 The fear of betrayal was heightened by the rapid fall of France in 1940, which some blamed on internal weakness and a pro-German "fifth column".A series of photos run in the June 1940 issue of "Life" magazine warned of "signs of Nazi Fifth Column Everywhere".In a speech to the House of Commons that same month, Winston Churchill reassured MPs that "Parliament has given us the powers to put down Fifth Column activities with a strong hand."