration. The humiliating
impression is conveyed of the British Prime Minister standing cap in
hand on America's doorstep or gang-plank. That was on 22nd August, 1941.
In October, 1939, there was this statement: There is only one man in
England who, in Mr. Churchill's reckoning, is fit to govern and that
man, of course, as you will guess, is Mr. Churchill. That is the
attitude of mind towards not merely a man in office but a man who has
put up the best fight for us against the Germans. I now come to the
paper's anti-American attitude On 29th September, 1940, they said:
America is willing to fight to the last Englishman. On 6th October,
1940, they said: For 18 months Americans have feared any European who
stood for peace in Europe. The U.S.A. is fiercely anxious for Europe to 1458
go to war because when Europe is at war, American industry booms. I ask
the House to consider not only the effect of all this on our morale but
on our relations with other countries. On 3rd November last year it was
stated: Germany is not one of the favoured belligerents because she has
no money. If that disability were removed America would supply arms to
Germany as willingly as to us. On 19th September, this year, the paper
said: While one welcomes the Prime Minister's assurance that every
effort will be made to secure a peaceful settlement in the Far East, it
is imprudent to put oneself into a position where one's life depends on
blood transfusion from an expectant and an ambitions heir "— that is
America— Even if America is willing to save the patient, what will her
fee be? Home consumption is cut down to the bone. This is a decisive
moment in a war, into which, if we had been influenced by their
importunity, we should have plunged a year earlier when we were more
unprepared. On 15th August, 1941, they said: We are glad to co-operate
with Americans, not to pull their chestnuts out of the fire. Is this
what one would call "helping the war effort"? In connection with the
meeting in the Atlantic it was said: I suggest to Mr. Alexander and Mr.
Brendan Bracken that the appropriate name for our next battleship to be
launched would be H.M.S. Hollywood. There was, as hon. Members know, a
moving film taken of the service that took place on board. As to their
pro-peace attitude, I will give one quotation, dated 6th October, 1940:
The fact which appalled me was the state of mind that had been reached,
in which peace itself should be a threat. They know as well as we know
that peace would not be peace, but a truce. The basis of all the
propaganda against us to-day is that we should be sensible and shake
hands with Germany to-morrow, and have our throats cut about five years
later. Let me give another quotation to show how they are pro-German. In
a reference to the right hon. Gentleman who is now Home Secretary,
before he became a Minister, they speak of him as "London's little
dictator," and say: London's little dictator suggested to Sir John
Anderson that he should watch the people who up to the outbreak of war
wanted to strengthen relations with Germany. Mr. Winston Churchill on
the Treasury Bench nodded his head in vigorous approval. 1459
On 24th November, 1939, there was a column letter by Major-General
Fuller white-washing, German concentration camps by way of counter-blast
to the Government's White Paper on German atrocities. Major-General
Fuller was connected with Joyce in the Fascist movement. He backed up a
book called "The Truth About This War," one of the pacifist publications
which came out during the "phoney" war. On 26th July, 1940, there was a
leading article insisting on Germany taking her proper place in the
leadership of Europe. That was just after France went out of the war. As
to their attitude to Russia, here is a quotation dated 8th August,
1941: Let us not deceive ourselves. If Russia does succeed in turning
the tables on Germany, it would be she who would issue the invitations
to the peace conference and we should be lucky if we got one. I think I
have read enough to show even those people who think that "Truth" is the
old newspaper they used to read when they were young, that at the
present time this newspaper has become a positive danger, and that it is
putting over propaganda which is very dangerous to our relations with
other countries and dangerous to morale in this country.
I
have said all I wanted to say, except that all through these
kaleidoscopic changes there appear the figures of Mr. Crocker and Sir
Joseph Ball, not as directors of but as connected with "Truth." I
understand these people are also on the Swinton Committee. It is
improper that people in any sort of way connected with this matter
should be on a committee which has the decision as to whether "Truth"
should continue to exist. There is a great deal of secrecy about the
committee, but if there is any connection between people who are
connected with this paper and the Swinton Committee it is bound to
create an unsatisfactory feeling throughout the country. I am more
anxious to get the attitude of the Swinton Committee towards the
Fascists and towards the Jews changed than even to get a change in the
editorship of "Truth." That will give us a decent national line, and
effective support of this Government. Better that than even to see the
paper suppressed."
Both
Ball and Crocker had by 1942 resigned from the Security Executive aka
Swinton Committee and from directorships of the Truth. Democracy does
work if we give a chance bravo Colonel Wedgewood.
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