11 OCTOBER 1940, Page 3

Mr. Lees Smith rightly attacked the Intelligence Service and indirectly

the Foreign Office. Many others went uneasily away, not wanting to embarrass the Government at this stage of the proceedings, but it would be foolish to minimise the shock which the Dakar incident has imparted to all members. The Narvik episode came back to the minds of many. Is this the same weakness at the Admiralty, or who is responsible? Is anyone to be sacked or appointed for a reason which the ordi- nary member can understand? Mr. Hore-Belisha commented forcibly on the recent decreases in production owing to the fact that the men spent so long in shelters. His figures showed that urgent action is necessary to remedy this difficult and dangerous situation.