World Battlefronts: Amazing and Fearful

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Two months had passed since Mussolini's fall. Now Winston Churchill had come before the House of Commons to give account of the blood and tears it took to score this victory, to warn of the sacrifices yet to be demanded, to make bold and confident prophecy.

To hear him, all who could pushed their way into the House. They sat in the narrow, uncomfortable balconies, squatted on the floor, endured stoically the stale air loaded with the aroma of codfish served to the M.P.s during a recess for lunch, and warmly cheered.

Into his 14,000-word 125-minute speech Churchill crammed the treasure of facts saved up during his six weeks overseas. Into it he packed drama, the finely chiseled word, the sense and feel of history which are his. He had not come to apologize or to defend himself. Rather, he had come in triumph: "I cannot recollect," said he, "anything so complete and prolonged as the series of victories which have attended our Allied arms in almost every theater." He proclaimed progress in Anglo-American relations with Russia (see p. 38), but his speech was largely a report on "this amazing and fearful world war."

Second Front. The previous night a crowd of Second Front advocates milled before 10 Downing Street, and Churchill must have been mindful of it when he said:

"I call this front which we opened first in Africa, next in Sicily and now in Italy the third front. A second front, which already exists potentially and which is rapidly gathering weight, has not yet been engaged. . . .

"On the day when we and our American allies judge to be the right time this front also will be thrown open . . . and a mass invasion of the Continent from the west . . . will begin. . . . The present Government will never be swayed ... by an uninstructed agitation. . . ."

Third Front. To the front he called third Churchill gave nearly a half of his speech. He rigorously defended the planning and execution of the Italian landings, said that Salerno was a gamble which came off: "The possibility of a large-scale disaster could not be excluded . . . [but] results show the enemy has been worsted. . . . [We have won] an important and pregnant victory."

Of the future in his favorite area of strategy and action, the Mediterranean, he said:

"We are prepared to place large armies in Italy and to deploy a wide, active fighting front against the enemy . . . and to maintain the offensive . . . with increasing weight and vigor, if need be throughout the autumn and winter and beyond."

Fourth Front. By inference, Churchill again promised full British participation on the fourth front to which the Allies will have to dedicate themselves when Germany is crushed—the Pacific front against Japan. He laid heavy stress on Japan's losses in shipping (see p. 36) and aircraft, adding: "In both these vital respects . . . the strength of the enemy must be considered a wasting asset."

Air Front. Churchill briskly argued what Russia denied: that the Allied air offensive had effectively hampered the Germans on the Russians' first front. Said he:

"There has been an enormous diversion of the German energy from the war fronts to internal defense . . . and the offensive power of the enemy has been notably crippled thereby. ..."