URGENT NEWS . 19.12.39 No. 1. AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN. (NOT TO BE QUOTED AS .AN AIR MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENT ) . The importance which the German High Command attaches to the preservation of their diminishing fleet is emphasised by the strenuous resistance offered to the reconnaissance carried out by the R.A.F. yesterday. This reconnaissance had as its object the seeking out and destruction of enemy warships at sea. OuP hope that they would be found in open water was not realised. The enemy had withdr-awn their naval forces leaving it to their fighter aircraft to dispute our passage and thus to endeavour to protect their ships from discovery. Severe fighting followed in the course of which the sl5:ill and determination of our captains and crews and the effectiveness of the gu~ armament of our aircraft were clearly demonstrated by the heavy casualties suffered by the enemy. The account of this engagment issued by the Germans today must be regarded as an abortive attemnt to minimise the severe loss of prestige they have suffered both at sea and in the air during the last few d2ys. A further illustration is afforded by the fantastic story of an air battle off Sylt which in fact never took place. It may be added tha t the further statement that there were attacks at various places on the German coast during the day is equally without foundat i on. FROM !\ IR AFF,r\IRS. ---------oOo·-----­ Librarv On1·"&rs· t ~ '" ' "· • Y or , e•:a11; Austin, Texas 19. 12. 39 No. 2. (Not to be quoted as an Air Ministry announceme11..Jl AN AIRCRAFTM.AN' S DAY. Airmen's letters home may bring news of the Squadron's football team, or of the last concert in the canteen hall. They seldom give any picture of a day in the life of an average Aircraftrnan. "I would like", one mother asked an R. A. F. officer in the train not long ago "to know vvhat my boy is doing every day. 11 Here is at any rate, one answer :­ 9 The Royal Air Force is not a mass production machine. . The key note is individuality. Every man who enlists learns his own trade. Even on a station over a thousand strong, most of the men are employed on individual rather than collective jobs. Take one whom we will call Leading Aircraftman William Smith, who comes from the Potteries and enlisted two years ago. He is twenty now, fair-haired, five foot ten, and a fine light­weight boxer. Two years ago, he was driving a van for a famous firm of potters. Today, he has risen from A.C. II (Aircraftman second class) to L.A. C. (Leading Aircraftman). His station is in the country, for modern aircraft need space that a remote country site can best give. His day begins at Reveille at 6.30 when the orderly corporal comes round and turns the men out. The barrack r ooms are still blacked-out -loudspeakers soon l et you know if they are not -but there is plenty of light and hot water for shavin~ He makes his bed, puts his kit away in his locker, and goes over to the dinin8 hall for breakfast, with porridge, sausages, bread and marmalade, at 7.1 5. Then, back for his gr eat-coat and gas mask and a /tidy-up -2' ­tidy-up of the barrack room, and he is r eady for parade at 7.45. He; parades outside the hang!trs; with his :B"light. They fall in, the roll is called and they march off. The business of the day has begun. Over~ in the hangar, the sergeant in charge tells off each man for his job, although some of them will be finishing the work they were doing yesterday. William is a fitter, a skilled trade, and with one other airman told off as his mate, he finds himself in E> ..gang under a corporal. They are to carry out a "thirty hour inspection" of one of the Blenheims with which his Squadron is equipped, William an~ his mate are on the port engine, Two others are on the starboard engine, and two more attend to the airframe. They fetch their tools and overalls from a box in the hangar, and get to work. Both know their jobo Valves and springs hold no mysteries for them. This morning, one of the magnetos is badly awry, and they stop to hold a post-mortem on it, in which the corporal joins. By a quarter past ten, they have broken the back of the work and are r eady to fall out for a smoke. (Smoking in a hangar is forbidden.) Dinner is at mid-day -roast beef and Yorkshire pudding,, "duff" and custard. At 1.30 they par ade again, and by 4 o'clock they lm.ve finished their job. The corporal in charge checks their work. He knows them both and does not need to stand ovar themo Then they both sign Form 700 ( the daily inspection sheet) to st at e that the work has been _..,.,.. properly carried out. Their days work is over, but had it been necessary they would have carried on in the hangars until the small hours of the morning. After a thorough removal of the day's grease comes tea at 4.30 -we are hack in the black-out now. Tea over, William and a friend in the camp make a quick decision. There is a concert at the _.,,... station -last night /there ~3­ there was a whist drive, the night before that an runateur sing-song, tomorrow there will be a dance. There is also the cinema at the nearest small town. But the cinema 'bus passes t~ station gates at 5 o'clock. To catch it would mean a rush, instead of a smoke after tea. So they choose the concert -but that part you have already heard in William's letter home. AIR MINISTRY, WHITEHALL. s. w. 1. ' 19/12/39 -No.3~ FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE (Morning) The following official communique was issued from French G.H. Q. this morning:­Nothing of importance to report. ---000--­ No.4 MINI STRY OF AGRICULTURE WEEELY NEWS SERVICE N0.15. ---· P~OUGH FOR SECURITY. On the home food front there has been an advsnce all along the line in the past week. Sir Reginal d Dorman-Smith gave the farmers of E:r·it a in a r enewed assur ance when he said on the 14th December in the Bouse of Commons:­ "The producer's job is to produce and the Government will se e that conditions are created in \~ ich he is able to deliver the goods. The Government recognises that if the desired incree.se in home production is to be secured, a higher l evel of prices will be necessary :fer agricultural products generally • • • • • • • • • • • In fixing agricultural prices regard must be paid to the need for a reasonable wage to the worker.ti Sir Reginal d also referred to further steps that will be taken to secure the better drainage of potentially fertile land at present 'N 2.terlogged and announced plans for county ccmmi ttees to r~main in possession of derelict land that they have reclaimed long enough to reap the benefits of their work. Finally, he announced that a continuation of the £2 per acre gra.nt for ploughing up grassland for another year beyond 31st March next was contemplated if the war continues. Christme.s Cheer. The Minister of Food also had cheery Christmas news. He announced that producers' milk prices were to be increased., 11linimum as well as maximum prices were to be f txed for potatoes and a scheme would be put into operation which would ensure that a possible surplus of the produce of t his crop would net involve the growers in loss, either this year or in 1940. In addition, the Minister of Food has already promised that a scheme for full control of livestock, with fixed prices, will be introduced early in the New Year. A favourable sugar beet contr'act, with an increased price that averages 1±/lld. per ton of beet and an extension of acreage by 390,000 acres has been announced, together with provisions for reviewing this price if 1. production costs i ncrease . Finally there i s the enhanced price of 49/6d. per q_unrter for wheat, and 27/-per quc.~rter for oats harvested in 1939. Farmers still have their problems , like most traders in wartime, but at le:;st their Christmas shculd new be a happier one and they can face the imrwd is. te future with more confidence than many othe~s in these di fficult times. The __J ,a!ld -~~be U ~~?.:_ .f:!.f1;8. in. In his stat ement in the Beuse , Sir Reginald made clear what is no1N happening to our l and .. We are becomin.c a nation of mixed formers again. Although for some farmers it must bring all the difficulties of chEmt.'iDE over tc an entirely different system of farming, and many othe:..--·s will be growing crops that pre-war prices could. harc11,y justify economically, yet there are few with any instinct for the soil in them who do not know tn their hearts that this is the way our l and cught t o be used; the plough, to let air , sunshine and health into the soil, and to grow crops which, in part at any r a te, f eed the stock that graze the pastures: the stocl-c, in turn to gi ve bacl:: t 1J.e manure to fertilise the ensuing corn and fodder crops. It is an old system th2t has never yet been surpassed for keepi ng stock and l and healthy and productive . It is t ealised that economic considerations s ince the l ast war have made this impossible in many cases, but the Government have now undertaken t o see that the prices obt8.ined make it possi b le for the reasona.bly eff'icient farmer tc :rarm in this manner. The kind of l and to wh ich these r emar ks chiefly apply are the millions of acres of second and third clas s pasture that today yield cnly a fraction of what they once pr oduced in food for man and beast. This land once provided the whole of the food requirements fer a large population of sheep and catt le. Thanks to modern knowledge cf grassland management and to vastl;y improved st rains of grass seeds and pasture mixtures, these acres 2. could carry many more stock than 0ver before in their history. Yfe can now make good pasture in as many months as it once needed years. ~1so, we know much more ~bout the feeding value of such crops as kale and sugar beet tops, about silage and the whole science of economical rationing for livestock. And yet last year we imported 7,500,000 tons of animal feeding stuffs. Three Good Reasons. . ­ Ne must novv change all that for three important reasons. First of all, if we grow these thjngs at home, it will release precious ships ~nd precious foreign exchange to import tbe raw materials and munitions of war. Dr. Goebbels need not be in too great a hurry to rejoice at the changes that are being forced upon British agriculture. The ships will still come to our shores, but their frei ght will carry goods that we can re-export to Germany in a :form that vvill hardly be welcomed there. Secondly, the farmer who grows his own feeding stuffs, whose f·arm is self-contained. and self-supporting, is the producer vvho is secure against any misadvent ure in feeding stuffs' supplies or rises in the world pricea In times of war between great nations world prices tend to rise: ahipping freights and insurance adds greatly to the cost of all we must import . We have learnt at least one lesson from the last war-that prices must not be allowed to get out of control and cause inflation. The farmer who persists in relying unduly upon imported feeding stuffs may well find himself paying a heavy price for them wh:le wr1s."':; he sells bas not risen in proportion. The self--contained farmer is immune against such dangers a The third reason for growing more of our own fee~ing stuffs at home looks rather further ahe&d -to the day when peace returns. iv.hen that happens_, the future of farming may well be Library Snivcrsity of Texa ~ ~ustin, Texas determined. for many years ahead. Prices will have to revert nearer to the normal, even if they remain at a generally higher level. If there has to be too drastic and. sudden a change, • because prices have risen to dizzy heights, the sad agTicultural . story of the Corn Production Acts and. 1921-1925 might have to be repeated. But if we can then show a balanced system of agriculture, efficient and economical in the use of our own resources, with prices kept down a.t reasonable levels because we have ncultivated our own garden" rather than competed in the world market to drive up the prices of feeding stuffs, then British agriculture will ha.ve a good chance to consolidate the gTound that it has gained, and the transition from war to peace will be effected without disastrous upheavals in agricultural policy. This change back to mixed farming, therefore, despite inevitable inconveniences, is not only in the interests of the soil and the stock who live on it, not only in the national interest in this grim struggle, but also in the interest o:f every farmer, both now and in the critical days that will follow the war. 11 The Wilderness Shall Blossom .~ ••• 11 Our main effort is being concentrated upon the great area of second and third class pasture, for this offers the widest scope for improvement and the best promise of satisfactory results. Acre for acre, our present arable land has as high an average yield as at any previous period, our best pastures keep as many stock as ever they did. But there are, in addition, large tracts of once productive land, now more or less derelicto The County Committees have powers to take possession of such land and take certain steps to bring it into proper cultivation again. But these present powers are insufficient for the task in some areas where it is a q_uestion rather of re-constructing rural England than of ploughing it up. 'I1here are many thousands of acres of potentially fertile land that is waterlogged, where the ditches are choked, where mole­ 4. st eps to equip the County Co:r;"",[f.it toes n:i. ti·1 t~·ic:.·. ;;c;. te ~G\.'iBl' ~; to bf'ing s1.,.ch lancl into th~ service of the nat:i.01l again, ari.cl 8 in co 'it is quite evident that these c3.nnot be c::1.ea:..1ed. up in a day, or even a yetir, J?:J.rl iai;~ent v:ill be asked 1~0 empower the County Cominittees to ret1~in possessio11 of such land for at least 2 years after the termin&tion of the war, The obj O('t of this would be to er;.able thr~ expenditure necessary to p~t this ls.nd straight agai~ to be r~couped by a sufficient period of full production. Worthy of His Hire. Discussions are Gtill proceeding between rep~esentatives of the farmers and the f arm workers on the general question of wage regul ation, and it would b e prematur~ to anticipate the result. But it is no secret that there has p~obably ne~er been greater unity of purpose between them, and that these two partners in the land have every wish to wo11 k in the closest harmony tu make Britai~ more productive. Sir Recire:J.d gave the vrnrkers a welcome assurance when he said: "The Gove"'.'nment recognise that in fixing agricultural prices reg~rd must be paid to the need for a reasonable wage to the vrorl:er11 • The Minister also 3tated that further consideration is being given to the problem of reconciling man power for the purpose of food production viith cJ.aims on mun power for the fighting servi ties. Good News for Dairy Farmers, Risher Prices f or Next Year News of a better price f or milk will be welcome to dairy farmers, whQ have not only seen their costs rise through dearer labour1 feeding stuffs and equipment, but even received a lower pr}ce -per s e.llon this .October th-un in October, 193S• The Minis.te:r of Food an,nouncss that a temporary grant wou.ld be rn.o.de to th$ Milk ·Marltoting Boards, fi. sufficient to raise producers' returns by 3do per gallon in J anuary and February and 2-~do per gallon in March, above those realised in the corresponding months of 19390 He promised that steps would be taken to see that these increases were passed on to the producers. This is a temporary arrangement while the future is reviewedo These higher prices will avoid a rise in price to the consumer, a thing which dairy farmers are particularly anxious to prevento Average Regional ~ilk Price Old Price New Price January, 1939 February, 15o3 15., 1 January, Feb1,uary 1940 18.3 18.3 March 14.0 March 1605 * * * * MI NIMillvI PRICE FOR_ POTA~OES FUHD TO DEAL W~TH ff~~J~Ll_JS Those who have argued , not unreasonably, that if maximum prices were· fised for potatoes minimum prices should be fixed also, received a favourable answer in the Minister of Food's statement in Parliament on 13th Decembero Minimum prices, Mr. Morrison said9 will be fixed in the near future after consultation with the interests concerned, and t hey will take effect for the remainder of the season. He also dealt with the question of potatoes that may be surplus at the end of the season on account of our unusually large crop this year. An insurance fund is to be created to provide the money for ensuring to farmers a reasonable return for any surplus of the ~resent crop remaining on their hands. The fund will be financed by a tonnage levy payable by the first buyerso Mr. Morrison made a particular point of the fact that this l evy will not be deducted from the grower's price but added by the first buyer to his price when he re-sells them. 6. ~. As regards the 1940 crop, wpich is likely to cover a considerably larger acreage than the prcsGnt one, minimum prices will also be fixed, and on the basis of the minimum prices now being considered for 1939. But there will be provisions for making adjustments both on account of increased costs of production and in relation to yield. Price Adjusted to Yield Under ordinary trading conditions prices are adjusted to yield by the normal interplay of supply and demand. Adjustment in relation to yield in fixing minimum prices is, therefore, simply a logical continuation of the same thing, and 1t will work in this way. If the general yield per acre is abnormally low, the Government will fix a higher minimum price per ton. But obviously the producers cannot have it both ways under any plan to ensure to them a reasonable return, so if 1940 turns out to be a year of abnormally high potato yields in the country generally, the minimum price will be adjusted downwards. Mr. Morrison also undertook that his Ministry would deal with any surplus in 1940, whether it arises from expansion of acreage or exceptional yields, in such a way that growers will obtain a remunerative price for their crop as a whole. Qonfidence Growers cannot be expected to draw their final conclusions from these announcements until they know more definitely what the prices will be. But the general framework of the proposals is proof that the question of surplus potatoes has not been overlooked, and it should remove any fears on this score that may have existed. Taken in conjunction with the evidences of good faith the Government has already given to agriculture, such as th8 higher prices for 1939 wheat and oats, the improved sugar beet eontract and Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith's encouraging outline of policy, potato growers now have good reason to go ahead with ~onfidence. 7. The Small holder On ths 7th of this mon th, it was ann ounced ty the Agricultural Minis t crs that the minimum area eligible for the £2 per acre ploughing-up grant was to be a:}plicsbl e in future to a minimum of 1 acre plots or fi el ds inst 88.d of' a minimum of 2 acreG. This new conditi on will llav_QJ..S.:...tros_occtiye~ffcct provided t he ploughing took place aft er the outbreak of war and the County War Agricultural Executivc Comrni ttee concerned is prc~pared to givs the necessary certif i~ate . The concession ha s been made because it is f elt that small holdcI'S, with a cornpaPat i vcl y small ar ea of land} should bo put in to the same posi t ion as larger farmers when they are ordered by the County War Agricultural }:.;xccut i ve Committee to plough up an ar ea less than 2 acres, or if they ha ve resp onded volunt arily to the ITinister' s-app0al of 3rd September to plough up 10 pc:;r cent. of their gr assland. Sinall areas ploughed up before the outbreak of war were not plo~ghcd as a result either of a Cultivation Orctcr or of war-time rcg_uirerr.c:nts, and the conc ession will. tD.ercfore not be. cxt8nded to any land under 2 acres in ext \_,:n t, and ovsr 1 acre, pl oughed up buf"ore 3rd September. 8. 19/12/39 No. 5. NOT TO BE QUOTED AS A WAR OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT•. _ Authority has now been Given to recruit by direct voluntary enlistment 300 rn.en of Scottish nationality, between the ages of 20 and 35, for the 1st and 2nd Battalions of The London Scottish, The Gordon Highlanders. Application must be made in writing to Officer i/c Recruiting at Regimental Headquarters, 59, Buckingham Gate, SoW.l., stating age and Nationality qualification. Arrangements will then be made for applicants to be interviewed in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, .· where they will receive full instructions. Those approved will be called up for embodiment on 17th January and will be posted direct to uni ts for training. ++++ f--t I-++++ 19/12/39 No. 6 The following is communicated by t he Admiralty:­ The applications which have been received in response to the recent appeal to men with experience as physical training instructors to join the Navy, for service during the war, are under consideration, but owing to the very large number to be dealt with, some delay must necessarily occur before those concerned can be conununicated witho ---oOo--­ ADI\Ll_BAf.iTY 9 s. W•. L EMPIRE AFFAIRS. 19/12/39 No. 7. KING'S SPEECH TO NORTHERN IRELAND PARLIAMENT TRIBUTE TO MAGNIFICENT SERVICE At the opening of th~ new Session of the Northern Ireland Parliament to-day the Governor of Northern Ireland, the Duke of Abercorn, delive~ed the King's speech, the text of which is as follows: When I last addressed you our Country was at peace. Since then the United Kingdom has been forced into what may prqve to be a prolonged campaign in defence of universal liberty and justiceo "From the day war was declared Northern Ireland has given proof of her willingness to play her full part in this great struggle. "To me it is a source of deep satisfaction that the young men of the Province have offered. themselves in such large numbers as volunteers for service in His Majesty's Forces. Their rally to the Colours has been fully up to the high standard expected, and the women of the country, too, are l oyaJl.y car rying out their duties in many spheres of activity, both on Service and in their homeso "My Ministers have devote,d constant attention to Civil Defence and I am gratified to lear n that the Act passed last Session has enabled precautions to be taken for the protectj_on of our people from the worst effects of att.ack by hostile aircraft. These arrangements are being improved and developed day by day with the cordial co-operation of local authorities, and, in fact, all sections of the community. The training of volunteers continues, and those who have been enrolled are discharging with diligence their allctted tasks. "Food production is one of the most essential national services at this time. My Government has, therefore, laid plans for the ploughing of a quarter of a million additional acres of grassland in 1940, and every effort is being made to meet the needs of farmers by the provision of tractors , ploughs, and other implements. No less important t han the product ion of food supJ/lies is the provision of essentials r equired for the successful prosecution of the/ -2­ the war, and I am glaCl. to know that in this sphere, as in all r•thers, our industri alists are making ai1 important and growing contribution to the national effortD 11 I arn further pleased to observe that the imp0rtance to the nation of me.intaining overseas trade is fully realised, and that my Ministers arc working in the closest co--operation with United Kingdom Ministers in order to facilitate the development of Northern Ireland exp ;rt trade, compatible with the requirements l)f the home countI'Yo Ivly Government is also actively engaged in assisting indust::i:.'y to surm0unt the many difficulties with vrhich it is faced, while, at the same t:.me, ensuring that the interests of employees are duly s afeguardedo 11iThe necessity for borrowing large sums of money for the purpose of prosecuting the war has been the subject of legislati-cm at Westminster, and an intensive campaign covering the United Kingdom as a whole h as been launched with the object of obtaining the maximum r espnnse from small investorso I am gratified that my Government has created a National Defence Ulster Savings, Certificate Issue, the greater part of the proceeds of which will be made available for National Defence purposes I am confident that this ap~)e al Jo o vvhich has met with an immediate and ready resp..'nse, wil1 continue to receive the wholehear'ted support of the community. "Among the Measures which will be introduced will be a Rill dispensing, for the period of the war, with the necessity for holding Local Elections and preparing Registers of ~lectors. "A Measure wil l be laid before ~T0u for the amendment ·)f the law re1ating to hj_re purchase, and you will also be invited to crmsider pro1Josals for the further postponement of the raising nf the school leaving age, for the :ornvisinn of increased grants t1J public mental hospitals, for the araendment of the law vri th regard to Building Societies, and for the more effective :preventi')n of fraudulent deaJ_ing in investments:­ /It ·~·3­ "It was not practicable to proceed in the last Session with the Bill for the postponement ,,f the general revaluation due to be made in the year 1941~ This matter, however, will be brought forward for your consideration in the forthcoming Session. "The Report of the Committee on Maternity Services has now been received and will be given full a;:nd symputhetic consideration by··my-Government.," MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. .. -~....-......-----------11"'.J'.'Qe Estimates for the Public Servicef.. will be laid before ·· ·'\~ yo": tn due course" "My l\'lh1i:sters are f'v.J.J.y altve to the needs-. in the ;-:ational ~-Eterest s-·-for the most rigid economy, and it will be their policy not tc s.at:.c-tion any r~ew servj_ces or extensions of existing serv.ice~ whj,Jh ·are nat essential for purposes connected with the war or for the supply of very urgent needs, and I am also gratified that our Local authorities are taldng measures to ensure that a like regard for economy is observed in the admj_nistration of local government, although it is reJretted that this policy necessarily involves the suspension of many useful public works." MEMBE ·: s OF THE SENATE AND OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS . 111 am pleased to learn that 9 notwithstanding the unavoidable changes in our industrial organisation, there has been a substantial reduction during the year in the number of pePsons unemployed, and trust that, for many of those who are still out of work, the expandin~ demands for labour required to meet our national need will afford improved :prospects of employment in the future. "I am glad to find that the principle of Holidays with Pay is spreading and that in the coming year over one hundred thousand workers will profit as a result of its adoptiona I am/ -4 ­ "I am gratified to know that work in the schools through­out Northern Ireland is proceeding normally. Effective machinery has been provided under the Education (Evacuated Children) Act passed last Session for the education of apy of our children whom it may be found necessary to transfer to country areas. 11 I reiterate my admiration of the magnificent response of the whole people to the calls made upon them in defence of King and Country, and ttr pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your deliberations.11 -------000------­ The Board of Tracle announce that the Standing Cornr!1i ttee (Genera]. Merohc.ndisc) have reported on their Enq-Liiry as to whet"tier imported Spectacle Frames, Fronts, Sides a:.1d Bridges; anu ~eglass Frames and Bridges shou1d be re..::Li.iraed to bear an indico.tion of origin. 'rbe Report is being published and may shortly be obtained either directly from H.M. Stationery Office at the following addresses:-York Eouse, Kingsway, London, w.c.2; 120 George Stl'eet, Eclinburgh1 2; 26 Yor·l~ Street, Manchester l; 1 St.Andrew'~ Cresent, Ca rdiff; 80 Chiche~:ter-Street, Belf'c..st; or through any bookseller. Board of TraC:.e, 19th Decenfoer, 1939. For the i nfor.lris.tioL of t:L:e I'I'ess~ ·--:-....·-~~.._..,__,_.....-..... -..._...,....,--_,,, -~,..._.--•.~.--..... ,,,..,.,..___.,___ Wl1en 9 a few Jes.rs o.go 9 the requirement of pneumatic tyres on motor vel1icle s W8.S 1nadc general 9 vel•icle s and trailers whicl1 had been put on the roads with non-pneumatic tyres before 1st January 1933 were given a re,,;rieve until 1st January9 19408 Under px• esent c ircw:nst anc es the Minist er of Transport has now made Regulations extending the period for another year. In t h e same Regulations the steam tractor• and trailer 9 both pneu.n1atic tyred 9 are allowed a two ton increase in their 1naximum laden 'Nej.r;ht 9 r11aldng a permitted total of 24 .tonsg Provision is also made to allow the towing of a broken-down motorcycle by another motorcyclec A summary of the Regulat i ons is at"tachede Ministry of Transport, Metropole Buildings 9 Northumberland Avenue 9 London 9 ~.1 ~ Co 2o THE MOTOR vr ;iE CI.ES ( CO'.\f3TPUGT ION AND USE ) of ~rR~B)ort has made the Mot or Vehicles ( Constructio;~1 (Arc;r~l.i1rn:=;1.1t) PPovisi onal Regulations 9 1939 3 amendin2; the lvlotoP "ifGLicltis (Contructi on and Use) ReguL.~tions, 1937s and the Moto:..~ Ve::n:Lc1eD ( Ccin:;t:ruction e.nd Use ) (Track Laying Vehicles ) Provisional Regulations 9 19370 Under the 1937 Regul ations certain classes of motcr vehicles registered f or the first time before 1933 and trailers constructed before 1933 were r·eouired to be fitted with pneumatic tyres as f r om the lst L At the present moment I could not give you. the exact figu.;;-es of officers and men who have already arrived in Great Brit:-.tin and in France 1 but I can say that they are sufficiently large to permit to organise several S :iis.st Bil'lce .~head), which vms ap?ointed by the ~oard of ~rads f or the purpose of advising ·chem as to the exercise o:::· t >oir frn1ctio:-:.s lmder ·che ·Act, has had under its co:i:1side1'c::.-cio1·J. c: r:.m,ibcr of a1)plicat ions for such porraissio:i.l. Any peI·son desiring such pc;:r1i1issio~1 vvho has not yet made application should clo so without de;l a:r. Coi.u::unict:,t ions should be a~dressed to the Couptroll0r of the C~Jpanies Depar·srnent, :Joarc1 of 'J..'I•a.dc , Gr ca.t G-eor~;e G·~r0et, ·d·3StLinster, s.·.I.1. :3oard of Tr2.de , 19th D~cci:~:Jcr, 1939. FROM MILITARY AFFAIRS ....,.19...../_1_2/.-.3..-.9___NOo =h,5.o NOT TO BE QUOTED h-.S Y!• .9.:-AffNOUNCEMENT_. FRENCH GUIDE FOR BRI±ISH SOLDIER~ The French Academie des Sciences and the "Afnor" organization have arranged for each British soldier to be given a card -"A Help to the English Soldiers" -explaining in a simple way how the metric system works and how it compares with the more complicated British measurements. The card9 small enough to fit in a solidervs pay book 9 is headed "1914 -·.-:felcome to France -1939". One edge is ruled off in cer:.timetres. On the same side is a table of equivalents:·· £1 180 frs. a shilling.= 9 frs: = 1 metre = 1.094 yards; 1 hectare = 2o47 acres; and so on. On the other side are set out the French units for measuring length, area, volume and weighto Altogether it is a most useful little guide, provided by a happy and courteous thought. ++++++++ WAR OFFICE, WHITEHALL 9 §:w.1. 1 9'l1F. DECEI';BLR , 1 Y39 . No. 16. I/T • A • 11' •11'r' • 'rhe ~fiinister of Agri~ulture and Fi sheries, in his speech in t he House o:f Commons on the 14th Decenber, i ntimated that the Government pr o;)osecl t o t alrn further steps to secure the better draining of land in England and Wales which is potentially fertile but which i s at pr esent wat erlogged. The Minister i s n6w in a uosition to indicat e what these :further ste;:is will be. They.are (1) the relaxation of conditions of grent for drainage schemes carried out 'Jy Drai nage Boards and Count~.r Councils and the ext ension of the grant for a further :)eriod; (2) t he -9ro;notic-n of legi slati~n to give Catchr:-;ent Boards additional powers to cm'PY ~ut s chemes of drainage with the aid of a Government gr ant; and ( 3) assistance for ap-~Jroved scher11es of mol e drainage. Some det a ils of t hese proposal s ar e set out bel ow. As regards schemes of drainage suboitted to the l\•Tini st er on and after 1st <'anuary 5 1