MINISTRY OF INFORMATION IMPORTANT FLASH ADDITION to Evening Bulletin No.28 -17/9/39 The Soviet Govermnent have connnunicated to Sir William Heeds, His Majesty's Ambassador at Moscow, the text of the note which they have today addressed to the Polish· Ambassador announcing the order given to the Soviet Army to occupy certain areas of Polish territory. The noteread as follows:­ "Monsieur l'Ambassadeur: The Polish-German war has shown the internal bankruvtcyof the Polish State. During the course of ten dayshostilities, Poland has lost all her industrial areas and cultural centres. Warsaw, as the capital of Poland, no longer exists. The Polish Government has disintegratedand no longer shows any sign of life. This means that the Polish State and its Government have, in point of fact, ceased to exist. In the same way, the Agreements concluded between the u.s.s.R and Poland have ceased to operate. Left to her mm devices and bereft of leadership, Poland has become a suitable field for all manner of hazards and surprises, which may constitute a threat to the u.s.s.R. For these reasonsthe Soviet Government, which as hitherto b·een neutral, cannot any longer, preserve a neutral attitude towards these facts. The Soviet Government also cannot view with indifference the fact that the kindred Ukr~inian and White Russian people who live on Polish territory and who are at the mercy of fate, should be left defenceless. In these circumstances, the Soviet Government has directed the High Connnand of the Rec_ Army to order the troops to cross the frontier and take under their protection the life and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western White Russia. At the same time the Soviet Government propose to take all measures to extricate the Polish people from the unfortunate war into which it was dragged by its unwise leaden; and to enable it to live a peaceft..l life. 11 At the sarne time, the Soviet Government have informed Sir William Seeds that they will pursue a J:Clicy of neutralityin relations between t he Soviet Uni.on and Great Britaino FROM THE rHNISTRY OF INFORMATION EVENING BULLETIN NO. 28 17th SEPTEMBER 1939 THE WESTERN FRONT. The press has very naturally been showing great interest in the comn1uniques issued by the French G.H.Q. on the situation on the Western front. It is clear that the French General Staff are following a carefully worked out and methodical plan, but it is perhaps worth observing that up to the present the operations which are beingconducted have been of an exploratory nature. Major operations have not yet begun in the West. PRISONERS OF WAR. It is reported from Berne that in compliance with the 1929 Convention concerning the treatment of prisoners of war, the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva has established a Central Office for such prisoners which will be conducted on the same lines as that established during the war of 1914-1918 The new Office will be located in the Batiment Electoral at Geneva and will be developed in accordance with the needs and requirements of the different Governments and the Red Cross organisations of the belligerent nations. DEATH OF ERNST BAHLS. It is reported from Germany that the announcement of the death of Ernst Bahls, who was one of Hitler's adjutants, has given rise to much speculation. Beyond the fact that he died suddenly whilst at the front with Hitler, obituary notices give no explanation or details. In view of Bahl's close association with Hitler, the mystery that has been made of the former's death has given rise to many rumours. NAVAL AJlFA IRS Here are further details rega1"ding;­THE LOSS OF THE II IlTVERLTFFEY11 • On the morning of Monday last, September ·11th, the 9 ,456-ton motor vessel 11 Inverliffey" , flying the flat of the Irish Free State and registered in Dublin, was in a position about 270 miles south-west oft.and' s End, steering for the entrance to the English Channel. The weather was misty, and shortly after noon the ship was running through patches of real fog. A sharp look-out was being kept for submarines, and had been kept ever since the outbreak of war. At about 1.15 pm•• , those on the "Inverliffey' s" bridge sighted an American tanker, t he 11 R.G. Stewart11 , lying apparently stopped and heading in a north-easterly direction. At much the same moment the fog lifted, and the "Inverliffey' stt officers sighted a submarine about half a mile distant on the port beam. The submarine immediately opened fire, whereupon the "Inverliffey' s" master turned stern on to the U-boat and rang down to his engine-r'Oom for all possible sp-ee:a:. The submarine continued to fire, discharging in all sevem rounds, which fell close on either side of tge steamer, ·nich w@s in fact being overh~uled by her pursuer. The "Inverliffey" had no alternative hut to stop and the U-boat hoisted a signal for the master to go on board vvith his papers. A boat was lowered, and the master obeyed, to be asked by the submarine's commander where he was bound. The answer was that the steamer was ordered to contact with Land':-,( End for .11ireless orders. HOME AFFAIRS Is the Black Out too Black? Many people have asked the question whether the black out has not been carried too far and whether these particular measures of protection are not being applied with an unnecessary zeal, particularly in country districts. While it is unlikely that a country district as such would be the object of deliberate attack, there are important targets situated in country districts which might invite attack from the air if they could be located. Quite apart, however, from the protection of such special targets it has to be remembered that country districts, although they might not themselves be objects of enemy attack would, if they retained thiir lights, be like buoys in an otherwise unlighted sea. In particularj it may be pointed out that if, as has sometimes been suggested, the cities and towns were blacked out but not the adjoining country districts, then the towns would be in a pool of darkness which from above would enable them readily to be located. In many cases it would be very difficult to say where the town ends and the country begins. All kinds of anomalies and border line cases would crop up if an attempt were made to exercise a discrimination. A relaxation allowed to country districts would begin to spread into suburban areas and before much time had elapsed we should find that the black out was no longer effective. It is, therefore, an essential measure of protection for the safety of the country that the black out should be applied universally to town and country alike. The question has been asked whether London and the principal cities are still visible from the air in spite of the black out, in view of the fact that there are still lights on moving vehicles and on railway stations. The answer is that the glow in the sky which indicates the presence of a large town from a distance has entirely disappeared -a glow which can be picked up ordinarily many miles away. It is often asked why it would not be possible to arrange to retain normal street lighting but to turn it out the moment an air raid warning is sounded. It must be remembered that the lighting of a large city would probably be visible at a considerable distance and would, therefore, be a source of danger, having regard to the height and speed at which modern aircraft travel. Further, engineers are up against the difficulty that in many localities street lighting cannot be extinguished by the tu:en of a switch or a control without cutting off at the same time the supply of current or gas for domestic and industrial use. MARKING OF REEUG:CS. With a view to minimising the risk of accidents arising from motor vehicles colliding with street refuges under blackout conditions, the London Civil Defence Regional authorities have requested local authorities in the region to adopt a uniform road marking to indicate the presence of such refuges. This marking takes the forr.1 of a white line along the centre of the roadway, starting 30 feet from the refuge. At 20 feet from the refuge the line bifurcates, forming two arms of a "Y" until the refuge is reached. The arms of the "Y" are joined at intervals of 3 feet by cross-bars of white. / FROM ­ THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. NO. l. 17/9/39. (For Monday (18th Sept) morning papers) ARRANGEMENTS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. It. is announced on behalf of tlre Admiralty, the War Office and the Air Ministry that the following arrangements have· been made for financial assistance: to families or, in certain cases, other dependants, of men who are a:lready serving or may be called U1P for service in the Royal Navy, the Army or the Royal Air Force during the present war, otherwise· than as commissioned officers. For wives and children, except where the hu"sband and· wife are separat.ed, e.g. on account of domesctic disagreement, Family or Ma:rriage Allowance will be issuable under the normal regulatiom of the Departments but without any restriction as to the age of the sailor, soldier or airman. The normal weekly rates of allowance are 17s. for a wife, 5s. for the: first child, 3s. for the second child, 2's. for the third ehi.1d and l:s. each for any further childrene Tfue grant of an allowance :t.s in all cases concJ:itional upon ah allotment from the man.' s I~ay, additional to tlre allowance, at. pres·crihed rates varying with his rank and pay. The weekly allotments required range' from 7s. in the case of a man on the lowest ra·te of pay to 28s . a week in the case of a man on the highe·st rate. Single men, or married men where family or marriage a.llowance is not being paid, may claim an allowance, known as Dependant.s Allowance;o;, for one genutn.e dependant, provided the conditions laid dmvn in the regu]atioJJllS governing the issue of this all·::nvane:e in vvar time are fu]fiLIJ.ed. Under these regulations the rates of allowance, whieh in this case are alwa,ys inc·]usive of the allotment required to be made · from the man's. pay, aire the same and the conditions generally simil!ar to those recently announced for dependam:ts of mi]itiamen cal]ed up for training under the Mililtary Training Ac-t, 1939, but speeial attention. is drawn. to the following feaituires of the war-tine scheme:­ -2­ ( 1) The categories of dependants for vrhom an allowance may be claimed are wider than under the ~ilitia sch~me, includinCT not only 3r~ndparents, parents, brothers and sisters, but separc.ted -rli ves C:'.nd children, 1·unm2.rriecl v:i ves ·: 1 grandchildren s..ncl foster-parents, .:.Ln nunr.aarri ed vlife ;; , G.nd chilc.1-ren of the Jnan, 'Nill 'be eli·?;i ble for ;::,, special depenC::.o.nts' allo•;mnce equal to the family cJ.llov:a.nce Hhich vrnuld be pay2.ble if the parties were married, provided it is established that the woman lived with the man 2..s his wife o.nd vYGS ~vholly or subsJGanti2.lly maintained by him on a ?ennanent domestic basis for a reasonable period (norma.lly a:t least s ix months) immediately prior to the man's joining up. (2) I::xcept in the case of a uife, ;'Unmarried wife i: or widowed mother, no a.llowa.i."1.ce i s admissible if the dependant i s capable of supporting himself or herself or, in the case of a mother, if her husbcnd is alive ~nd cap~ble of supporting her. Incapacity for self support or for the support of others may be accepte.d ..on .. t.he _.g.rou..n.d.--Of-· you.:th..._ _i.n£.i.rm1tJ· -'.-et.t~at.ed-try medical certificate) of 2, prolonged or permanent character, or of age~ . a child of or belovr the age for compulsory vrhole time school a..t.Un.d..a.n.C-e.+ -or-a._:m.au.. o-ver--65--or·a vro!!l.zn o.ver 60. may be regarded. as 1·incapaci t2.ted i· by rryouth·: or 1'age i: respectively. (3 ) i7hereas the contribution required from the p2.y of .;;. militiaman to 3:J.1Y allo1.7ence issued w~i.s 3s . 6cl a week only, the Qualifying allotment req_uired as a contribution to the wur-time allowance, since all men .are nov.r on regular rci.tes of pay, is the same as would be required for family or marriaGe allowance and varies ·with the man's rank and re;ce of pay. The minimum allotment, for a man on the lowest rate of payJ i .s 7s. a. week, and the three r ates of Dependants J\llo·wance admissible, including the allotment, wht..i:cever it may be, are 12/-, 17/­and 20/6d a week according to cirC'l.lli'lst.J.nces. In other words, 'l:vhere/ -3­ where the re~uusite conditions are fulfilled, the State will where necessary supplerrent the zmn' s allotmemt from his payr suf:ficient]y to bring it up to whichever one· of these standard rat,e·s is appropriate: to the case. The admissibility o·f any allowance and the rate issuable depend on a number O·f f'a·ctors, pazrticularly the contribution which the man himself was making before he joined up· and the financial circumstances of the household during his absence, Thus if, a~ter deducting something for the cost of' his own keep -which is put at 7s. a. week -the man has been paying more than 15s. a week, the allmvanee if admissible under the provisions regarding other income (see below) will usually be 17s. a week 9 (but no• allowance will be issuabJle' unless the man's net contribution before he joined u:p was more than the qualifying allotme:mt which l're wou~d be required to make from his own pay). If he has been contributing something over 9s. but ]ess than 15s. a we·ek, the allowance, including allotment, will usually be 12>s-. Unle:ss· he has-been contributing over 9s. a week, no allowance from public funds will. be made as the man can make an allotment from his pay sufficient to cover most if no·t all e;f the net amount previously given. The rate of 2·os.6d. will be limited to crases in which the dependant is a widowetl mother or other person who is living alone or as a member of a howsehold without other i:rmome and is and has been solely dependent on the man and to whom he i.ivas previously contributing not less than that. amount. As regards the financial circwnstruroes of the household, determinine · eligib:tlity for an allowance the same pra.ctice will be followe.d as explained in the ca~se O'f the M~l~tia scheme in the White Paper issued in June, 1939, (Cmd. 6043) 9 which scheme was surrse~uently applied with modificatiotts su~table to the different conditions CJf service to men of the Reserve Forces ca1led out. In effec-t this means that the a:1lowance will not be issuable to dependants· (otherwise/ -4­(otherwise eliGi ble) T'!ho "belong to households 1•those toto.l weekly income, after ::.Jayment of rent and r ates, 3.mounts to 15s . Od or raore <1 hea.d (children not above compulsory school v.ge counting as half), or at a r ate v--rhich -rvould r aise the total income of the household to an average exceeding 18s.6d a head (or 2Js.6d in the case of a dependant living alone). Lny allowance awarded ·will be subject to reviev~r in the event of u ch~nge of circumstances. No further awards will be made under the !Hlitia scheme as such, and any s.;wards already made under its provisions will be subject to review and modification or termination in so far as th~t scheme differed from the scheme now introduced for more generendent on men called up for service who find themselves in need pending the consideration of a claim for Family o:r Dependants Allowance ·or for specia1l financia] a.ssistanee under the preceding paragraph, may be given temporary assistance as may be necessary under the Govermnent Scheme for the preventiom of d.1stress. Such ~rsons should en the Royail Navy or Royal Ma.rines should b-e· sent (as f O'llows/ -6­ 2. S follows : ­Royal ii2...!X,. Director of Navy .:'<.ccounts (Branch 10) ,.~dmir al ty, S.·;{.1. Itoyal 1viarines. The Commandant of the Royal Harine Division to which the man belongs. Dependants of men serving in the :Joyal _ dr Force should be careful to obtain the Royal Lir li1orce form. FROM THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION NO. 2 17/9/39 THE LEAFLETS DROPPED BY BRITISH AIRMEN OVER G'"'RMANY. In reply to inquiries from the Press about the leaflets which have been dropped by British airmen over Germany it may be stated that there have been three different leaflets. A translation of the first leaflet has already been made available. Translations of Leaflets 2 (The Prime Minister's broadcast to the German people) and 3 are appended for the use of the press. LEAFI,ET 2. The British Prime Minister addresses the following words to the German people:­ Germans! Your country and ours are now at waro Your Government has bombed the free and independent State of 1)oland and has invaded it; Poland which Great Britain had bound itself on her honour to defend. Because your troops were not withdrawn as tho result of the Note addressed by the British to the German Government war follows. We all know the horrors of war. God knows Great Britain has done all she possibly could to avert this catastrophe. But now that the Germans have forced their way into Pol and it has become unavoidable. . Your Govermnent tells you that you are fighting because Poland has refused the o:ffer of ;yrour Leader and ho.s seised arms. What are the facts? The so-called offer was rr.ade to tho Polish Ambassador in Berlin on Thursday evening~ two hours "'.::lc:'ore your Government announced that it had been 11 Y:.0 ejoC!tcd1; . '·'-'here can be no question of rejection for the good reason that no time v1 0. s givcn to examine the offer. Your Gove::-:'mJ10n-~ had previously demunded that a I'epresentative of Poland should be sent to Berlin wit hin twenty-four hours in order to conclude an agreement. At this time the Sixteen Points, which were later put forwaro·. had n ot even been con1111.unicated to the Polish Government. It was exj")ectccl of the Polish ropresentative that he should appear within a fixed time to sign an Agr eement which he had not even seen. That is no~ negotiation, that is dictation ( 'ein Diktat' )c No self-respecting State can acquiesce in such methods. Free negotiations on th2 bas :is of equality rni_ght very well have led to a settlement of the qucsti.ons in dispute" Perhaps you a r e asking vrhat a::'..1 this has t o do vvi th Great Britain. It 1.::oncerns us becausc: we have gi-v-cn our wor C. of honour to a.efend P0land Ggain2t c,_ttacko rn1y did wr; regard it as ne cessary to undertake the d..:;.'.'.'ence of this :Gas·ccrn European State when after all out interests lie in the West and your J,ea c:er has said he has no interests in the \".lest? 'I'ho answer is -I nm afraid I must say it ­that nobody in Great Britain p1acos any :t'i...1.rthcr' faith whatsoever in the word of you:l"' FUhro,r. He ga~,-e his word tc respect the Locarno Pact; he oroke it. He gave his word that he would not annex Austria and had no intention of doing so; he broke it. He declared he would not incorporate any Czechs in the He:i.ch; yet he did so, After Munich be gave his 1rvo rd that ho had no further territorial cl&ims in Europe. He broke i L He gave his word that he did not want any Polish Provtnces; he lJrokc it,, He has sworn to you for years that he ia tho mortal enem.y of Bolshevism; to---day he is its ally. Can you be surprised th2t :for us his word is not worth the pa~er it is written on . The German-·Russian Pact was a cynical s ornersaulty that aimed c:it shattering the Peace F:ront .against aggression. This gamble has failed. The Peace Front s,cands fast. Now your Leader aacrificcs you, tho German People, to the even more preposterous gamble of a war in ord2r to find for himself a way out of the impossible position i~J.to uhich he has led hiE.self and you . I n this wa~ we arc f i ght i ng not agninst you 1 not against .t .he German people,, . agaj_nst r;l1ori1. we cherish no bittcr f eelings; we are fighting ago.inst u. ty:cc.nnic.qJ.. and perjured regime that has betrayed not only its O'~rn peopl e but the whol e-\i'/est orn culture :.md everything -chat i s (~.-·n r' to you m1c~ us . God clefcnC. the ri[Jlt, LEAFLlt~T 3 • W ARNING MESSAGE FHOM GREAT BRITAIN TO THE GERMAN PEOPLE Despite the efforts of all men of good will to avert the catastrophe the Nazi Government has plunged the world into war. This war is a crime. The Germans, who are a logical people, should make a clear distinction between the pretext on which their leaders started it and the principles that have compelled the British and French democracies to defend Poland's i hdependence. From the start the British Government declared its belief that there was nothing in the Polish question to justify a European war with all its tragic consequences. But the Munich settlement was followed five months l ater by the brutal rtestruction -of Czecho-Slovakia's independence by your leaders. If Poland was not to go the way of Czecho-Slovakia we had to insist that the peaceful methods of negotiation should not be paralysed by thr eats of v:i.,olence and that any settlement should safeguard the vital interests of Poland ~md should be honourably carried out. If the Chancellor of the Reich imagined that fear of war would induce the British Government to betray the cause of Poland, he made a fatal mistake. It is not England's way to break her pledged word and more than this, the time has come to call a halt to the rule of brute force which the Nazi Government Wishes to i mpose on the world. In precipitating this was he has come up against the inexorable will of the British Government, backed not only by the whole resources of a united British Empire, but also by an alliance of Great Powers, to maintain unimpaired human liberty and the rights of free peoples to a free existence. \ Up to t he last moment the Pope, the Preside~t of the United States of .America and the King of the Belgians speaking for Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, turned to your Nazi Government and besought Germany to choose the way of mediation r ather than that of war. You go into this war isolated from the comrnonwealth of civilised peoples , and ."having the support of nobody but Communist Russia. You cannot -viin this war. You are confronted by far greater r esources than your own. For year s an iron censorship and a widespread system ·of espionage have :rrevented you from knowing the truth or speaking your minds about the cruelties and injustice perpetrat ed in you:(• name -· against you you have the united straength of free peoples who, wi t;1 theira e;yes wide open, will fight to the last for liberty -yourn as well as theirs. We hat e war as much as we l{now you do. But remember Britain never gives way. Cur nerves are tougher, our sinews of war stronger, than yours. ~e shall never give up. os P R E S S N O T I C COTTON BO.ARD. The President of the Boare. o:f Tracie ano. the Minister of Supply h ave appointed a Board to consider matt.ers affec·i:,ing the co-C/con trade arising out of the present war 9 and to make from time ·(,o time recornmene.ations on such Dia·(, ;~ers as l!lay require action by the Minj_ste1"s concerned, and to ·i;sJ{e such other action as may appear expedient and practicable. The members of' ·the Board are:-· Sir Percy Ashley9 K.B.E.,C.B. (Chairman) Mr. G.H.Bagnell. Mr. H.Boothn1an, J.P .. Mr. A.D.Carnpbell, C.B.E 0 Mr. A. Naesmith. Mr> . J.Nelson. Mr. F.Platt. Mr. W.J.Walrnsley. Mr. A.R.Y.f al·con. Mr. H.G.Hughes will act as secretary to the Board. FROM THE MINISTHY OF HWOHI!i.ATIOJ . no ._LJ. 17/9/39. ·For isPue to the Pr ess .and to be broadcast verbatim on Home, Empire and Foreign Wave Lengths. on Monday morning 18th Sei)tember BOARD OP TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT. T :RAD I r G W I 'I' I-I T H E F. N E I-'! Y. The Boarcl_ of Trade have mao_e an Order directing that the :!.)ersons s~1ecified therein shall, for the pur-~ose of the Trading with the Enemy Act, be deemed to be enemies. The Order specifies 278 persons~ including f'irms~ carl"ying on business in various foreign com1tries. The Order comes into force on 18th Se1)tenfoer. Traders, sh.:ipowners and otherR are accordingly warned that as from that o.ate it '."'ill be unlawful to tr.ansact buginess or to have other dealings with any person specified in the Order ~ithout official permission (which ~ill not be granted save in very exceptional circumstances). Of':f'endel's will be liable to heavy_penalties. Applications for licenses to transact business otherwise prohibited should be addressed to the Trading with the Enemy Branch, Western Galleries, Imperial Institute, South Kensington, S.W.7. The Order, which is called "The Trading with the Enemy (Specified Persons) Order, 193911 may be obtained (Price 4d), from any of the Sale Offices of His Majesty's Stationery Office or thro gh any bookseller. Board of Trade , 18th September, i939• BOARD OF TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT. TRADING WITH THE ENEMY Notice to Traders and Others. I. In continuation of the Board -of Trade notice on Trading with the Enemy published on 4th September, 1939, the Board of Trade now announce that, under powers conferred on them by Section 2 (2) of the Trading with the Enemy Act, they have made an Order directing that the persons specified therein shall, for the purpose of the Trading with the Enemy Act, be deemed to be enemies. The Order comes into force on r8th September. 2. Traders, shipowners and others are accordingly warned that as from that date it will be unlawful to transact business or to have other dealings with any person specified in the Order without official permission (which will not be granted save in exceptional circumstances) . Offenders will be liable to heavy penalties. 3. The Order has been published by His Majesty's Stationery Office under the title '' The Trading with the Enemy (Specified Persons) Order, 1939 ", (S.R. & 0. 1939 No. rr66). Copies may be obtained (Price 4d.) from any of the Sale Offices of His Majesty's Stationery Office or through any bookseller. 4. Traders and others are reminded that communications re­lating to trading with the enemy (including applications for licences to transact business otherwise prohibited) should be addressed to the Trading with the Enemy Branch (Treasury and Boarq of Trade); or, in the case of communications re­garding patents, designs or trademarks to the Patent Office, 25, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.2. The address of the Trading with the Enemy Branch is Western Galleries, Imperial Institute, Imperial Institute Road, South Kensington, S.W.7. Board of Trade. 18th September, 1939. (2oro7-42j Wt. g/39 P. St. G. 374 FROM THE MINIS'.J1RY OF INFORMATION 1fo0 s-1V9/39 THIS ORDER COMES INTO ]'ORQE ON 18th Sept. 1939. BOARD OF TR.ADE ANNOUNCEMlliT Enemy (Custodian) Order made by the Board of Trade under Section 7 of the Trading with the Enemy Act, 1929. With the object of preventing the payraent of money to enemies and preserving enemy property in 'comtemplation of arrangements to be made at the conclusion of peace the Board of Trade have, in pursuance of powe~s conferred on them by Section 7 of the Trading With The Enemy Act, made the Enemy (Cust od:tan) Orde:i'.'~ which comes into forcre today. The Order requires any money normally payable to or for the benefit of an enemy to be paid within four teen days to the Custodian of enemy property for that part of the United Kingdom in which the person who makes the payment is resident or carries on business. The terms "enemy" "enemy subject:r and "enemy pro:rerty" are defined in the Trading with the Enemy Act, but it should be noted that "enemy" o.oes not include an enemy subject resident in this country. This requirement relates in particular to dividends, bonuses or interest, capital sums arising from the redemption or maturity of securities, profits in any business or enterprise, debts includingbank balances, insurance moneys, rents of all kinds, payments for requisitioned property, payments arising under any trust or settlement and money which would have been paid to any person by virtue of an assignment or transfer to that person by an enemy of any chose in action or securities, This requir ement does not apply to restriction on payments specifically authorised by the Treasury or the B'oard of Trade to be made or to payments to a Clearing Office established in the United Kingdom,, The Order further gives power to the Board of Trade to make Orders vesting in the Custodian such enemy property as they may prescribe. Any person holding or managing property for or on behalf of an enemy or enemy subject is required within fourteen days to give notice of the fact to the Custodian and to furnish the Custodian with such returns, accounts and other information and produce for inspection such documents in relation thereto as the Custodian may require. Companiesincorporated in the United Kingdom and comp,anies incorporated outside the United Kingdom which have a share transfer or share registration office in this country are required to furnish in writing to the Custodian within a similar period f'u.11 particulars of all securities i..ssued by the Company which are held by or for the benefit of an enemy. very partner and every firm of which any of the partners is an enemy or to which money has been lent by an enemy is similarly required to disclose to the Custodian f ull particulars of any share of profits or any interest due to such an enemy. The Order further provides for the retention by the Custodian of fees equal to 2% of (a)-the amount of moneys paid to him; and (b) the value of any property vest ed in him~ Applications for fo r>1!1.::: for the purpose of making Returns should be made by persons in E:ngl ::tnd and Wales 9 to the Custodian of Enemy ~roperty, Public Trustee Office , Kingsway~ Wc Co2, in Scotland to the ~ustodian of Enemy Prope~' ty , H. M, Regist 1.;r Office, Edinburgh, 2. , and in N0rthern Ireland to the Custodian of Enemy Property, Supreme Court of Judicature ~ Royal Courts of Justice) Ul ster, Belfast& FROM THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION.!_ NO. 6 -17:9:'39. Arrangements Regarding Casualties. The following arrangements regarding casualties are announced by the War Office:­ During the war all cases of death (however caused) , of wounds and other injuries caused by enemy action, of missing or prisoners of war, and of serious and a.angerous illness (and subseq_uent progress) will, as soon as knovm, be notified to the next-of-kin, as follows:- Offiers and nurses by the War Office, Casualty Section, 8-0, Pall Mall, S.~ .l. Other ranks and enrolled civilians , by the Officer in Charge Records concerned. The War Office also announce that injuries due to causes other than enemy action and sickness, if not serious or dangerous, will not be notified to the next-of­kin. FROT.:I THE MINISTRY OF INFORM!:.TION No. 7 17/9/39 EMPIRE NEWS AN ARID BUT BRAVE LAND. Of the scores of countries which have declared themselves to be heart and soul with Great Britain in the present conflict, Trans-Jordan is probably the sole example of a State which owed its origin to the years succeeding the Peace Treaties of 1919. For although the State of Trans-Jordan comes under the same Mandate e.s Palestine, its history as an independent E".mirate began only in 1921, when His Highness the Emir Abdullah, as a result of the Conference under the Chairmanship of Mr. Winston Churchill which was held in Cairo in that year, was offered the throne of Amman. He accepted. Neither the people of Trans-Jordan nor the British people have had any reason to regret the step by which the eldest surviving son of the late King Hussein, Ally of Great Britain in the 1914-18 war, became invested with authority in the land which lies immediately east of the Jordan. This able and genial Ar ab, inheritor of a great tradition, scion of a noble family has unquestionably "made good11 • His wo.y has not been easy. His subjects were accustomed to turbulence and even yet it has not been found politic to disarm the mass of the population. Some four-fifths of his territory, moreover, consists of desert, over which warlike nomads roam ceaselessly -though not , as formerly9 in search of loot, but only of pasture. The Emir has succeeded in infusing into his people who were always patriotic, a spirit of f~llowship9 so that the interest of the Bedouin (nomad) is seen to be the interest of the fellah (peasant) and vice versa. Seing that almost every family in Trans-Jordan bears the tradition of arms, this development of a universal sense of citizenshi!) indicates a series of acts of real stat esmanship. ­ Yet though.the ruler of Trans-Jordan has brought his people into the way of peace, they are ready, at a word from him, to leap into action -and it is a f act that Trs.ns-Jordan contains some of the finest fighting material in the whole of Arabia, notc:..l:i1y tribes whose exploits are famed from the Persian Gulf to the Red. Sea. Trans-Jordan may be largely desert, but it is wholly brave. In the expanse of the Indian Ocean, four hundred miles south-west of Ceylon, lies a lonely group of atolls which are thicker with coconut palms than peopl e. The inhabitants, who thread their fishing boats through the surf9 cultivate their palms and expertly makG lace, speak a dialect akin to the old Sinhalese tongue, and they are probably of original Aryan stock -which beyond doubt 9 would commend them promptly to Herr Hitler. But judging from the message these humblG people of the Maldive Archipel ago have just sent home to Britain, they do not return the feeling of kinship. News of the war may have reached them slowly, for their only means of cornmunica.tion with India and Ceylon iS. by voyaging over t~e horizon in tiny native craft. 2. Yet as soon as the reverberations of the guns in Europe did penetrate to these forgotten islands, the Sultan, from his capital at Male, sent to the Governor of Ceylon (to whom, as Tributary, he despatches a yearly Embassy) the following message: I convey to your Excellency the assurance of our loyaltyand devotion to the Person of His Majesty the King Emperor and to the high ideals and principles for the realisation of which the British Commonwealth of Nations, along with her historic ally France, is at vrar with Germany. We may not be able to assist the brave and gallant soldiers of the Comrnonwealth with materials or to fight by their side but I assure you our prayers for their victory will never cease until final victory is won and a gloriousand enduring peace is gained. To this warm and simple message the Governor of Ceylon at once gave an adequate reply His Majesty, through the Secretary of State for the Colonies, has commanded that an expression be conveyed to the House of Assembly, Bahamas, of deep appreciation of the assurance of loyalty from his subjects in the Bahamas, in whom at all times His Majesty has full confidence. The King has also signified his appreciation to the Legislative Council of Seychelles of their loyal message. recoc;nise the effic.:;,cy of the use of economic pressure c.nd. se2.-po1tv0r, for at tsininc; \-V ,~Lr .:~ims . Such • ..L econm:nic j:)ressure J vrhich h2,s for l t,S t:,J.ill the e2.rly teridnation of hostilities vvi tL. the miniiaum of vio:J.0.1ce 9 is recocnisecl by .:::.11 civilised natio:r:.:::; o.s a perfectly l ec;i·ci::J10,t e and proper we2,pon to be used during ho Etilities. German;:r oannot effectively exercise econ0 ;jc prGs:Jure on Greet Britsin, nor con she render Gre::i.t Britc:.in' s press L:r o on Ge r :t11any ineffectj ve; . She has already resorted to mec.w.11::.' int(:;r::.·~.tionally recognh3scl as illegc,l in he'l 2.ttempt to achieve irnr object by inhumane attacks on uerch2Lt shippin~. The Geri;12n Governmen-\~ , it r11ay be rec a.lled, rece~1tly-:-::;o.ve c?. Eo.leiim undertGJ;:inc-;· in response to Presic;,ent Roosevelt's app eal with regs.rd to c.eriel b0111-bo..rdment. The German Govern~;:1ent may 0.o v.rell to rec all that the undertolcings ::;iven to :rresident I:oosevelt by other Povrnrs to who:m his c:tppc e.l v1c..',s .:::.ddress eel can. onlY be effective so long 8.S they ell of them keep to the vrord they h o.ve ·:.;iven. l., An Or C.er has os0;i rnad.e unde1· t:h.e Nat::Lonal Regj_ st:ration .Act, 1939 , fi:;;:i..:ag rr·.:.tiontl F.se:;i.stra.tion Da.y as F'1·j_d.e.y·, t he 29th Sept.er1ber.. 2. The returns hc..ve to be filled up in respect of the position on the n:Lght of that d.a,y; and. the timetable groups itself, therefore, round. ti1is cent1·a1 date .. 3. JJurins the p;:·esent week local National Registration Officers will cor.uplete tho mobj.lization of enur.c.erators~ 4. On Sunday o:· ~vi ,nday next (2 -l:th or 2f.:ith September) each enumero:to'r 1·ill. be, .. the distribution of scheclules to the households, etc. L ... ~:.... s u.J..o ri.; tJ, concluding before Friday, the 29th September. 5. On the night of Friday, the 29th, every householder or other person responsible for making a return com:[)letes the return of all persons spending the night in that household. 6. On and after Saturday, the 30th September, the enumerator collects the completed schedules and writes and issues Identity Cards. 7. The enumerator must then (among other clerical duties) prepare 1 a summarized rranscript of the returns; a..."1d the origin.al returns are then released to the local Food Officer for -che issue of nation Books and the establishment of the local Food Hegister. As previously announced by the Minister of Food, the issue of Ration Books will be based upon the National Registero s. A specimen of the standard household retu:cn (schedule E) is supplied, for reproduction, if desired. 9. The enumeration procedure, it will be seen, follows closely upon the normal Census procedure with which the public is familiar; and it should present no di1'ficnlties tb the public. Indeed, t;h.e .schedule is a far more simple one than the usual Census schedule; and the task of completion by ~he householder should be much lighter. 10. On the other hand, the special features of the National Register system impose some extra duties upon the enumerator which, though apparentl1 of the nature of detail, are essential to the proper working of the system. r·t will be in the power of the public to assist the enumerator, or at any rate not to hinder him, in the performance of these duties; and in view of the use of the returns for Rationing purposes it will be very definitely to the interest of individual members o:f the public to co-operate with the enumerator in securing a smooth and rapid enumeration. 11• .Announcements will later be made through the Press and the B.B.C. as to particular points upon which the co-operation of the public is desirable. 12.A c~py is annexed of the statement issued in connection with the Registrar Generalts previous Press Con:ference on the l6th August, in ~ase any of its contents may be of service on the present Qccasion. 17th SBptember, 1939. REGISTRATION NATIONAL INSTRUCTIONS I. The Head or acting Head of a private household or the Manager or other person in charge of an Hotel, Club, Boarding House or Common or other Lodging House is required by law to make a return on this form respecting all persons falling to be included in the household or establishment for National Registration purposes. 2. Any person whose duty it is to make a return or to give information who refuses to do so, or wilfully gives false information, and any person who uses any information given him for the purpose of making the return otherwise than for that purpose, will be liable to a penalty. 3. This schedule will be collected by the Enumerator, who will thereupon write and i.ssue to the Head or Manager an Identity Card for every member of the household or establishment. Ifany person included in the schedule has left before his or her Identity Card is issued, the Head or Manager will be responsible for sending the Identity Card on to him or her. OCCUPATION Col. F. 4. This column should be completed for all persons. Wives or other relatives chiefly occupied in unpaid domestic duties at home, very young children not at school, young people at school, or studying for a particular calling, persons incapacitated by illness, etc., who have never followed any paid occupation, or persons dependent upon their own or others' private means sh ·uld be described as Unpaid domestic duties, Under School Age, At School, Student, Incapacitated, Private means, respectively. Boys and Girls who have left school and have not yet been employed should be described as " seeking work ; not previously employed.'' 5. Those following an occupation or calling for payment or profit (including apprentices, articled clerks and persons training on similar terms) or who have retired from such occupation should state their usual occupation whether the person is at work or out of work at the time. 6. Describe the occupation fully and definitely, and if the job is known in the trade or industry by a special name, use that name. Where the occupation is connected with Trade or Manufacture the reply should show the particular kind of work done-the material worked in or article ma.de or dealt in, if any. In the case of Profession or Service the precise EXAMPLES SHOWING THE KIND OF DESCRIPTION I. Clerks. ll. Engineering and III. Farming. IV. Labourers. 1. Solicitor's Managing Metal Trades. 13. Market Gardener (own 18. Riveter's Labourer, Clerk. 4. Loom Fitter, Textile account). Shipyard. Engineers. 2. Builder's Estimating 14. Dairy Farmer. 19. Permanent Way 5. Pneumatic Driller, Labourer. Clerk. 15. Farm Carter. Shipbuilding. 3. Railway Clerk. 16. Cowman. 20. Public Works Con­ 6. Brass Caster, Lighting tractor's Labourer. Fittings. 17. Horseman on Farm. 21. Wharf Labourer. 7. Press Stamp OpE'rator, Aluminium Hollowware. 22. IronFoundryLabourer. 8. Girder Plater, Con­23. General Labourer, structional Engineering. Brickworks. 9. Steel Furnaceman, Steel 24. Coal Hoist Labourer.' Rolling Mill. 25. Fitter's Labourer,10. Iron Foundry Furnace­ Motorworks. man. 11. Locomotive Erector. 12. Master Blacksmith. branch must be st:ited. .If more than one paid occupation is followed, state .only that by which the living is mainly ( earned. Vague or mdefimte terms should not be used. For example, the followmg terms are too vague, and must: not be used by themselves :-Foreman, Overlooker, Overseer, Operative, Factory-Hand, Mill-Hand. Machinist Assistant Collector, Polisher, Porter, Carter, etc., etc. ' ' 7. In the case of a person engaged in heavy work write "Heavy Worker" after the statement of Occupation. 8. Labourer. Do not use this term by itself. For an unskilled worker usually employed on one sort of work alone distinguish the sort of work done, as Steel Works Labourer. If accustomed to work on different kinds of jobs, write "General Labourer." 9. Shop Keepers, Retail Dealers, Shop Assistants. If wholly or mainly engaged in selling, state the commodity sold and add "Dealer" (Manager), "Shop Assistant" or "Salesman." If, however, mainly making, though also selling, add "Maker." For Managers, Shop Assistants and Salesmen in Co-operative Stores and other departmental shops, state the particular Department in which engaged. 10. Coal, etc., Mine Workers. State the occupation and kind of mine or quarry precisely and add whether working above or below ground. Such descriptions as Miner, Coal Miner, Collier, etc., are insufficient. 1I. Farm Workers. A person following a definite occupation upon a Farm (such as cowman, farm carter, dairymaid) should be so described whether he or she is a relative of the farmer or not or whether paid or unpaid. For a relative giving the farmer substantial assistance in the work or management of the farm add "Assisting Father" (or Brother, etc., as the case may be) after the statement of Occupation. 12. Navy, Army, Air Force. In the case of a person serving in the Royal Navy, Regular Army, Royal Air Force ( or Royal Marines, or in any regular Women's Service administered by the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force, state the Service, Rank, Ship, Regiment or Squadron, etc., and number, if any. 13. Mercantile Marine. In the case of a person belonging to the Mercantile Marine who is at home between voyages or temporarily unemployed, state Rank or Rating at sea, the name of the last Ship and the date of discharge, giving Discharge Book number and number of Certificate of Competency, if any. lMHICH SHOULD BE GIVEN OF THE OCCUPATION V. Textile Operatives. VI. Miners and Quarriers. VII. Porters. VIII. General. 26. Head Carder, Cotton 30. Colliery Onsetter 36. Timber Porter at 42. Confectioner (Cake pinning. (below). Docks. Maker). 27. Fly Frame Tenter, 31. Colliery Lampman 37. Railway Porter. 43. Confectioner (Sugar Cotton Spinning. (above). 38. Hospital Porter. Confectionery Manufacture) . 28. Artificial Silk Spinner. 32. Colliery Hewer. 44. Wholesale Meat Sales­ , 29. Linker, Hosiery Manu­33. Rockman, Slate 40. Kitchen Porter at man (Master). facture. Quarry. Hotel. 45. Tailor (Master). 39. Hotel Door Porter. 34. Roadstone Quarrier. 46. Butcher (Shop 41. School Porter. Keeper). 35. Gravel Digger. 47. Silk Merchant. TSl-4768 SCHEDULE E (Head of Household, Manager of Establishment or other person responsible for making th 1 return.) Nf!J:~i_