Churchill Gives Pep Talk at Allied Meeting in London

[Globalization41]

London, Associated Press, The New York
Times, Thursday, June 12, 1941: Following
[are excerpts] of Prime Minister Churchill's
address to the meeting of representatives of
Britain and her Allies in London today. ... ...
In the 22nd month of the war against Nazism
we meet here in this old palace of St. James,
itself not unscarred by the fire of the enemy, in
order to proclaim the high purposes and
resolves of the lawful constitutional
governments of Europe whose countries have
been overrun, and we meet here also to cheer
the hopes of free men and free peoples
throughout the world. ... Here before us on
the table lie title deeds of ten nations whose
soil has been invaded and polluted. Here also,
duly authorized by Parliament and the
democracy of Britain, are gathered the servants
of the ancient British monarchy and accredited
representatives of the British Dominions
beyond the seas, of Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, and South Africa, of the Empire of
India, of Burma, and of our colonies in every
quarter of the globe. They have drawn their
swords in this cause. They will never let them
fall till life is gone or victory is won. ...
Across the Atlantic Ocean the hammers and
lathes of the United States signal in a rising
hum their message of encouragement and their
promise of swift and evergrowing aid. ...
What tragedies, what horrors, what crimes has
Hitler brought upon the world -- the ruins of
Warsaw, of Rotterdam, of Belgrade [and
London] which will long recall to future
generations the outrages of unopposed air
bombing applied with calculated scientific
cruelty to helpless populations. ... Far worse
is the misery of conquered peoples. We see
them hounded, terrorized, exploited. Their
manhood by the millions is forced to work
under conditions indistinguishable in many
cases from actual slavery. Their homes, their
daily life, are pried into and spied upon by the
all-pervading system of secret political police
which, having reduced the Germans themselves
to abject docility, now stalks the streets and
byways of a dozen lands. Their religious
faiths are affronted, persecuted, or oppressed
in interests of a fanatic paganism. ... It is
upon this foundation that Hitler with his
tattered lackey, Mussolini, at his tail and
Admiral Darlan frisking by his side, pretends
to build out of hatred, appetite, and racial
assertion a new order for Europe. Never did
so mocking a fantasy obsess the mind of mortal
man. We cannot tell what the course of this
fell war will be as it spreads remorseless
through ever wider regions. ... Our land
forces are being perfected in equipment and
training. Hitler may turn and trample this way
and that through tortured Europe. He may
spread his course far and wide and carry his
course with him. He may break into Africa or
into Asia. But it is here, in this island fortress,
that he will have to reckon in the end. ... Lift
up your hearts, all will come right. Out of the
depths of sorrow and sacrifice will be born
again the glory of mankind.

London, Special Cable to The New York
Times, Thursday, June 12, 1941: Sir Stafford
Cripps, British Ambassador to Moscow, who
arrived in London last night on a brief official
visit, gave Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden a
report today on the situation in Soviet Russia.
He also called on Alfred Duff Cooper,
Minister of Information. ... It was said in some
quarters that Russian-German rather than
Russian-British relations would occupy the
greater part of the discussions between Sir
Stafford and the authorities here. Whether he
saw Prime Minister Winston Churchill today
was not divulged, but he will certainly consult
the Prime Minister during his stay in London.
... With Sir Stafford's arrival here rumors
cropped up again that the Germans have 80
divisions concentrated on the Russian-German
frontiers. Some observers refuse to place any
credence in these rumors, and they also decline
to believe reports from abroad that German
troops on the Russian borders have been
increased to 100 divisions. However, others
hold that it is significant Berlin has never
issued a denial of reports that almost since the
war broke out Nazi troops have been strung
along the Russian-German frontiers, with Adolf
Hitler casting eager eyes on the Ukraine's
grain and the Baku oil fields. ... ... London,
United Press, The New York Times, Thursday,
June 12, 1941: Russia was reported in
diplomatic advices reaching London tonight to
be frantically fortifying her Balkan frontier,
and Soviet quarters admitted that it was
"probably true" that Germany had massed a
formidable army along the borders facing
Russia. ... ... Stockholm, Sweden, By
Telephone to The New York Times, Thursday,
June 12, 1941: With complete calm Swedish
governmental circles today were following the
mysterious Soviet-German tension. It is felt
here that Finland has an excellent chance of not
being involved in a possible conflict between
the two countries. It is also possible that
Sweden has recently received assurances that
she has nothing to fear. ... The Finnish
Government is determined to do all in its
power not to plunge the country into a new
war in which Finland would have to act
together with Great Britain's enemy, and the
feeling is shared by more than 90 percent of
the Finns.

Washington, Special to The New York Times,
Thursday, June 12, 1941: Following is the
text of the detailed report on the sinking of the
freighter Robin Moor sent to the State
Department today by Walter J. Linthicum, the
United States Consul at Pernambuco, Brazil.
... ... I boarded the Ozorio before it docked in
Pernambuco last night and with full
cooperation of the local authorities privately
took the dispositions of the American
survivors; a comprehensive summary of their
testimony follows. ... At 6 o'clock Greenwich
time May 21 last, the Robin Moor was ordered
to stop by the use of a blinking light signal and
to "send a boat with papers;" upon inquiry
what ship, the reply was just submarine. The
Robin Moor then lowered a lifeboat in charge
of the chief officer, which proceeded about a
mile and a half. No ship's papers were taken.
Submarine commander asked as to identity of
ship and was told "American Robin Moor New
York to Cape Town." ... The first mate was
then ordered into the submarine, reappearing
about ten minutes later, when the submarine
commander was heard by the men manning the
lifeboat to give the command to abandon ship
within 20 minutes, which upon request was
extended to one-half hour from the time the
lifeboat returned to her vessel. ... Upon the
return three other lifeboats were lowered, one
containing 11 seamen, another with 12 seamen,
another with ten seamen and one passenger,
and a fourth contained three married couples,
a child, and five seamen. ... After
abandonment of the ship the submarine fired a
torpedo amidship, then some 30-odd shells
until the Robin Moor sank sternmost in about
23 minutes. Her position at this time was
latitude 6:10 north, longitude 25:40 west, and
the hour was 8:05 Greenwich time. Afterward
floating wreckage was destroyed by gunfire.
... After the sinking of the Robin Moor the
submarine circled by the lifeboat carrying the
survivors interviewed and its commander
remarked "I have given some food to your
captain," and then left the scene of the sinking,
remaining on the surface until out of sight. ...
There is no doubt in the minds of the survivors
that the commander and submarine were
German, although the latter had no visible
markings other than the name Lorricke or
Lorickke and a figure described as a laughing
cow, both painted on the conning tower. The
commander spoke to the men in poor English.
... The lifeboats remained together at the scene
of the sinking for about 24 hours because the
commander of the submarine had said that he
would wireless their position to expedite their
rescue. Finding that this was useless, the
captain instructed all boats to proceed to Saint
Paul's Rock or the Brazilian coast. ... They
all remained together until May 26, when the
survivors interviewed were given permission to
proceed on their own, which they did in the
direction of the Brazilian coast. [The three
other lifeboats were picked up June 13 by the
British steamer Wellington, outbound from
Brazil under radio silence, and landed at
Capetown, South Africa, on June 16. All
the crew and passengers survived.] Survivors
were picked up by the Ozorio at Latitude
0:46 north, longitude 37:37 west. ... The
evidence also reveals that the Robin Moor
had the American ensign and U.S.A. painted
on either side and an illuminated flag flying
from her stern at the time she was sunk and
when stopped she was instructed not to use her
radio.

Helsinki, Finland, Associated Press, The
New York Times, Friday, June 13, 1941:
[Late Thursday, U.S. time] It is understood in
well-informed quarters here that Germany has
enlarged certain far-reaching demands on
Russia. ... ... The New York Times, Thursday,
June 12, 1941: The telephone connection
through Germany to Berne, Switzerland, was
cut as [the above Helsinki] dispatch was being
relayed from Finland, and the remainder was
not received. ... ... The British radio quoted a
Moscow radio report [Thursday] to the effect
that the Caspian Sea flotilla of the Soviet Navy
had just completed extensive manoeuvres,
which showed that it was "fully prepared to
meet any emergency." The British broadcast
was recorded here by the Columbia
Broadcasting System. ... ... Berlin, United
Press, The New York Times, Friday, June
13, 1941: A German spokesman said tonight
that "it is well known that German troops are
present in Finland," but declined comment on
British reports of 55,000 Nazi troops there
[and said] "nothing is known here" [about]
reports that German troops had gone to
Finland in a precautionary move against
Russia.

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... Globalization41.]