20/1/40 -No,l~ .2 . . '• FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUIHQUE (MORNING) PARIS2 Saturday, January 20. 1940. The following official oornmunique was issued this morning from French G.H. Q: A SHARP ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN RECONNAISSANCE UNITS ON GERMAN TERRITORY IN THE RCGION OF THE BLIES~ A FIGHTER WAS BROUGHT DOV!N WITHIN OUR LINES ON THE 19th. 20/i/4P . N0 2 FRENCH COMMUNIQUE The fighter referred to in this morningts communique was nn 11 enemy' fighter. ++++++.....++++++++++++++~+ 20/1/40 No. 3. R. A. F. OVER GERMANY The Air Ministry announces:­ During the night of Thursday, the 18th, and again last night aircraft of the Royal Air Force carried out several reconnaissance flights over Horth-West Germany. -----000-----­ ~IR AFFAIRS 20/1/40 -~4.• Empire Affairs. : PRICE REGULATIONS CHAIRMAN FOR ULSTER. Mr. B.J. Fox, a well-known K~C., has been appointed chairman of the New Prices Regulations Conunittee for 1'T orthern Ireland. The object of the Conunittee is to prevent the alternating increases in prices and wages which would lead to serious inflation, ------000----­ 2.0/l/40 -No. '3. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN ANY COUNTRY BEFORE SUNDAY, 21st JANUARY, 1940, OR BROADCAST =========~============================== BEFORE 1 a. mo Go M. T. EXAMINATION OF U. S. MAILS The follovving is the text of the reply of His Majesty's Government to the Note of 27th December from the Government of the United States on the subject of the examination by the British censorship authorities of certain United States mailso FOREIGN OFPICE, s;. W. 1. 16th January, 1940. Sir, I have the honour to invite reference to your Note No.1730 of the 27th December in ·which ynu drew attention to ce~tain specific instances of the removal from British, United States and other neutral ships, and of the examination by the British oensorship authorities, of United States. mail addressed to neutral countries and of sealed. letter mail despatched from the United States. You also · stated that your Government admitted the right of His Majesty's Government to censor private mails originating in or destined for the United Kingdom or private mails which normally pass through the United Kingdom for transnission to their final destination, but that in view of the Hague Convention No. Xl, your Government could not adrait the right of the British authorities to interfere with United States mail in United States or other neutral ships on the High Seas or to censor mail in ships which have involunt.arily entered British ports. 2. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are happy to note that there is substantial agreement betvveen them and the United States Government as regards the rights of censorship of terminal mails and that the only point of difference seems to lie in the interpretation of The Hague Convention in r~gard to correspondence in ships which are diverted/ Mr. Herschel V. Johnson, etc. , etc. , etco -2 ­ diverted into British ports. 3. The view of His Majesty's Government as regards the examination of mail in ships on the High Seas or involuntarily entering British ports is that the immunity conferred by Article 1 of The Hague Convention No. lli which in any case does not cover postal parcels, is enjoyed only by genuine postal correspondence, and that a belligerent is there:f'ore at liberty to examine mnil ~)ags and, if necessary, their contents in order to assure himself that they constitute such correspondence and not articles of a noxious character such as contraband. This view must, in the opinion of His Majesty's Government, be regarded as estabo·i shed by the practice during the war of 1914-1918, v..rhen none of the belligerents accepted the view that Article 1 of this Convention constituted an absolute prohibition of interference with mail bags, and the general right to s.earch for contraband was regarded as covering a full examination of mails for this purpose. Reference to the correspondence between the United States Government and His Majesty's Government in 1916 shows that at that date the United States admitted in principle the right of the British authorities to examine mail bags with a view to ascertaining whether they contained contraband. 4. It will be appreciated that the letter post as well as the parcel post can be used to convey contraband; and that even though letters may be addressed to a neutral country, their ultimate destination may be Germ2.i~y. For instance the letter mails may be used to convey securities, cheques or notes or again theJr may be used to send i nc.ustrial diamonds e.nd other light contraband. It must be remenibex'ed that the limi·t of size, weight and bulk of letters sent is sufficient to allow the passage of contraband of this nature which may be of the U!.tmost value/ -3 ­ value to the enemy" It was presumably for this reason that the United S;lz"ates Government in their note of the 24th May 1916 stated that 'the Government of United States is inclined to the opinion that the class of mail matter which includes stocks, bonds, coupons and similar securities is to be regarded as of the same nature as merchandise or other articles of property and subject to the .same exercise of belligerent rights,, Money orders, cheques, drafts, notes and other negotiable instruments which may pass as the equivalent of money are , it is considered, also to be classet!. as merchandiseo' It is c:i.ea:::• that in the case of merchandise~ His Majesty's Government are entitled to ascertain if it is contraband intended fo::> the enemy or ·whether it possesses an innocent characte~ ~ and it is impossible to decide whether a sealed let ter does or does not contain such merchandise without opening it and ascert aining what the contents areo It would be difficult to prevent the use of the letter post for the transmission of contraband to Germeny, a use which haE been made on an extensive scaJ.e, without submitting such mail to that very examination to which the Uni ted States Government is t_aking objectiono 6~ The Allied Governments in their correspondence with the United States Government in 1916 also had occasion to demonstrate the extent to which the mails were being employed for the purpose of conveying contraband articles to Germanyo The position in this respect is identical today, and, in this connexion, I have the honour to invite reference to an aide memoire dated the 23rd N overn.ber, 19.39 1 whic;h was communicated to a member of your staff and in which c1ear evidence was given 4 of the existence of an organ isea ~affic in contraband on a considerable scale between German sympathiser-s in the United States and Germany through the mail0 An article in a newspaper/ -4­newspaper published in .German in the United Sto.tos, which was handed to him at the same time showed that an organisation existed. in United States territory for the purpose of fo.cilitating this traffic. 6. Quite apart from transmission of contra.band the possibility must be taken into account of tho use of the letter }?Ost by Germans to transmit militnry intelligence, to promote sabotage an~ to carry on other hostile acts. It is in accordance with international law for belligerents to prevent intelligence ranching the enemy which might assist them in hostile operations. 7. I may add that in another respect, namely the C1.estruction of mails on board ships sunlc by the illegal methods of warfare ac1_optcc1 by Germany, tho situation today is identical vfith that v..rhich existed in the vmr of 1914-1918. Between the 3rd September• 1939 and the 9th January 9 1940 the German naval authorities have destroyed without previous warnins or visit, in defiance of the rules of war and of obligations freely entered intof the s.s. Castle Yorkshire, the s. s. Dunbar/ the ~. s. Simon Bolivar and the s. s. Terukuni Maru, all of' which o.re known to have been carrying mails to or from neutral countries, with as little regard ~or tho safety of the neutral correspondence on board as for the lives of tho inoffensive passengers and crew. Yet His Majesty's Govornrnent ape not aware that 8.ny protest regard;i.n.z this cl.estruction of post8. l correspondence has been mo. cl.e to the German Government. 8. In contrast to this reddess and indiscriminate destruction of neutral property the ex~mination conducted by His Majesty's Government of tho mails which are under discussion 0.oes not involve innocent mail bein6 either confiscated / -5 ~ confiscated or destroyed. In accordance with the terms of The Hague Convention mail found in ships which have been diverted to British ports is forwarded to its destination as soon as ~ossible after its innocent nature is established. In no case is genuine correspondence from the United States seized or confiscated by His Majesty's Governmentc 9. For the above reasons His Majesty1 s Government find them­selves unable to share the views of the United States Government th~t their action in examining· neutral mail in British or neutral shipping is contrary to their obligations under International Law. They are, however, desirous of conducting this examination with as little inconvenience as possible to foreign nations, and you may rest assured that every effort has been and will be made to reduce any delays which may be occasioned by its enforcement. If the United States Government have occasion to bring any specific complaints to the notice of His Ma j esty's Government concerning delays alleged to be due to the examination of these mails, His Majesty1 s Government will be happy to examine these complaints in as accommodating and friendly a spirit as possible. While the task of examination is rendered heavy as a result, it is believed that arrangements which have been made to deal with this correspondence will ensure that all genuine correspondence will reach its destination in safety and with reasonable despatch. I have the honour to be, with high consideration, Sir, Your obedie~t Servant, (For the Secret&ry of State) HoLo FARQUHAR. FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS DEPARTMENT. -.--......,-...-c-----·-·-·--­ ~~---'6'.oaa. · ­ ' ,, 20t h J anuary, 1940 1-£'2.!-. _§_·----­ M. A.1''. 142 IlINI8'1'~-:;y UF J1GK.IC'.JL'l'UPE _\l\TJ\fCUNC~:.11r:NT ------·------­ ... ------··--------~-----------­ The Ministry of Ar::ric:ilture wisheB· to draw the attention of all poultry 01n1ers in I,anHrl{, Micllothian1 \lest Lothian and Dr~n1.oarton, to the existence of' fowl c~1olera 9 which has been diagnosed in a number of flocks in these Counties. 'i'his d.isease 9 which attacks all ty;1es of domestic poultry a.nd some wilu bird.s, is capable of' causing very severe losses amongst them., I t does not, however, affect h\1ma.n beinL:; s . All poultr y keepers are advised to keep a constmt watch on the health of their flocks, [.md immediately to investigate Rny unusual rnortality 'by sending Gne or two specimen carcases for examination at a 1;oultry Labora.tory. The County .c)ou1·'.:.ry Instructress should be consulted if any particular di fficulty is experienced in this connection. In order to prevent the further spread of infection, the following precautions should be adopted by all owners of poultry in or near the above mentioned counties. (1 ) When possibl e purchase live bi rds only from sour-ce_s_ which are knovm to be free from disease. ( 2 ) With every newl y purchased lot of b i rds mix one or two low value birds of the home flock and keep them together in isolation for 14 days . Any illness or· d.eath arnon,:1st them shoul d be investigated without delay. ( 3 ) Make sure that all crates anG_ other receptacl es used for birds are at once thoroughly di sinfecte~ in com:9li ance ·v~ri th t11e :?oultry Markets &nd Receptacles (Disinfection) Order of 1936. An advi sory l eaflet (No . 19) on Fo•..vl Cholera is p11blished by the Mi nistry and a copy will be sent post f ree on appl ication to: -Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries , 10, Whitehall Place, Lond on, S . W. 1. 20/1(40 -No.7. TRAINING ULSTER WOME~.....ElillM WORKERS. As part of its "grow more food. 11 scheme, the Northern Ireland Ministry of Agriculture will next month inaugurate a two months' course of training in •. farm work :for young women. Instr~ction and board and residence for trainees will· be provided free at the Ulster Dciry School Cookstown, and the course will include training in the driving of tractors for ploughing. It is expected that this c1evelopment irrill give a further impetus to the tillage movement, which has already met with marked success. The Ministry has organised the course primarily for those who have a definite prospect of employment on their own or other farms after the completion of their training. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. 20/1/40 -No.8. P R E S S N O T I C E. In a continuous process factory inevitably part of the work is stopped while necessary repair measures are taken after an eA"J>losion such as that which occurred at the ROYAL GUNPOWDER FACTORY, WAI,Tfi::AM ABBEY. Work will not be available for a few weeks at the Royal Gunpowder Factory for all the men previously employed there. The Ministry of Supply. is, however, making arr.3.ngements to employ on reconstruction work und on tasks which are not affected at the factory, as many of the displaced men as possible1 and is also inviting others who wish to do so j to underta.lce employment at ordnance factories elsewhere. MINISTRY OF SUPPLY. No. 9 •. PRESS NQTICL. The use of the AoRoPo Headlamp Mask described in the A.RoP. Department Pamphlet issued last October, or of a mask giving an equivalent performance, will becDme compulsory on Monday, January 22, 1940, under the amended Lighting Order which will be published on that day.. It will be illegal for private and commercial vehicles to use any other type of mask on and after Eonday night. Special arrangements will apply to public service vehicles and vehicles belonging to the Service Departmentso The mask may be fitted either to the offside or the nearside headlamp and must be adjusted so that when the vehicle is standing on a level road no light from the masked headlamp can be seen above the horizontaL Any tamyering with it is likely to affect its perforinance and cause a breach of the Regulations. Trhe new Order reouires also that the rear lamp must be carried at a height not exceeding 3 fto 6 inches above ground level. +++++++ fR§.S~fi_JLOJ'J9.SJ. This afternoon , Colonel JoJ.,Llewellin 1 Mo Po 9 Parliamentary Secretary1 Ministry of Sup:-91Y, 7isitecl the three men who have been detained in hospital with injuries sustainea_ in the Royal Gunpovvder 1 Factory explosion at ·1altham Abbeyo Colonel Llewellin 9 on behalf of Mr.,Leslie Burgin~ Minis-'cer of SupJ?lY, who is confined to his bed with a severe attack o~ influenza9 ·expressed sympathy 'Nith the men and. with the relatives of those who were killedo Engineer Vice-_Admira~ Sir Harold Brown 9 Director General of Munitions Production , Mi:aistry of Supply 7 end Mr,, C,N .McLaren 9 DiPeetor of 01"'dnance FactoJ.."ies 9 who ha'!e been at Waltham Abbey c.1aily since the explosi.0~1 ~ aecomp&.:niecl Colonel Llewe11ino ']_he Director of Ordnan-:;e Factories said the total number of injured. was twer;.ty~two but fCJ1'.'tun.a.tely most of the inj.uries were j slight~ and he added that it was gratifying to know that only three men were detained in ~ospitala Colonel Llewellin <.::-'.l d the Director 01· Ordnance Factories also inspected the :part of the f'actory affected b~r the explosion and_ con­ ducted an inq_uiry into the g_i.:.estion of the employment of the men displaced by the accidento The Directm."' of Ordnance Factories said that repair work at the factory was proceeding rayidly 9 and arrangements were being made to find alternative employment foI' workers from the section of the factory affected by the explosiono Colonel Llewellin said that MroLeslie Burgin had been suf:l:'ering from a severe chill for t wo days, but had·~1sisted against his doctor's • advice upon fulfilling engagements connected with the visit of the French MinL;ter o:' Armaments~ Monsieur' Dautry $ and the setting up of the first of the new Area Boa::'.'o_s and Adviso:ey Comrnittees in the Midla..."1.ds" Mr,, Burgin l:ept an engagement in Bj_rmingham yesterday, and, upon his return to I.,ondon last night was immediately ordered to bed by his doctora ---000~,,,..,_ The War Office, London, s. ·i.1. 20th January, 1940. NEW ISSUE OF ARMY ALLOWANCE BOOKS " The War Office states that wives and dependants of soldiers, who hold Army Allowance Books which expire when the order form bearing the number '26' has been cashed, are reminded that as so0n as they have cashed the order bearing the number '22' due to be paid on M0nday 22nd January, they should at once complete the form of Life Certificate which will be found in their allowance books immediately behind order number '22', and have it signed by a witness who must be one of the persons indicated on the form. When completed·, the form should be folded and at once posted. Unless the Life Certificate is received by the Regimental Paymaster, the Army Allowance Borik for the new period cannot be issued. If the completion and posting of the Life Certificate is delayed, it may not be possible to send the new Allowance Book to the Post Office in time for payment to be available on 26th February. The following advice should be carefully noted:­ Write clearly, and be sure to insert all the particulars required. Your signature must be made in the presence of the person whom you ask to sign the certificat~. Be sure the person you ask to sign as a witness is one of those mentioned on the form. If you change your address after you have posted the Life Certificate, notify your Regimental Paymaster at once and write at the top of your letter the Army number, name and Regiment or Corps of the soldier concerned. \'1/' The War Office, London, S.W.1. 20th January, 1940. MINIMUM AGE LIMITG FOR TRAINING -----·· ..----~---.;;.;;__.=.;;;...~~..-. In order to avoid misapprehension, the War Office announces that the following minimum age limits have been laid down for men selected :for training for Commissions:­ It is not the intention to send officers to serve abroad until they have reached the age of 20. This is considered to be in the best interests both of individual officers and of the men they will command., With certain exceptions, mainly in favour of men who before the war had intended to make the Army their career, and who had proposed to sit for the November 1039 Entrance Examination for the Military Colleges, men whc enlisted, after general mobilization at Reception Units will not be called up for training be:fore the age of 20, unless circumstances render an acceleratic:n necessary. Men who are at present serving in the ranks, and who are recommended for training for commissions, will become eligible for posting t0 Officer Cadet Training Units at the age of 19i years. They will thus complete their training --shortly after reaching the age of 20. Before war broke out, volunteers were enlisted at the age of 17~. In order not to prejudice men who patriotically enlisted in the Army at an early age, and who have shown themselves worthy of training for commissions, men who enlisted before the outbreak of war and who are recommended for training for comrnissirns may be sent to Officer Cadet Training Units at the age of 18~. It is thus possible for these men to receive commissions some mf'nths before they reach the age of 20, but until they reach that age, they will be employed in Units at home, where their services will be of considerable value. _2_0_____ ___~__N_o. 1.1. •1 .. 4.._o ADVANC~ cony OF THE FIR'!T LORD O:? THE ADMIR!cLTY' S BROf',DGl'ST AT 9 .• 15 THIS (S.!\TURD.f\Y) J':V"PiNING, tTANUARY 20th. NO't' TO BE DUBLISHED UN"IL SPEF.CH Ht 8 B"J:en with the utmost restraint anr1 caution about the war at sea, and I am q_ui te sure that many loss.es and. misfortunes are lying ahead. of us there; but in all hurnility and self-questioning I feel able to declare that at the Admiralty as at the French Ministry of Llarine things are not going so badly after all. Indeed., they have never gone so well in any Naval war. We look forward. as the months go by to establishing .such a degree of' safe sailings as will enable the commerce of all the nations whose ships accept our guidance not only to live but to thrive. This part, at least, of the Nazi attack upon freedom is not going to bar the path of justice or retribution. Very different is the lot of the unf'ortunate neutrals. Whether on sea or on land theU, are the victims upon \.Vhom Hitler's hate and spite descend.o Look at the group of small but ancient and historic states which lie in the Northo Or look again at that other group of anxious :peoples in the Balkans or in the Danube Basin behind whom stands the resolute Turk. Every one of them is wondering tonight who will be the next victir:1 on whor11 the criminal adventurers of Berlin will cast their rending stroke. A German Major 9 makes a forcec".. landing in Belgium with plansfor the invasioJ.1 of that country whose neutrality (fermany has so recently sworn to respect. In Rournania there is deep fear lest by some deal between Moscow and Berlin they may become the next object of agg:ression. German intrigues are seeking to under·mine the nevvly strengthened solidarity of the Southern Slavs. The hardy Swiss arm and man their mountai21 passes. · The Dutch, whose services to European freedom will be remembered. long after the smear of Hitler has been wiped from the human path, stand along ·their dykes as they did against the tyrants of bygone days. All Scandinavia dwells ·brooding under Nazi and Bolshevik threats. Only Finland., superb, nay sublime, in the jaws of peril shoY~ what free men can do. The/ •' -3 ­ The service rendered by Finland to m,mkind is magnificent.. They have exposed, for all the world to see , the military incapacity of the Red Arrrl'jr and of the Red Air Force. Many illusions about Soviet Russia have been dispelled in these fierce weeks of fighting in the Arctic circle\t Everyone can see how Communism rots the soul of a nation; how it makes it abject and hungi>y in peace; and proves it base and abominable in war. · V'ofe cannot tell what the fate of Finland may be, but no more mournful S~')ectacln could be presented to what is left 0f civilised mankind, than that 1,his splendid Northern race should be at last worn dovm and reduced t o servitude . worse than death. by the dull brutish force of overw·helming numbers, If the light of freedom which still burns so brig~tly in the frozen North, should be finall;y quenched, it might we11 herald a return to the Dark Ages when every vestige of human ,Pro,&;:reips during two thousand years wot,ld be engulfed. But what would happen if all these neutral nations I have mentioned were with one spontaneous impulse to do their duty in accordance with the Covenant of the League, and stand together vrith the British and French Empires age.inst aggression and wrong? At present their plight is lamentable, and will become much worse. They bow humbly and in fear to German threats of violence, favouring them in many wey8, comforting ther,1selves mean'..·hile with the thought that Britain ru1Q France will win, that they will strictly observe all the laws and conventi,Jns, and that breaches are only to be ex:)ected from the German side. Each one hopes that if he feeds the croc;dile enough, the crocodile will eat him iast. All of them hope that the storm will pass before their turn comes to be devoured. But the storm will not pass. It will re.ge and roar, ever more loudly ­ever more widely. It will spread to the South. It will spread to the North. There is no ch_Ance of a speedy end except through united action, and if at any time Britain and France wearying of the struggle, were to make a sharneful peace, nothing would remain for the smaller states of Europe, with their shipping and their posses­sions but to be divided between the opposite, though similar, b arbarisms of Nazidom and Bolshevism. The o:na thing thnt will be uost helpfu.l in determining th2 action of nm1t:rq ls is their incre~ ~sing sense o:e the pO'llver and resolution o:C th-.; Western Allies. These small states are alarr....oa. by the f ::c.t t l1 '.t the Gernmn Armies :'.re :nore nurJerous nnd thnt thair Air ~t:'orco i s still more nw1erous 9 rmd also that both are ne,_i.rer to t h ,J: :. th_~n the forces of Great Britain and Frt.nce. BROADc·· ST BY FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRfJ;TY (Pf\.Rri:' 2 ). Certainly it is true that we R.re f8.cing numerical odds but that is no new thi~g in our history. Very few wars he.ve beeit-won by mere numbers alone. Quality, will-power, geographical advantages, natural and financial resources, the command of the sea, and above all a cause which rouses the spontaneous surgings of the human spirit in millions of hearts -these have proved to be the decisive factors in the human story. If it-were otherwise how would the ~ace of men have risen above the apes; how otherwise would th~y have conquered and extirpated the dragons and monsters of the prime; how would they have evolved the moral theme; how would they have marched forward across the centuries to broad conceptions of compassion, of freedom and of right? How would they ever have discerned those beacon lights which summon and guide us across the rough, dark waters and presently across the flaming lines of battle towards the better days. Numbers do not daunt us. But even judged by the test of numbers we have no reason to doubt that the latest and now rapidly growing power of the British nation and Empire are brought as they must be and as they will be, fully into line with the magnificent efforts of the French Republic even in mass and weight, we shall not be found wanting. When we look behind the brazen fronts of Nazidom, as we h8ve various means of doing, we see many remarkable signs of psychological and physical disintegration. We see the shortages of raw materials which already begin to hamper both the quality and the volume of their war industry. We feel the hesitancy of divided counsels, and the pursuing doubts which assail and undermine thc.se who count on force and force alone. In the bitter and increasing:J,v exacting conflict which lies before us we are resolved to keep nothing back and not to be outstripped by any in service to the common cause. Let the great cities of Warsaw, of Prague, of Vienna banish despair even in the midst of their agonyo Their liberation is sure. The day will come when the joy-bells will ring again through­out Europe, and when victorious nations, masters not only of their foes, but of themselves) will plan and build in justice, in tradition and in freedom a house of many mamions where there shall be room for all. The one thing that will be most helpful in determining the action of neutrals is their increasing sense of the power and resolution of the Western Allies. These small s tates are alarmed by the fact that the German Armi es aPe more numerous and that their Air Force is still mor e numerous, and also that both are nerrer to them than the forces of Great Britain and Fr2nce. · ,,... ------------­ 20/1/40 No.15. FREHCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE (EVENING) +++++++++++++++++ Paris, Saturday, January 20, 1940. The following official communique was issued this evening from French G.H. Q:­ TO THE WEST OF THE VOSGES THE ENEMY ATTEMPTED A RAID \IVHICH COMPLETELY FAILED. ++++ ++++ ++++++++ ++ +