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Show Java Fighter Praises British Comimi'.-.ider Henry E. Eccles, who lha;. been decorated Ifor his ipart in the Battle of the Java Sea, commanded an American destroyer which escaped de-j.ructiorj de-j.ructiorj 'Jhrouigh) the protmipt 'ei.-.d brave interference of another an-other liiestroyer which was subsequently sub-sequently lost. Telling about the incident, Corn'miander Eccles says his de- .tieoyer was caugLn. in the search lights of a heavy enemy minelayer mine-layer while betiAeeini two Japa-meee Japa-meee cruisers. Amothir American destroyer carne iup within' 500 to 800 yards of the disengaged side of tne mine-layer, and having i. o more tonpedoes, put the Japanese seardh lights out of commission' with her four and six-inch ga'.-.'s.. This enableldi iCci.r.imiander Eccles to get away vvij.j his ship. Interesting, too, is the high praise that Coimimander Eccles 0'a-w to .ihe ifightir.g qualities of tt-.e British (Navy. He says, "The Eritish naval offioers, mem- and hips are swell. They "knew how to fight, they have everything it taiki.u, a.e.d I (know of nothinig I'd rather have around me than i.hose men' with wlhom we were lighting out there. They not only really knolAr how to fight, but they like to figiht." In view of a. rather widespread fc.aUuca.tatiom inr this country that ..he BritiJb are poor (fighters, (fight-ers, the testimony of Commander Comman-der Eccles is important. For sa.r.c treason', many Americans have the idea that the British spend most of their time avoi'd)-ing avoi'd)-ing a cociflict. They may rep-re rep-re .en. the backwash of persistent persist-ent .eneimy propaganda, but certainly cer-tainly the tenacity with which .l.ie'j' cli. g to- .bc-ir prejudice, int-dica...s int-dica...s .i.nat they are not familiar famil-iar .with tme ifacts of this Iwar. .No nation' has given a finer exhibitionl of oourage than that staged fcy the British people i ..'irly two years ago wher.. Fraeje'e corj;p;ed. Virtually un-and un-and cightir.'g a powerful coalition, the. British, under tbs ..bj.eri. g leader J.i-ip of Prime ...i.:i.-er Churchill, deifieidi the .A'l.zls and alo'.ee as'-iumed the guardian' I .dp of the liberties I the world. 1 The record shows the amazing ( exploits of he RAF l,ihicln re- '..ulsej and drotroyed Germany's kil'iorts to defeat Great Britain ;by aerial attadk. It- idepicts, for iro-e .a ho care' to ascertain) it, the ever-r-eady williegness olf -the British. Navy to fight, even under un-der adverse .conditions. The fighting im Africa, Greeoe, Crete, L uiir.ii and Europe demonstrates he gameoess' of- British troops, stubbornly resisting overwhelming overwhelm-ing odds in a fight that is temporarily tem-porarily hopeless. |