Churchill’s speech last night very good, as a speech. But impossible to dig any information out of it. The sole solid fact I could extract was that at the time of his offensive in Libya Wavell could never concentrate more than 2 divisions, say 30,000 men. Heard the speech at the Home Guard post. The men impressed by it, in fact moved. But I think only two of the ones there were men below the £5-a-week level. Churchill’s oratory is really good, in an old-fashioned way, though I don’t like his delivery. What a pity that he either can’t, or doesn’t want, or isn’t allowed ever to say anything definite!
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Churchill’s 27 Apr 1941 speech:
http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/LngHrdWr.html
Orwell’s right. Kinda vague on the details.
Is it the pauses? “Never…in…..”
Transcript of speech at
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/1941/410427a.html
Speech ends as follows:
Last time I spoke to you I quoted the lines of Longfellow which President Roosevelt had written out for me in his own hand. I have some other lines which are less well known but which seem apt and appropriate to our fortunes tonight and I believe they will be so judged wherever the English language is spoken or the flag of freedom flies:
For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,
Seem here no painful inch to gain,
Far back, through creeks and inlets making,
Comes silent, flooding in, the main.
And not by eastern windows only, .
When daylight comes, comes in the light;
In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly! .
But westward, look, the land is bright!
May 1, 1941: