30/1/40 -No.l. FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Morning). Paris. Tuesday, January 30th. 1940. The following official conununique was issued this morning from French G.H. Q:­NOTHING TO REPORT. Th~ S~cretary to t he Ministry of Transport makes the following announcement:­ The Order unc1c!' the Defence Regulations imposing a speed limit of 20 rn.p.h. in built-up ar~M during the "black out" has now been made by the Minist"r of Transport. I t comes into operation on February 1st. The new limit will appl y t o all roads on which there is a 30 m.p.h. speed limit in the daytim~. The exemptions from the sp,...ed limit which apply to fire brigade, ambulance or· police vehicles under Section 3 of the Road Tr affic Act, 1934, are retained in the new erder. Ministry of Transport9 MetPopole Build:Lngs , Nor thumberland Avenue, r. 01-:i.don, W. C. 2 . 30th January, 1940. Ti14o). 30/1/40 -No.3 P R E S S N 0 T I C E SINKINGS DUE TO LNEMY ACTION FOR \rJEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT SUNDAY/MONDAY 28th/29th January,1940. No. Tonnage British 1 1,523 Allied (French) 2 6,588 Neutral 13 33,996 16 42,107 BRITISH SINKINGS: ­ Tonnage. 23rd January. S/S BALTANGLIA 1,523 ALLIIm SINKINGS: NEUTRAL AND ­ + 18th January. S/S "FOXEN" Swedish 1,304 + 20th January. S/S "PATRIA" Swedish 1,185 + 21st January. Tanker 11 DAm.1ARK'' Danish 10,517 22nd January. M/V "GOrI'HIA" Swedish 1,640 22nd January. S/S "SONGA" Norwegian 2,589 23rd January. S/S "ONTO" Finnish 1,333 23rd January. S/S "SYDFOLD" Norwegian 2,434 23rd January. S/S "PLUTO" NorwetJian 1,598 25th January. S/S "BIARRITZ" Norwegian 1,752 25th January. S/S "EVERENE" Latvian 4,434 25th January S/S "GUD\l""EIG11 Norwegian 1,300 25th January. S/S 11 '110URNY" French 2,769 , 25th January. S/S "ALSACIEN" French 3,819 27th January S/S 11HOSANGER" Norwegian 1,591 27th January. S/S "ENGLAND" D~mish 2,319 40,584 + Notification of these losses received after issue of last weekly report. CONVOYS Up to 24th January, the number of British, Allied and Neutral ships escorted in British convoys was 7,388. The number of vessels lost whilEt under escort was 15, the percentage loss still being Oo2 per cent. Of the vessels lost only 1 was a neutral. ADMIRALTY. VVhitehall, S.W.l 30/1/40 -No.4 STATEMENT FOR PUBLICATION. The Ministry of Economic Warfare has received many inquirtes from firms and private persons about cargoes which have been reported to have been seized as contraband. It is stated that the authority to which inquiries about the disposal of seized cargoes should be addressed is the Admiralty Marshal, who further wishes it to be known that before the sale of any cargoes seized as prize, particulars are advertised in the Press. MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC WARFARE. 30~40, No ,5 T.12 PRES·S NO!J:lCE. T I rviB.lliH CON"rROL • )jot to be released for publication B.s:FOfiE the Morning of Wednesday, 31st January, 1 94cj} The Minister of Supply has made the Control of Timber (No.8) Order 1940 which covers supplementary schedules c•f maximum :prices for i mported softwood, i mported pitwo0d, end plywood. 1 l1he new schedules do not involve eny incresse in prices but make provision for maximum prices for items not shown in previous Timber Control Orders. Copies of the No.8 Order may be obtained directly, or t hrough any bookseller, from H.M. stationery Office, at the published sale price. Ministry of Supply, rrhe Adelphi, w.c.2. ~Oth January, 1940. 30/1/40 -No.. 6. NATIONAL INTERCESSION FOR CHRtSTIAN FINLAND. A National Service of Intercession and Witness for the Finnish People will be held in St. P~ul's Cathedral on Thursday, Februa~y 1st and will consist of the English Litany sung in Procession to be followed by special Intercessions led by the Archbishop of Canterbury from the pulpit which will be broadcast at 2.50 p.m. by the B,B,C, not only to Great Britain but to Scandinavia and to Finland itself. Before beginning the Interc~ssions his Grace will read a special message from the Lutheran Archbishop of Finland. The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs will attend in state as will also the Finnish Minister, the Danish, Dutch, Norwegian Swedish and Swiss Ministers, the Chancellor and other officials of the University of London, the Metropolitan Germanos . of Thyateira, the Chaplains of the Scandinavian and other foreign communities in London, a delegation of the British Free Churches which will be led by the Rev. Dr. Bond and Moderator of the National Free Church Council, and which will include official representatives of the Baptist, the Congregationalist, and the Methodist Churches and of the Salvation Army, and the Prolocutor of the Convocation of Canterbury and his assessors. Admission to S't. Paul's Cathedral for the Service will be free and tickets will not be issued but those who purpose to share in it are advised to be there by 2 p.m. During the Service a collection will be taken for the relief of the women and the children and the old people of Finland who, having been compelled to leave their homes in order to escape aerial bombardment, are suffering extreme privation~ Thbse wh6 desire to contribute to their relief are asked to send their donation to the Treasurer of the Finland Fund,. 9 Upper Belgrave Street, London, S.W.1. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. STATUTORY RULES AND ORDERS 1940 NO~lOl.Emergency Powers (Defence). 7 Road Traffic. The Emergency Powers (Defence) Built Uu Areas Order, 1940. In virtue of his powers under the Defence (General) Regulations, 1939, (a) the ~rinister of Transport hereby orders as follows:­ 1. No person shall drive or cause to be driven any vehicle at a speed exceeding 20 miles per hour during the hours of darkness (as defined in the Road Transport Lighting Act, 1927)(b) on any length of road which on the 1st August, 1939, was deemed to be a road in a built up area within the meaning of section 1 of the Road Traffic Act, 1934,(c) or in respect of which a direction given under that section since the 1st August, 1939, that it shall be deemed to be a road in a built up area is in force. 2. The provisions of this Order shall not apply ­ (a) to any vehicle on an occasion when it is being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes if the observance of those provisions would be likely to hinder the use of the vehicle for the purpose for which it is being used on that occasion; (b) to any length of road in respect of which a direction that it shall be deemed not to be a road in a built up area, given since 1st August, 1939, under section 1 of the Road Traffic Act, 1934, is in force. 3. This Order may be cited as The Emergency Powers (Defence) Built Up Areas Order, 1940, and shall come into force on 1st February, 1940., Signed by Order of the Minister of Transport this twenty-seventh day of January One thousand nine hundred and forty. (Signed) P~ WILSON. Authorised by the Minister. (a) S.R. & 0.1939 No. 927. (b) 17 & 18 Geo.5. Ch~ 37. (c) 24 & 25 Geo. 5. Ch. 506 The Nar Office , London,. S •. ,V .. 1. 30th January, 1940. The Nar Office announces that His Majesty The King has peen graciously pleased to approve of the undermonti0ned awards for gallant and distingttished services:­ THE MILITARY CROJ'j . Captain James Guni1ingham Church, The Argyll and ...mtherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) •. THE DISTINGUI:3HED CONDUCT MEDAL. No. 2973389 Narrant Officer Class II (Company Gergeant-Major) Patrick Mac?hillips, The .<'l.rgyll and :Jutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's). THE MILITP ..RY M~DAL. No. 2979225 Private Villiam Henry Sprosan, The ~-irgyll and Sutherland Highlanders (...'rincess Louise's) .. The services for which the above awards wer e made a re as follows:­THE MILIT.UtY CROJG. Captain James Cun"1ingham Church. On the 5th ~ecember, 19 39 the Company under Captain Church's command encountered an armed gang of fourteen bandits. Although .f~red at from very close range he skilfully directed the .fire of those with him, and by boldly manoeuvring the neighbouring platoons, managed in the end to break up the gang, all but four of the bandits being killed or captured. Throughout the engagement Captain Church's personal behaviour under fire, and his quick grasp of the situati0n, set a fine example to the men under his command. His gallantry was conspicuous. The/ THE DI.S'1'INGUI'3HED U0NDUC'l' MEDAL. -·-..-.. .......__.····--'---· ~··~ -··-· ~· · -----·-----··-----·------Narrant Officer, Class II (Company Sergeant-Major;. Patrick Mac?hillips. For conspicuous ga}l£in.tr·y c:tnd great coolness in the face of the enemy when -.-.n the 5th uecem·ber ~ 1939 1 his Company Headquarters encountered an armed gang. Being the only member of the party who could, at first, ef:feetively use his rJfle, he opened such an accurate f~ire that i n a -:rery short time he had shot four of the enemy. This so demoralised the gang that they started t0 withdraw, and enabled his Company Cornrnander to organise an attack which brought the opera tiC'n to a suecess!'ul c onclusi0n. 1 Gompany ~)ergeant-·Major Mac~=>hillips coolness under close range cf fire, and his enti.re dj.sregard f ci r his own personal safety set a high example. His accurate fire s aved what might, at first, have been a delicate situatiC'n. He wss of the gr ea t est assistance to his Company Commander during ·che whcle operati0li. THE MTLD:APY M:!;D.AL " Private ;•/illiarn Henry Sproso.n. On the 5th Decem'ber; 1939 , Pr.Lva te Jprosan was empl0yed as Company runner and he displayed <..:001.ness , .i.nitiative, and disregard of his persomil safe-~y, unde:e heavy fire. He greatly assisted his Gom)'.)any Commander by keeping him informed of enemy rn(wements ~ car>ry:Lng ac curate message s under fire. Finally1 when there was a po2s:ib·iJity of the enem,y escaping, he doubled rou~rl, came i~to acti rn alone, and by ai·curat e shooting drove the enemy be,ck. 30th January 1940 No.9. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE WEEKLY NE\lVS SERVICE NO, 21. PLOUGHING CAMPAIGN. B:rG RESERVES OF GOVH'~NMENT' S IMPLEMENTS. Excellent deliveries of implements, acquired by the Government, have been coming forward for the use, where necessary, of the County .Agricultural Committees. There are now ample supplies of ploughs, drills, pressers and other equipment. It snould be emphasised a,gain that this equipment, like the Government tractors, is in the nature of an "iron ration", only to be used when no other cultivating machinery is available. But such a reserve supply will be invaluable if it is necessary to figbt against time in the ploughing campaign, and a period of peak demand occurs when privately owned equipment is at full stretch. One county at least was able to make good use of its Government tractors during the spell of frosty weather. They were let out for threshing and also for cutting up wood. x x x x x HELPING .. OUT TH'B PIG RATION. EXPERIMENTS WITH BULKY FODDERS AND SMALL MEAL ALLOWANCE. Interesting experiments are now being made to see how far pigs can be fattened on a liiili ted supply of meal if they are given home produced bulky foods such as sugar beet tops, waste cabbage, kale and similar crops. sugar beet tops. There may still be sugar beet tops available in some localities. At Chelmsford pigs fed on 2~ lb. of meal per day since they weighed 100 lbs, have made an average daily gain of ~lb. on this ration supplemented by beet tops. At 150 lb live weight they were re­ceiving about 9 lb. of tops per head daily.• · The saving has been about 1. /; , 1 lb of meal :per lb of live weight gain com:pared with pigs on a full meal ration~ But they leak lika taking six weeks longer to r each the facto~y. In a. similar expcr iment in Hmnpshire, hO\V<::'.v er, pigs thus fed have made gains alm0st as gcod as t~ose on a normal full meal ration. But care is needed in feeding tops. Ti.1ey must oe clean a11d free from gI'i t. Also -mo2t important -they n:ust be L:rt:cocluced very gradually into the ration, allowing only one or t wo tops p~r pig daily for a start. It i s not advisabl e to begin f eeding tl1 e tops until the pigs hav-e reached aoout 80 lbs in weight.. A good way is to let the pigs have some of the tops in the morning after their meal and the rest in the aftern0on. Marrow Stem Kale • ...,_.,.,.......,... ·----~-· .......-.........,....... --·~·...-­In experiments at Camb:r idge, Monri!outh, Ox:fcrd anJ in the Midlands , up to 20 lbs of marrow stem 1'::8.le e day ~-~_:;_ve been f\:;d to pi gs of s.bout 7 score vrnight. Probably it would be oetter in practice not to exceed 10-15 lbs daily& for 24 hours before feeding and it is all the better chop9ed up before beL1g given t o them. 'l'his crop also rnust be introduced little by little to avoid di gestive upsets and it should never be fed in a frozen condi tion. IJiangolds and swedes, the most corrrrnonly avo.ilable roots just now, csn be f ed to both fattening pigs and breeding stcck as suyplements to a reduc0d ration of meal. At Cambri dge so·Ns s.re being :fed on a very limited amount of meal plus pulped swedes. One group of sows are getting 2 lb daily per hond of a mixture of vves.ti.ner s barley meal, bran nnd bean meal; the other group receives only 1 lb of this mixture. The rest of the ration is m0de up of swedes, of which about 30 lb per head are fed daily to ths first group and 40 lb to the second. The sows are in a large covered yard and care is taken to see that th~ roots ar e not at all f~o3en. 2. At Reading fattening pigs are receiving 2} lb of meal per day together with a mixture of chopped mangolds and locally obtained biscuit waste. This appears to form a very palatable mixture and pigs of about 60 lb weight are receiving 4-5 lb of it per day. x x x x x HILL FARMERS PLOUGH FOR VICTORY. PROBLEMS OF CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND. England is only a small country on the map, but ·we have many different types of farming, developed through the ages to suit the wide variety of conditions in this island. Climate, altitude and soil as well as the price of corn decide the kind of farming which rules in a district. Up in the north-west on the hill farms of Cumberland and Westmorland the plough can never dominate the scene as it does in the flat fields of East Anglia. Most of the produce must go away from the hill £arms on four legs. Yet the fell farmer has his part to play in the campaign for increased food production and he is not shirking his share. Sheep are his mainstay. Ranging the fell for most of the year, they find practically all their keep for themselves. Suckled calves bred from hardy Galloway cows are another typical product of these hill farms. The call for purchased feedingstuff is small and the fell farmer may be almost self-sufficient. Even so there is scope for increased production from the soil. The ploughing is going well and the quality o! the work shows that the art of cultivation has not been forgotten in these counties, even though the plough may not have been put into some of the fields for, perhaps , 50 years. These acres are for the most part in small fields, many of them no more than 3 or 5 acres in size. Close to the homestead they are handy for working and if the range of cropping is necessarily limited to oats, potatoes or green crops, they will certainly make a good contribution to the nation1 s food supply. 3. Better Grass. But there-is much to be done in the way of grassland improvement as well as cropping, and on some hill farms the greatest increase in production may well be obtainable by ploughing up and re-seeding immediately. A useful growth of young grass and clover can be expected within eight weeks of sowing in the spring and thereafter the field will provide twice or three times the amount of keep derived from permanent grass in run-out condition. The new Government assistance being given in respect of land drainage will also be welcome in many of these districts. Pipe and mole drainage have been known here, but the benefits of these works have passed away and much land is waterlogged for at least part of the year. But rightly enough the fell farmer is mainly concerned to carry on with his sheep breeding. That is the line of production for which his land is best suited and whi ch he himself understands best. He has as~ed for assurances about the prices of sheep and wool apd no less insistently for exemption from military service of his young shepherds. The new arrangement by which the calling up of key men -and the fell shepherd who knows the ground and the sheep is certainly a key ~an -can be postponed has been welcomed warmly in Cumberland and Westmorl~nd. It was difficult enough before the war to keep the essential men on outlying farms and it is certainly in the national -interest to keep the skilled shepherd -even if he is only 20 -at his job. x x x x x SEE ABOUT THE BI ND~J!O-ti . ____________.,. _ SAVING TIME FOR :NEXT HARVEST. There is likely to be still a week or two before farmers are busy with spring work and this provides a good opportunity to overhaul the machinery that will be needed for 4~ the hay and corn h8rvests. Ti me used non 'ill ~ften s ave much more valuable t:Une l at er on, irrhen the binder or the mower break down because ovc;rrrnul or repai.r have been neglected. 01' done much too hastily. Moreov2r• it gives the a.gri cultural inr;_:il ement dealer or blncksmi th a much be-t·'·er elm.nee to make a good job of it instead of letting him Jn for a hurried job because the ·i;orlc is urgent or because many l")the:i.'s have 1mt it off until the l ost moment. ..' Neither the nat1on nor the farmer can afford any unnecessary delays with this year's harvests. Farmers needing binders or other harve:?.ting eq_uipment are advised to place their orc1.e1's at once, for orders are already being placed -·;'i th the trade in considerable nurnbers. The Govermment is providing a small reserve of binders for the use of Ceunty War .Agri.cultural Executive Committees, but it should not be assumed that these binders will be available to farmers who could reasonably be expected to make their own arrangements. x x x x x fIAIN1,AIN):NG POTATO SUPPLIES. BUYERS MAY OF:FTI',R_ EXTR.A __:5/­ 0pening potato clamps under r ecent weather conditions have meant ad.di tionaJ. cost to far'mers, and the transport rj_sl·rn for potatoes have also been greater under these conditions. The Ministry nf Food are anxious that there should be no temporary shortage of P•tatoes on thi3 account and so they have perrr.itted buyers, from Thursday 25th January, to offer growers an additional 5/-per t.on. No alteration is being macle i~ the maximum prices for wholesal'e and r et ail sales. x x x x x THE HOME-GROV\TN OA'.rS (CONTROL & MAXIMUM PRIC:Sfil ORDER, 1940. An Order has been made by the Minister of Food controlli~g the sale and distribution of home-gro\1m oats in the United Kingdom and prescribing maximum prices for oats sold for purposes other than use as seed. The Order req_uires all grov1ers of oats to sell their 5. oats only to approve buyers, that is to say, persons milling oats for huma.n consumptions :ner~chants aL1thorised to issue wheat certificatos under the Wheat Acts, and such other persons as may bE-1 licensed as s.pp207ed b1.lyer s .., Approved buyers will be free to sell f eeding oat3 t o any person but they will be permitted to sell oat s f or seed only to another approved buyer or to a grower buying such oats for use as seed. The maximum price to be paid to a grower for oats sold for feeding purposEJs will be 11/-per cwt., and in the case of oats sold for oatmeal milling f or human consumption, the maximum price to the grower will be 13/-per ewt. until 29th February, 1940, and 12/-per cwt. after that date. Maximum prices are also laid down f'or s ales by merchants to farmers and others for feeding pur lJOs es. It should be noted t~1at t he prices prescribed in the Order apply to sales du~ing the present cereal year. The prices for the 1940 crop will be fixed at a later date. Th~ Order comes into foree on 1st February, 1940. x x x x EVACUEES AS LAND WORKERS. SOMERSET PLANS TO KEEP THEM IN THE COUNTRY. There are good things that may come out of this war and although some country dwellers havEJ found the evacuation scheme irlrnom~, yet those evacuated have found a new world. opened to them and many are finding it an attractive world, That is a clear gain for the country side. The Somerset Farmers' Union are endeavouring to put this re-discovery of age-old values on a practical footing. They have appointed a sub-cominittee to consider co-operation between farmers and evacuated children over 14, who, on leaving scheol, wish to remain in the country. 30/1/40 No. 10. C.Al~ADA1 S ~ ,I~ERAL '>7EALTH. FOUNDATION OF Et1PIRE AIR SCHEME. The choice of Canada for the Empire Air Training Scheme was not made solely on account of its geographical position, nor for the facilities which itsopen spaces provide. For Canada can produce every mineral now playin~ a part in the science of aviation -it is, indeed, the contribution of her mines to the national ·wealth that enables the Dominion to shoulder some 60 per cent. of the total cash of the Scheme, which is to involve about £120,000,000o Radium for magnetic needles~ molybdenite for the hardening of steel, coal for the generation of the necessary power, aluminium for the frame works -all these are readily obtainable from Canada. The expansion· of the Dominion's radium production provides a romance in itself. The figures are remarkable. Whereas the Eldorado deposits produced in 1933 about 3,000 milligrar.ine s 9 and in 1937 nearly 24,000 milligramrnes, they put out in 1938 no less than 70,000 milligramr:1es, and since that date ;;:iroduc tion has been considerably 11 stepped up". These radium deposits are vvi thin touch of the Arctic Circle, and it is s incidentally, throu5h the use of the aeroplane that their_exploitation has been made possible. Nor is it only in the construction of aircraft that Canada's minerals are invaluable. Canadian metals are largely used in the manufacture of amrnuni tio:'l. 9 such as antimony for shrapnel; gold, copper, and zinc for casings of all kinds; nickel for steel; cadmium in place of tin; and crude oil and sulphur. It is not always r~alised that Canada is the leading nation of the vvorld in the carriage b;)' air of freights and mails. The good fortune and skill vrhich have enabled her to attain to that proud position are now being devoted t o the Empire Air Training Scheme. ++++++++ EMPIRE AFFAIRS. 30/1/40· -No .11. P RE S S N 0 TI C-E. The following information has been received from the authorities concerned. The ship sent by the British Community of Buenos Aires ,with medical suppl ies , an X-ray machi,ne, 100 fully equipped beds, and a r adiographer and twelve nurses, in charge of a Dr. Pennington, arrived and met · H~M.S. EXETER at her destination. Doctor Pennington has a.one splendid work and the services of the nurses have been invaluable. The whole cost of the expedition is being borne by the Brit.ish Comntunity of Buenos Aires, while the local British Community at the :po:r>t of destination is bearing the cost of the medical care Olld treatment of the wounded in the hospital ship. The number of wounded treated in the hospital ship is 74 from EXETERj 4 from AJAX and 3 from ACHILLES. NAVAL AFFAIRS. 30/1/40 No. 12. CANADA'S GREI;'rINGS TO EMPIRE AIRMEN. "We are lool{ing forward with keenest pleasure to sharing with the Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force the heavy responsibilities of the British Commonwealth Air Training plan". So reads a message from the Royal Canadian Air Force to the R.A.F. Similar greetings have been received by the Air Forces of the Southern Dominions. Air Vice-Marshal C. M. Croil, Chief of the Air Staff of Canada 9 has urged all ranks in the R.C.A.F~ to take, "a lively interest in the welfare of these young men coming to Canada for training as pilots, air-observers and air-gunners". ++++++++ EMPIRE AFFAIRS, 30/1/40.· -No. 13. P R E S S N 0 T I C E W.i th reference to mention of German Merchant losses made at this morning•s naval meeting :­ 21 ships have been captured by the Allies, 3 ships the KARL FRITZEN, OLINDA and INN have been sunk by Allies. (Total 14,037 tons) 23 have bee.n scuttled by the enemy. The 29% German me~chant vessels still bottled in neutral harbours is a tonnage ~ercentage, NAVAL AFFAIRS 30/1/40 -No. 14. FISH FROM CANADA? The Fisheries Research Board of Canada has been considerin what response the Canadian fisheries can make if called on to supply fresh and cured fish to the Allies. With the British and French fishing industries hampered by the War in their home waters, and with many of the trawlers and men diverted to minesweeping and naval patrol duties, it is considered that Canada should make ready to help if fish supplies become short on this side of the Ocean. EMPIRE AFFAIRS 30/1/40 -No.15. I NEW SKIS FOR WARPLANES. The modern, fast warplane, operating in countries where winter brings long periods of snow and ice, has caused the National Reseorch Council of Canada to evolve a new and more efficient type of ski for high-speed military and civil aircraft. The earlier stream-lined runners, produced in the Council's laboratories, ~re now superseded by skis which have a low, sliding resistance and which are better able to withstand "freezing in" and wear. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. A.M. Bul.letin No. 352. ROYAL AIR FORCE AWARDS. \v NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE MORNING PAPERS OF JANUARY 31st OR ROADCAST BEFORE 7 a.m. G.M.T. ON JANUARY 31st. The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned awards in recognition of gall~ntry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: ..·. Awarded a bar to the·Distinguished Flying Cross~ Flying Officer (Acting Squadron Leader) 1CENNETH CHRIS~OP'HER .DOR(lN, D.F.C. This officer was the leader of a formation of bcmber aircraft which was attac~ed by enemy fighters over .the North Sea .during January. By his clever tactics and gallant leadership he successf'ully maintained a close defensive formation throughout the engagement. Two of the fighter aircraft were compelled. to break off the fight, a third was shot down in flames into the sea and the remainder eventually abandoned the attacko Although one of our aircraft was lost and a second had to return to its base, Squadron Leader Doran, showing great determination, led the remaining aircraft 130 miles further to his objective. Awar~_j;he Distinguished Flying Medal. Leading Aircraftman IOHN TIPPET1'. This airman was the gunner of a formation of bombe~ aircraft which was attacked by enemy fighters over the North ·sea in January. As the aircraft held a vulnerable position ·in the fo.rmation9 Leading Aircraftman Tippett 1 s task was one of great danger and responsibility. Y~t he showed great skill and coolness in handling his gun and consistently repelling the enemy attacks throughout the engagement. Squadron Leader Doran won his~ Distinguished Flying Cross for leading an attack on an enemy cruiser in September last. In :face of heavy gunfire and under extremely bad weather· conditions he pressed homo a successful low attack with great de;termination. His name appeared in the first list of decorations ·conferred on members of the Royal Air Force during the presen.t war. He received the Cross fr-om the hands of the King when His Majesty visited a Royal Air Force station in England on November 2nd. Squadron Leader Doran is 26 year-s of age. He was born at Leicester and educated at st. Albans School. In 1932. he enlisted as a private in the London Regiment (T.A.. ) and was discharged on being given a short service commission in the Royal Air Force in December 1 1935. ~e was promoted Pilot Officer in October, 19361 Flyin& Officer in Mayj 1938, Acting Flight Lieutenant in March, 19391 and Acting Squadron Leader in September., Leading Aircraftman Tippett is 21 years of age. He was born at Barrow in Furness and worked in a mill at Keighleys Yorks, before joining the Royal Air Foroe in March, 1937. He has trained as wireless operator and air gunner. ~: Facilities to photograph Squadron Leader Doran were given on 2,11.39. when he was decorated by His Majesty the King, 1'1•ess cmd Publicity B:ranch., Atr Ministry9 King Charles Street, Whitehall~ sltw.1. ~1/1/40. 30/1 /40. -No. 17. SHIP PURCHASE ADVI SERS TO THE MINISTER OF SHIPPING. The Ministry of Shipping announce that Mr. Charles Arnell (of Messrs.Charles Arnell & Company) and Mr. E,B. Cook (of Messrs. C.H. Rugg & Company) have consented to act as advisers to the Minister of Shipping on matters relative to the purchase of shipso MINISTRY OF SHIPPING. ------oOo-----­ ~0/1/40 -No.18. AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN. Further enemy attacks on east coast shipping. The Air Ministry announces:­ The enemy are repeating the widespread attacks on east coaot shipping which they undertook yesterday~ Reports so far to hand indicate that early this morning reconnaissance aircraft appeared off the east coast but disappeared out to sea on the approach of R.A.F. fighterso An enemy aircraft attacked shipping off Yarmouth but was pursued by fighter and coastal patrol aircraft with results which are not yet known. AIR AFFAIRS. 30/1/L!-O -No..,19 The Socret ar;y to the Ministry of Tr•ansport malces the f ollovving announcement: ­ The Iiiit,_:i.ster of Transport has appointed the of the Central. El.:Jctricj_ty Board, in place of the Rto Hono Sir Andrew Duncan, G,,B,) E, , who has resigned his membership of the Board on hts appointment as President of the Board of Tradoo Note for the in:Co:ernatj.on of the Presso -~-·-~-----~--·--~ -_ ........ ......._... _,___ ,,._._ .,. .. .. --·--"" _... _ _--..........-·--­ Lord Bm"~1.b;sr was previously a Member of the Central El ectricity Boar d from 1927 until 1935. Ministry of Transpo1't, Metropole Buildings , Northumberland Avenue, Ho Co 2o A.M. Bulletin No.361. 30/1/40 No. 20. RAIDER . SHOT DO\VN. The Air Ministry announces:­An enemy aircraft was shot down by R.A.F. Fighter Command aircraft off the east coast shortly before 1 p.m. today. +++++ AIR AFFAIRS. 30/1L40 -No. 21. AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN. (Not _t-o be guoted as an Air Ministry announcement). Second Raider driven off. ~ith its rear gunner out of action, another Heinkel escaped into the clouds off the Scottish coast after being intercepted by a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft at midday. ~_!Q BE PUBLISHED UNTIL TJI:fil.___9UE._$.'.:r10);{_I 8 _A9KED _IN '.i1H~ . HOUSE OF COMMpNS . TUESDAY 30'.i1H JANUARY, 1940. ~.22 x M!:!.. Lees Smith (Lab: Keighley), asked the Secretary of State for ·Nar whether he could say what policy he proposed to follow in the matter of publishing casualty lists. Mr· Oliver Stanley replied:-Lists of casualties sustained in action with the enemy will be published from time to time, the frequency of the lists .depending up0n the numbers of such casualties. The lists will be of arbitrary length, covering casualties in all theatres 0f active operati~ns, and will not be referable tci any particular engagements. The casualties will be published under the general headings of "Killed", "Wounded" and "Missing", and usually no indicati0n will be given of the precise date or circumstances in which the casualty occurred. No casualty will be published untj_l the next 0f kin has been informed. Fortunately, the number of Army casualties in action has so far been small. The first list, covering the period from the outbreak of war to the 31st December last, will be published tomorrow. It contains some forty names, including wounded. Tqe list will also i.ncludEJ under the heading "Died" a list of some 720 deaths from accident or disease at home and overseas during the same peri0d. I am sure the House will join with me in expressing symp~thy with the relatives of th0se officers and men who have lost their lives in action or otherwise. The list of deaths from accident and disease may seem a long one, but havi.ng regard .to the large number of personnel serving, and the period covered by the list, the number of such deaths is not larger than might have been expected in the circumstances. There has been no undue n.um=:-P:r> of deaths from disease , although there has been a number of regrettable deaths from traffic accide.nts. The H0use/ 2.. The House will appreciate, I am sure, that there is a strict limit to the amount of detail that can be disclosed in Casualty Lists, without giving useful informati0n to the enemy. I nrust ask hC>n. Members to bear this in mind if the lists do not seem to them to be as informative as they could wish. NOT TO BE PUBLL3HED OR BJOADCAST BEFORE "liVEDNJ!:S:JAY MORNING. The following Notes on .var Office Casualty Lists are issued for information of the . ress and as supplementary to the answer givenin the House of' Commons by the Secretary of State for ~7ar on 1'uesday January 30th9 1940., .. 'J:'hey should not be repr0duced textually •. i.. ~alties due :t£~QeITJL~Cti£_~ ·casualties due to enemy action at sea will be shown separately as "Killed (at :'.) ea)'', "Missing (at Sea)" etc., in cases where the sinking of the ship has already been published,. with names, or where there is no "security" o-bjectirn to separate publicatic·n of such casualties. See e.g. . the casualties "ex G.B •. Yorkshire " in List No.1. . 2. Lilli under headigg_"~.i~~-'-of death§._fro~-a~E!9-~n_"L_2.£__£isease•. 'l'he death rate per 1,0rJO men serving per m0nth has remained practically staticnary c'lVer the four months :September, October, .November, December. Considering that the period of four months covered by List No.1. represents a change from summer to winter weather conditic,ns, and a. marked increase in the hours of darkness, it is satisfactory that the monthly rate for deaths from disease and accidents has nGt grne up during that period. .\.s an annual rate it is slightly abr.ve the rate ruling just before the war ·but it may be confidently stated that any increase has been g_uite small, and is to be accounted fer by. an increase in the incidence of traffic accidents, n~peculiar to the Army. , ~s a matter of fact over 70/b of the accidential deaths occurred in this country. '.i'he increa se is certainly not due to any rise in the death rate fr0m disease. 3 • . _Metho~[-~hQwi_gg_!!~~es. In the case 01· other ranks 9 the r egimental number is not shown, because a soldier's regimental number is shown on his identity disc, If r e gimental numbers were published in casualty lists 9 they w0uld sorn afford to the enemy a keJ to the units to which men belong who are taken priscne r or fcra:nd dead in the fteld. In the/ 2. In the case of officers, the pers0nal number is sh0wn, because an officer's persrnal number is quite "uninformativeu. MAINTAINING CANjl._pA~~ TBJ\.NSPOR~. SIR EDWARD BEATTY ON THE C.P.R 1 s PART JlLJ'.BlL WAR_!___ That the outcome of the present struggle will de~end more than in any other war in history on the maintenance of economic power and on the upkeep of national morale, is tne view of Sir Edward Beatty? President of the Canndian Pacific Railwayo "It is clear", he states, 11that Can01rla can and will play proportionately a c;reater :part in this War than in the last"o The Canadian Pacific Railway 1 s contribution will be to maintain and expand its transport services 2 the Canadian Government having made it plain that these duties are of vital importancec In the last war, the C.P.Ro lost 15 of its sh~ps, and 1,115 out of 11 ~340 of its employees Yvho enlisted for actj_ve service sacrificed their liveso A number of CoP oR. steamers served as commerce protection cruisers, as trans~orts, as hospital ships and as mine layers, in addition to those helping to maintain the regular services of the companyo Another war contribution was the extensive production of shells and cases in its machine shopso -----000----­ MINJSTRY OF SUPPLY. .Q:;£~S:ROL OF IRON .i'~ND STEEL. PRESS NOTICE" Tho Minister of Supply hos mode the Control of Iron and Stool (No.,6) Order, which will come into f orce on 1st Februo.r~, 1940, superseding the Control of Iron and Steel (No o4) Order, 19390 In substance the previous Order remains unaltered but nttontion is drawn to the narrower scope of the exemptions from licence contained in Direction (No.1) n.ttached to tho o.rder,. The maxiim1I11 prices fixed under the Order represent in the main on addition of 3/-per ton in the case of Pig-iron and £1 per ton in the case of semi-finished and heavy steel products with correspondin~ ndj~stments in the prices of finished products. These additions, ns in the case of the additio.ns mo.de on tho 1st November, 1939, nre for the purpose of meeting from a Contro.l Fund the additional costs, including higher freight chor gos, which nrise from importati ons of ro:w o.nd scm-finished mo.tcriCllS under war conditions. There are also some further ndjustmcnts in tho prices of tinplates nnd iron costinGs. · Copies of the Order rno.y be obtained from H.M. Stationery Office or from nny bookseller. Ministry of Supply, Adelphi, W.C.2o January, 19,..10~ E.660. 30/1/40 -No.26. SIR JOHN REITH WELCOMES FRENCH WAR CORRESPONDENTS. Sir John Reith, the Minister of Information today welcomed a delegation of French war correspondents who are touring this country to view Britain's war effort. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. Empire Affairs. 30/1/40 -.No. 27. FRENCHMEN'S VISIT TO CANADIAN TROOPS. REAFFIRMING THE "ENT:r~.NT~·~ CORDIALE~11 The Entente Cordia.le was solemnly re-affirmed today at informal but picturesque ceremonies at the military encampment of the 1st Canadian Division. The gesture carne from ten members of the French Chamber of Deputies, who motored from London to extend the hand of friendship to General McNaughton and his men. A delegation, which came to England as guests of the Government Hospitality Committee, was hea.ded by M. Yvon Delbos, Minister of Education. After a formal introduction by Lt.Gena Broad at Command Headquarters, the attention of the Deputies was d1"awn to a rninature senior formation flag flying from General McNaughton's car, which is still bearing an Ontario license plate. The Deputies crowded aroung the flag, eagerly asking the significance of its symbols -a Union Jaok, Maple Leaf, Fleur de lis. When told by General McNaughton, ' there was a. chorus of 11Ah, tree bon!" The party then motored to Guillemont Barracks to meet officers and men of the Royal 22nd Battalion. On their way the visitors got a glimpse of the 48th Highlanders, clad in great-coats against the wintry blasts, and going through brisk rifle and squad drill on Stanhope Parade. 0 Splendid type of soldier1" was the comment of Lt.M. Vienot ,one time French Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He joined the party while on leave from his battalion serving in the Maginot Line. As the Deputies arrived at the 22nd Batt-..alion Hea a.quarters they were greeted by a Guard of Honour, whicl1 vvas inspected by M. Delbos' accompanied by the Canadian G.O.CG The visitors spent nearly two hours among ·S;he -French Canadians, watching then at Bren gun, mortar and other exer~ises, staged in the auditorium of the unit gymnasium0 They also visU~;ed typical barracks ano. dropped into mess while the men were at lunch. M. Delbos said, "My colleagues and I have been greatly impressedby w~at we have seen today. It is with pr9found pri,de that we greet you who speak our common tongue and symbolize the lil'?k that binds our two countries in bonds of unityn Through the sp1:;rit which has brought you over and the strength of the Allied arms ti' we can be sure that victory wifi be o~s We wish lou_ the best of lu,ck." ..p thThe :pariy ef't. wit 'the shout o ,, vive la France" ~nd the cheers o~ e men ring ng in t e!r ears. --...---------­ 30/1/40 -No.28. PRESS NOTICE. The War Office announces that owing to the continuance of wintry conditions in the United Kingdom, leave from the B.E.F. is unlikely to be reopened for some days. Twenty-four hours notice of reopening of leave will be given. 'fi.AR OFFICE. -----000----­ 30/l/l+O • •• No~ 29. .....~ ADVANCE , copy oF ~:rn~ MORRIS BROUGHTON' s DOMINION COMMENTARY BROADCAST FROM SOUTH AFRICP ·, AT 9-1'.2_ p,.m, TONIGHT. (G.. T.) south Africa was recently described by General Smuts as the happiest land in the world, despite the war. It was so normal here that we could even afford to indulge in peace-time politics, but it oan 1t be said that this indulgende in the favourite national pastime has brought much happiness at the moment~ On the contrary, it brought unhappiness to thousands of' South Africant? when General Hertzog, who had 'been Prime Minister for fifteen :years, v1ho at present is the leader of the Opposition, stood up in Parliament and apologised for Hitler. out of the millions of the Empire and Commonwealth, out of al~ those whb have called Britain friend and profess democracy, General Hartzog is the only one who in advocating peace condoned aggression. It is the sort of queer, paradoxical thing that would happen in Africa, out of which, the old tag t ells us, there comes always something new! But what hurt and grieve still more those whose admiration and respect General Hertzog had won, and to whom in the days of fusion he gave a new hope, was the absence of any word of sympathy for Czechoslovakia, Poland or Finland. This failure on the part of one who all his life has stood for the rights of small nations makes it appear that in Europe at any ra~e he finds any villainy excusable if it is done in the name of Germany. In this, at least, General Hertzog was remote from the broad trends of national f eeling. His speech stripped away any pretensions, and showed up deep racial divisions once again cleaving South Africa in two. It is not an unhealthy thing that these divisions have been laid bare: they have not weakened General Smuts' position, and they reflect more realistically the Union's true political composition. Further, it must not be forgotten in assessing these developments that many of those who support General Hertzog do so out of personal loyalty and not necessarilybecause they support his poli·cy.... . ~eritimcnt tmd :personal associations play an enormous part in South African politics. An instance comes to my mind of a former valued worker in the United Party. Her earliest memories are of men in khaki setting fire to her parents' home, and her mother being hurried weeping away. 'I was brought up, 1 she told me, 'with a hatred of the English, and I have followed General Hertzog all my life. I must follow him still, even though I have learned that hat~ed is no use. I was happy in the United Party; I felt I was working f or an ideal, and it hurts to think of turning back to the old quarrels~ Parliament has decided: why can't we accept it? BUt I must go with General Hertzog. 1 So it has been with many who in working together learned the new happiness. Scores of E:..1glish-speaki ng and Afrikaans-speaking South Africans have watched w~th grief the old divisions coming back. It was still hoped that the threuds of the new fabric would hold; that some­time the two sections wo-;..1ld find their way back and come together again. It seems to them now that the last threads ar e being severed. General Hertzog is breaking them. This time South Africans are not only divided but pulling in opposi te dir ections. The possible e ffe cts in the near future give cause for so me anxiety. The dependence on General Smuts is made almost complete. Yet it would be a mistake to draw pessimistic conclusions. What­ever their political views , the Afrikaans-speaking people of all parties are patriotic to South Africa first. When they differ as to whether that patriotism is always i dentical with patriotism to the Commonwealth, it must be remembered that they were not born into the Commonwealth: it was thrust upon them. To charge them wi th disloyalty because they do not all behave like Britons is stupid, because they are not British. Nor sre all who follow General Hertzog or Dr.Malara to be lumped together as Nazis, or as preaching a nationalism which is a product of Nazism. General Hertzog and Dr. Malam were leaders; there were nationalism and racial divisions before Hitler had been heard of or Zeessen existed. They will continue to exist when the other sinister influences are no more than ·· n 8.ffi8S in O.URty t cxtb:•1J}:G., -2 ­ The cause of the division lies deeper even than memories of the Beer \Var, and the explanation ·is more aubtle than simply say1ng they are anti-British. As a ma~t~r of fact, scores of them are more anti~Smuts than anti-British, and unless the presence of these strong, personal feelings is borne in .mind, there can be no true understanding of South Africa1 s difficulties. ·why have so many Afrikaaners responded sympathetically to Nazi teaching, and why have the English-speaking failed to win more of them over? When all allowance is made for prejudice, propaganda, bribery and corruption, there remains something in Nazism which evokes a deeper response in the Afrikaaner than English-Liberal doctrine. The majority of English-speaking South Africans sense this response, and it is that which has awakened a rarely-mentioned yet persistent anxiety. The truth is that the average rationalist Afrikaaner dislikes the present democracy, because of its emphasis on economic motives. With him, religious and social obligations intertwine, and he can only enter into the existing system by moving away from his religious sanctions, and that he feels imposes a betrayal of his individuality and his racial traditions. He also dislikes the pressure towards continuous expansion, to perpetual fresh enterprise and towards the creation of new economic opportunity which is called Progress. He dislikes it not because he is back.ward or indolent but because he prefers stability. Without oonscio'J;:s political theorising, he considers that the object of social organisation in South Africa should be to build an enduring order in which every person and each group has a recognised place. All he sees in modern, or as he calls it British capitalist democracy, is a majority of men being thrust down, and a few being thrust up. This angers and disturbs him; he longs for a feeling of fundamental solidarity and a sense of acting living unity with his people; because only in such a unity can he find repose and inner security, a social order in which the land-owner, the farmer, the craftsman, and worker is slowly merged into a proletariat he regards as dangerous and hateful. It is a real. source of bewilderment and indignation that Afrikaaners in large numbers should be slowly drifting to the bottom of the economic scale, and becoming labourers or even 1 poor Whiteso 1 He does not think in terms of impersonal forces, but cries that the wealth of the land 1~ being taken from his people, and he lays the blame on the British and, of late, with Nazi encouragement, on the Jew. Today, the Afrikaaner has deliberately set himself to enter commerce, finance and industry, as an Afrikaaner, and for what he regards as Afrikaaner ends. He-Seeks to use them, as the Japanese use western weapons, to preserve his own culture. The process is already at work. At one time one could travel from Capetown to the Transkei, a distance of some 800-miles, and at all the villages one would find shops owned mainly by Jewish shopkeepers. Now they ave being ou~ted, and their places taken by Afrikaaners, Where else in the world, except in Germany, would you find it considered a po1itical duty to become a shopkeeper, and if not a shopkeeper, a shopper on a strictly racial basis? From this alone it can be seen why Nazism in some of its aspects has an appeal for some Afrikaaners. In the wider spheres of public life, it is reinforced by the Afrikaaner tradition of government, which goes back not to dynasties or partisan parliament, but to the voortrekker and the leadershipprinciple. Finally, the Nation~list-Afrikaaner does not fear -3-· a German invasion as a Frenchman or a Briton fears it~ A good deal of the propaganda about security and what would happen if it were withdrawn breaks aga inst his convictions in vainQ It is wasted on him0 It awakens no dread) because he does not dislike the Ger­mans, and having lived through one invnsion, feels that he could live through another" There are thus more than racial obstacles to overcome if all sections of the community in South Africa are t o be won for, and associated with, the Commonwealth war effort , It is important that it should be done; and it can be done, But cardinal necessity is a more convincing argument that this war is not a war of Imperialismn We need a propaganda in this country which pays respectful attention to the Afrikaanersv political instincts and which will show that the Allies are constructively White; that through the freedoms and the order for which they are fighting lies the path to that peaceful, enduring and stable society which he so earnestly desires, and not a lurking danger that there will be thrust upon him a type of democracy ho does not wanto Given these things, every Africaaner might be won, because beneath his suspicions, beneath the bitterness bred of the realities of his own historical exper ience, this hatred of despotism, and a passion for personal 1i ber·~y ~ there are the impulses which sometimes make him anti-Britisho And yet they ai·e the impulses which have led the Commonwealth to fface the great arbitrament of the swordo Surely it should not be di fficult to harness them in this instance to a cause which is and must r emain basically their ownc Sometimes I think it might prove S~uth Africa's greatest contri­bution, not so much winning battles but winning our own people to the service of a common ideal , Despite his antagonisms, the Africaaner still wants to be friends --but he must not be judged as an English­man. In the present phase~ it is only fa ir to note, also, that General Hertzog, Dr. Malan and other l eaders of their groups have thrown their influence on the side of orderc Ther e has been no r ecourse t o the weapons of Nazism, J\s a result, the danger of outbreaks of violence which during the past f ew months have been r ecurrently f eared, or the subject of wild gossip , have passedo Nor should activity in the political~here be allowed to overshadow the vigour of South Africa's continu~l war effort, or obscure the tremendous tlody of sincere conviction which inspires ito One of the warmest tributes I have heard to the keenhsss,efficiency and loyalty of our growing defence forces was paid by an English-speaking ex-officer who has just complet ed a special course at the military training centre at Potchefstroomo He went t o this most Africaans centre in trepidation, but returned delightedo There is no question of their l oyalty. · The defence f orces, the active citizen and air f orces, are all being brought to full war strength on a basis of willingness t o serve out-· side the Union;s own borders if called upon. This is one of the more realistic tests of the situation in the Union. Among all the thousands who have joined the forces since the declaration of war, there has not been an instance of unreadiness to serve outside the borders in Africa. No pressure has been brought to bear to secure this result, because only those who can do so · whole-heartedly are expected to undertake the possibly wider respon­sibilities of Active Servicea Apparently, ~he whol e of the military forces are whole-hearted~ Simultaneously as military strength grows and the defence organisation is tightened upy the breaking up of the Nazi network and the internment of its personnel continueso -4-· The internments, against which there are now facilities for appeal, have affected more than nine hundred persons from every walk of life, showing how deeply Nazi. organisation had penetrated and how widely it had ramifiedo Some of the dis­coveries made have been pi~uant, ranging from plans to launch a newspaper subsidised from Berlin to the uncovering of payments in £100 Notes to persons who apparently were expected to do nothing in return: Freedom from this sticky web of conspiracy and intrigue will clear the atmosphere. And it's already giving the country a new energy of mind and heart. The tasks of social and economic advancement are being taken up again, and there is every sign that prosperity will continue unabated. South Africa has no black-outs, no material unemployment; income tax is the lightest in the world; powers are being taken to declare a moratorium for men on Active Service; and National Revenue is rising. We are indeed fortunate in circumstances, if not in politics. Even here, is there not room for pride? General Hertzog's plea for a separate peace might seem akin·to. .. encouraging the enemy, but was it not also a remarkable demon­stration of the very freedoms for which the Commonwealth is fighting? It was democracy in action~ for where else but in a democracy could such a thing have occurred? British Broadcasting Corporationo Air Ministry Bulletin. 30/1/40 -No.30. SHOCK FOR GERMAN RAIDERS (Not to be quoted as an Air Ministry .Announcement) o German raiders received a surprise when for the second day in succession they tried to attack shipping this morning along 500 miles of British coast o They retired leaving one bomber in the sea and another disabled. Knowing that Europe was in the grip of the severest winter for 46 years 9 the German Air Staff had no doubt assumed that Great Britain's Fighter Force would be i mmobilised. But from Aberdeen to the Kentish coast Fighter Command patrols were ready to drive off German raiders, no less than twenty of whom flew in towards the coast looking for unarmed British and Neutral merchant ships. A number of merchant vessels and a lightship were attacked~ some of these vessels were in convoy and their naval escorts drove off the enemy with anti-aircraft fire " From a North of England Fighter Station, two pilots went off at mid-day and in spite of poor visibility, brought down a Heinkel bomber which had been trying to destroy a help­less fishing boat. The two pilots were a Flight Lieutenant and a Sergeant. They sighted two Heinkels five miles off the Northumbrian coast and chased them a further five miles away from their intended victim. The enemy t r i ed to escape by flying low over the water but the fighter pilots attacked again and again until, as the Flight Lieutt:nan t said: "I saw one of the Heinkels drive into the sea and break up". Almost at the same time another Heinkel was inter­cepted by fighters off the Firth of Forth as he wa s trying to bomb a merchant ship. One of the fighters fired a burst of bullets and put the German rear gunner out of action before the Heinkel dived into cloud o Air Affairs. 30/1/40 -No. 31. FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE EVENlliG Paris, Tuesday, January 30, 1940. The following official communique was issued this evening from French G.H.Q. A marked activity of the contact units to the West of the Saar. In the same region on either side the artillery was in action during a large part of the day. --.... ~ ....___ }_9/l/40o -No. 32• HERR HITLER'S SPEECH While it is not yet possible to give any considered reaction to Herr Hitler's speech the following comment was made on it toniGht in London. The greater part of the speech was devoted to arguments now worn threadbnre about the war which was forced on Germany and the customary falsehoods about Germany's will for peace were yet once more repeated. Herr Hitler seemed to begin nervously and he was throughout on the defensiveo lndeed he himself said at one point that such was the strain on him that he had hardly slept. Among political points which Herr Hitler made it is noted that he described Italy's interests as identical with those of Germany, implying therefore that Italy was working in strict collaboration 1vi th the Soviet Union with whom Herr Hitler said that he had made an allianceo Among other points made by Herr Hitler was the statement that Germany was now the greatest power in the vvorld showing therefore that she entertains no doubt of . the relative place of Germany in the scheme of things with, for instance her ally the Soviet Union to say nothing of other countries. Herr Hitler also described Germany's enemies as having copied, though only in a small way, the collossal schemes wh~ch he had personally brought into effect. It is presurnedhere ~hat his is likely to refer to such matters as rationingo While the greater part of Herr Hitler's venom was as usual devoted to Great Britain, France was also attacked and in fact the main lesson to be drawn from H.®"rr Eitler's speech is that he has at last learnt the folly of his previous efforts to separate France from her ally in order to destroy each of them singly and at his leisureo No i'urther point of inter·est emerged from the speech and it seems difficult to understand why Herr Hitler who is so greatly in need of rest should have made it at all~ MUST NOT BE C~UO'l'ED AS COMING FROM FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS DEPARTMENTo........__ _