Mr. Churchill's Survey
One of Mr. Churchill's outstanding talents is his capacity to see the multitudinous aspects of a world war as a single whole and to show them in perspective. In his impressive speech last Tuesday, delivered on the eve of " amphibious operations of peculiar com- plexity and hazard," he made us aware of the co-ordinating machinery of the Western Allies functioning with the minimum of friction at all levels, thanks in no small degree to the perfect understanding, " at the summit," between himself and President Roosevelt. From the planning departments at the top he translated us to the scenes where the fighting-men themselves are to be found preparing for the next combined operation at a moment not far distant. He did not forget that the whole structure of approaching campaigns depends on success against the U-boats in the high seas, and gave a reassur- ing account of shipping prospects. Nor did he let himself be so carried away by consideration of the great operations we arc under- taking as to let us forget that the land fighting on the biggest scale is that which is taking place in Russia. Full weight in his review was given to Russia and China and the war in the Pacific. At the end of his speech there was one little .touch, a significant one, to remind us that the world war was not only a matter of men, weapons and resources, but also of ideas—it was in the passage in which he thanked the House of Commons, and declared that it had proved itself " the foundation and instrument for the waging of successful war never surpassed in modern or ancient times." Thus his survey moved across the world and across the ages.
