Rather more than a quarter a year, Mr Speaker, has since the new Government came power in this country. What cataract of disaster has poured upon us since then! The Dutch overwhelmed; their beloved and Sovereign driven into exile; the city of Rotterdam the scene a massacre as hideous and as anything in the Thirty ' War; Belgium invaded and beaten ; our own fine Expeditionary Force off and almost captured, escaping it seemed only by a and with the loss of its equipment; our Ally, France, ; Italy in against us; all in the power of the , all its arsenals and vast of military material converted or to the enemy's use; a Government set up at Vichy may at any moment be to become our foe; the western seaboard of Europe from North Cape to the Spanish in German hands; all the , all the airfields on this front employed against us as springboards of invasion. Moreover, Sir, German air power, numerically so outstripping ours, has been brought close to our Island that we used to dread greatly come to pass and the bombers not only reach our in a few minutes and many directions, but can be by their fighting aircraft. Why, , if we had been confronted the beginning of May with a prospect, it would have incredible that at the end a period of horror and , or at this point in period of horror and disaster, should stand erect, sure of , masters of our fate and the conviction of final victory unquenchable in our hearts. Few have believed we could survive; would have believed that we today not only feel stronger should actually be stronger than have ever been before.

The air battle which has been progress over this Island for last few weeks has recently a high intensity. It is soon to attempt to assign either to its scale or its duration. We must certainly that greater efforts will be by the enemy than any has so far put forth. air fields are still being in France and the Low , and the movement of squadrons material for attacking us is proceeding. It is quite plain, , that Herr Hitler could not defeat in his air attack Great Britain without sustaining most injury. If after all his and bloodcurdling threats and lurid trumpeted round the world of damage he has inflicted, of vast numbers of our Air he has shot down, so says, with so little loss himself; if after tales of panic-stricken British crushed in their cursing the plutocratic Parliament which led them to such a - if after all this whole air onslaught were forced a while tamely to peter , the Fuhrer's reputation for veracity statement might be seriously impugned. may be sure, therefore, that will continue as long as has the strength to do , and as long as any he may have in respect the Russian Air Force allow to do so.

On the hand, the conditions and course the fighting have so far favorable to us. I told House two months ago that, in France our fighter aircraft wont to inflict a loss two or three to one the Germans, and in the at Dunkirk, which was a of no-man's-land, a loss of three or four to one, expected that in an attack this Island we should achieve larger ratio. This has certainly true. It must also be that all the enemy machines pilots which are shot down our Island, or over the which surround it, are either or captured; whereas a considerable of our machines, and also our pilots, are saved, and again in many cases come action.

The gratitude of every in our Island, in our , and indeed throughout the world, in the abodes of the , goes out to the British who, undaunted by odds, unwearied their constant challenge and mortal , are turning the tide of World War by their prowess by their devotion. Never in field of human conflict was much owed by so many so few. All hearts go to the fighter pilots, whose actions we see with our eyes day after day; but must never forget that all time, night after night, month month, our bomber squadrons travel into Germany, find their targets the darkness by the highest skill, aim their attacks, often the heaviest fire, often with loss, with deliberate careful discrimination, inflict shattering blows upon the of the technical and war-making of the Nazi power. On part of the Royal Air does the weight of the fall more heavily than on daylight bombers, who will play invaluable part in the case invasion and whose unflinching zeal has been necessary in the on numerous occasions to restrain.

hope-indeed, I pray-that we shall be found unworthy of our if after toil and tribulation is granted to us. For rest, we have to gain victory. That is our task. is, however, one direction in we can see a little clearly ahead. We have to not only for ourselves but the lasting security of the and principles for which we fighting and of the long of the British Commonwealth of . Some months ago we came the conclusion that the interests the United States and of British Empire both required that United States should have facilities the naval and air defense the Western Hemisphere against the of a Nazi power which have acquired temporary but lengthy of a large part of Europe and its formidable resources. had therefore decided spontaneously, and being asked or offered any , to inform the Government of United States that we would glad to place such defense at their disposal by leasing sites in our Transatlantic possessions their greater security against the dangers of the future. The of association of interests for purposes between Great Britain and United States had developed even the war. Various agreements had reached about certain small islands the Pacific Ocean which had important as air fueling points. all this line of thought found ourselves in very close with the Government of Canada.

we learned that anxiety was felt in the United States the air and naval defence their Atlantic seaboard, and President has recently made it clear he would like to discuss us, and with the Dominion Canada and with Newfoundland, the of American naval and air in Newfoundland and in the Indies. There is, of course, question of any transference of - that has never been -or of any action being taken the consent or against the of the various Colonies concerned; for our part, His Majesty's are entirely willing to accord facilities to the United States a 99 years' leasehold basis, we feel sure that our no less than theirs, and interests of the Colonies themselves of Canada and Newfoundland, will served thereby. Sir, these are steps. Undoubtedly this process means these two great organizations of English-speaking democracies, the British Empire the United States, will have be somewhat mixed up together some of their affairs for and general advantage. For my part, looking out upon the , I do not view the with any misgivings. I could stop it if I wished; one can stop it. Like Mississippi, it just keeps rolling . Let it roll. Let it on full flood, inexorable, irresistible, , to broader lands and better .