PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIC ·REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION No. 20 ..........6.th.....F.e:b.r.u<).r.y,,..................• 1940 Although United States '.ipinion regarding Jhnland has left nothing to be desired> the attitude cf _:ifficial .America has been all the more disappointing. This view· was taken in yesierday 1 s 10.<'TOl\'BLADET and this paper, the organ of the People Is P::·.rtyJ added: 11 I mmed.i_ate and generous help for the Finnish epoplc ha s been pr omised, but as time gees on, the retreat from these promi ses increases. The -q:uestion now is whether a remarkable change (Jf attitude t o a ju..;t cause can 1.mfavourably affect .American prestige abroad" i; Af'ter expanding this t heme fur ther, the ·~aper continued: "There are vast material resources in America and it is difficult to believe that the rich United St ates is unable to help little Finland. If .America, with a good conscience is delivering weapons to the Allies, there appears no Jog::i.cal impediment in the way of Finland's purchasing from this inexhaust~_ble arsenal. 11 A picture of t:1s ·:"l~\"'J.J.:.ng conditions in Poland ¥vas drmm in the STOCKHOLMS ~IDNING~N, by the Berlin correspondent of that paper. "Germans returning from Poland describe the undying hate in the eyes of the Polish peopl e , 11 he af':'irmed0 "German policemen woul d give any­thing to get mvayo Oi:18 Nazi officer asked 1 Are we. to hold a pistol at the head of the Pclis~1. v1or kers to make them work? 1· The Polish intellige~,a has disccppeared. It nill never be known how many Poles have been shot for at tacks on Germans. 11In ~Vestern Polci.nd t he pupulat i on i s being removed and driven Eastwards without any bel ongings. A stc:cte of cha..---.s exists in the country." Similar rep1 rts have reached the DA.GENS N"TIIB;l'ER which stated: "According to information received, Pol and's educated class is suffering· great infliction. In the n2.me of ci vilisation, representatives nf science and learning shoul d be .'.ll l \)Wed to investigate what is happening and give help wher e it i s necded,n The Afl'TONBIJ'-WET expr .:;;ssed an12z.::iment that Communists should still exist in Sweden, and adci.ed: ';After 1Nhat has happened and is happening, there should not be a si ngle Rus~~c -Sw·edc in Sweden. We have been far too l enient in the past. Cur.•ummist s hope f 'Jr a Russian victory. They play no r cle in ~.vv-.~den and only constitute an annexe to a f CJreign regime hostile t o SYvc:d0n. 11 FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW Page 6. 2. 40. NORW;..y: 1'L'iZI "INHli~L\N" SE_'.. \"/,\RF_;ID;, Another outspoken attack on the Nazi ~ethods of waging war at sea ­described in Norway as "inhuman" -hn.s been made in the Norvvegian Press. Attacking what he describes as unreasonable criticism on the part of the NORGES H.!J'J'DlliS OG SJClF_-illTSTINDENDE of Mr. Churchill's speech a correspond­ent of the paper stated: "\ie suffer our peace-loving seamen to be murdered in a monstrous]y inhuman fashion, but we protest loudly and indignant]y against those whom we expect to defend us against these outrages." Criticising M. Ko:?:lt' s speech the correspondent added: "We ought at any rate to leave it to the Germans themselves to find their own excuses. We have had too mn.ny frightful tor-pedoings which are still difficult to explain away. One thing is absolutely certain -it is no good saying British sub­marines are at fault for no one on earth would believe the.t. " In rep]y it was stated in a Jead.:L"'lg_a:i:..i;iple: "Any comparison between civilised methods and bc.rbarism is not posr:;ible. We would have insulted Mr. Churchill had we judged him by t~1·:J sa;j'3 cTtaridards -r;r;::, ·~ppJy :t.o ' "t!he ·g~ntry who draw down upon the people the responsibility for inhwnan sea warfare. This warfare is now being waged age.inst defenceless neutrn.l seamen. Responsibility must also be borne for the murder of women, children and invalids in Finland. " RU!vL\N"IA: PEACE POLIQJ OF BALK.AN ENTENTE. "The Belgrn.de conference has ful]y proved that the policy of peace of the Balkan Entente is not the opportunist product of the moment." This comment on the results of the Balkan conference is made in to-day's ROMANIA, the official organ of the National R :··.rd_.:i s'.:::Z:'ZtG Front. The pap~r ,~dds: . 0~he Balkan Entente resolution should serve as an example to others. The principles exposed by the final statement exclude any dubious interpretation1 thus silencing tendentious rumours and insinuations." The view of CUR.ENTlJT_, is given in the words: "The Belgrade meeting has agreed to op2ose any idealogical infiltration or any infiltration of belligerent interests capable of modifying the balance of the Entente, the defence of the territory, or the united will of the allied states to draw nearer to their neighbours. "An important fact is that the decision to remain at peace also connnits Turkey. The statement contains elements of satisfaction to each of the belligerents". llllNIVERSUL ·states! "'l'he Balkan Entente corrununique shows complete agreem~rit·: on all points. Its exact text has dmipated fantn.stic rumours and cl.arified the atmosphere. 11Rumania' s firm, energetic :::md understanding attitude is ful]y appreciated by the Balkan allies and diplomatic circles.. " 5.2.40. FOREIGN PRESS REVIE W Page 3 GERIIIAl'JY: NAZI co~.lPARISON OF 1.iARTIME COLLGCTIONS. A statern.ent that British wartime collections failed tl"I yield as much as German collections has been .made in a German newspaper report which takes care to omi·t the fact that Nazi collections are scarcely voluntary. In a message from Berlin the WESTFAELISCHE LANDESZEITUNG stated yesterday: "The English are trying to raise their spirits with the result of a collection for the Red Cross, about which they enthusiasti­cally report that in five months a sum of about 10 million marks has been realised. The British must be in very urgent need of successes to announce this. If 10 million marks in five months is a big feat in the richest country in the world, the British may as well shut u~ shop. "The so-called spirit of sacrifice for the war among the English cannot be worth much. We Germans can show results which represent a better measure of the generosity of our people. The fourth 'sacrifice Sunday' alone producedi2,800,000 marks, and the Leipzig Radio Station on one single day received 2,600,000 marks for the Winter Help Fund, 11 The paper referred to the reported amalgamation of London Departmental stores and added: "While the British people are being led ever deeper into misery by the war of their Jewish related plutocratic clique, the Jewish war profiteers extend their domination more and more npenly." A number of newspapers printed a message from the Hague reading: "The British troops of occupation·are now pn1ceeding in the most unscrupulous manner against the Chinese and other natives of Singapore where disturbances have spread from India. During a funeral ceremony a strong police detachment appeared suddenly in the Cemetery and arrested 100 Chinese on the spot. The reason was alleged to be tha·G they were members of a secret league. In reality the British authorities are extremely annoyed because their methods of violence have not yet broken the Singapore Dock strike." Commenting on attacks on Merchant shipping, the KOELNISCHER ZEITUNG wrote that Mr. Churchill was wr0ng in saying that the convoy system was a safe instrument nf sea transp9rt and added: "The neutral ships, whose owners and captains realise that by sailing in convoys they are becoming enemy vessels, will learn from the experience ~f German successes." Several German papers published a message from the Hague reading: "At the time of the sin..ldng by German submarines of the Dutch steamer Arendskerk with a cargo of contraband, it was doubted in the British Press whether the U-boat captain in accordance with his assurances, had summoned another neutral ship to rescue the men who had taken to the boats," The message went on to quote the Dutch captain as ~ying that the German submarine had actually kept its promise, but at the same time, it showed the neutrals that refusing to sail in convoy was far from a guarantee that a neutral ship would not be brpedoed by the Germans. FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW Page 4 6. 2.40. ARGENTINE: POLISH ATROCITIES CONDEMNED. Strong condemnation of the German atrocities in Poland has been made in the influential Buenos Aires newspaper LA NACION. This journal stated in a recent issue: "Recent declarations made to the Press by the Vice-Governor of the section of Poland occupied by the German forces, in which he stated that the invading nation considered, in the first instance, the welfare of the Polish people, strikes strikes some people as irony, after all that irrefutable testi­ monies have revealed about the conditions to which the subjugated popu­ lation, and especially the Catholic section of it, are being submitted. A particularly interesting passage in the Vice-Governor's declarations is the one in which he tries to give the impression that in Poland there is no real opposition to the Nazi regime, unless it is that of certain impertinent minorities. "Continu.tl'l.g this series of pretences, the Nazi Governor affirms the convenience to the Poles· of the fact that the invaders do not per• mit the re-opening of all their cultural institutions, since these would constitute centres of subversion which the Germans would be obliged to suppress by force. "The whole document abounds in similar inexactitudes and twistings and it constitutes a typical example of the methods of working and per­ verting which characterise the Hitlerite regime in its damnable enter­ prises of domination." VENEZUELA: HR. CHA!VIBERLAIN'S CONVINCING SPE:C::CH. The Caracas ne•-,.spaper, ARORA, commenting on the recent speech by Mr. Chambe:'lain, stated: "The declarations made by Mr. Chamberlain during the banquet given him by the National Defence Public Interest Committee consisted of an impresGive sununing up of England's efforts during this third phase of hostilities against Germany. The credit balance which is shown in the intense campaign ~f war-like preparation being carried out by the British people is rea~lly surprising. Eaeh section of national activity has produced magnificent results. ''Mr. Chamberlain sho~ed himself to be a practical and methodical man by the way he expresGed in figures the elements which must con­ stitute the foundations of victory. "This time he did not make a great deal of the spiritual and moral motives, although he fenced with great ability with the inter­-~sting argument that no neutral country vould consider itself menaced by the power of England and that the British Navy could not be blamed for sinking a single neut:i.-81 Rhip or causreng the death of a single 11on-belligerent. 5.2.40, FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW Page 5 "This as:'Jertion is correct and it brings out clearly the predatory and unscrupulous attitude of Hitler's Germany. "Mr. Chamberlain's speech is in striking contrast with that made by Hitler. The one is quiet, calm, convin~ing and of great s~lidity of agrument. The other is bitter, irresolute and perfectly attuned to the arbitrary standards of Nazi mentality." TUNIS: "HARD BLOW AT HITLER' S HEAD. "J.Vir. Chamberlain' speech was a hard blow at Hitler's head. Hitler merely repeated the old Versailles theme." This statement was made :Jy the Arabic news "Japer EN-NAHDA corrunenting oh the speeches by Mr. Chamberlain, M.Daladier and Herr Hitler. The paper pointed out M.Daladier 1 s confidence which was born of Britain's close union with France and the ever growing Allied solidarity and added: "The speeches by the British and French leaders define the Allied attitude and after t hem the Berlin and Stuttgart wireless stations may say all they like in any vray they like. tt ITALY: ITALY'S ROLE IN THE BALKANS. The part played by Italy in bringing the Balkan Entent e meeting to a successful conclusion was stressed in last night's Italian Press, which welcomed the communique i ssued after the Conference. "Without formal understandings, the policy of the Balkan States coincides notably with that of Italy," wrot e Signor Gayda in the GIORN.ALE D1ITALIA. nNo pressure, near or far, is exercised by Italy, but Italian influence was indubitably present and is manifested in the exampJ.. e of her attitude and the serer.o firmness of her constructive efforts." In a message from Belgrade the NBESAGGERO pointed out that the European spirit had prevailed over the local spirit and added: "This is already l arge, and may mean everything in respect ::f rnsults it is yet hnped to atta.in." Messages from London stated that the result of the Conference had been accepted ~~th gooa grace, but it was stated that Paris was ttnot elated". Further commenting on Italy's role in the Balkans the VOCE D'ITALIA noted that Italy's three year policy of neutralising all hegemonies ap.d foreign influence in the Balkruls had proved victorious over all others. FOREIGN PR ESS REVIEW Page 6 6. 2,40. This paper ad~ed that the Conference could not have met in the pres.:mt conditions if "the new c;··:I.;.;:;..'..cu'}JC~sof duties in the Balkan countries and the more realistic consiccer. tion of the balance of power in South-Eastern =urope had not, o·.·ring to Italy's contri­bution, made head: ay. " Mr. Oliver ~tanley' s speech vas generally reported under the heading "British 'e.r l:Iinister Against Negotiated Pei:.ce," and the GAZETTO DEL POPOLO , the Turin newspaper referred to Fascist interruptions. C::imment from huropean capitals published in to-day's news papers alludes to ItaJy's decisive in~luence on the Ba11~an conference, D.nd the TELEGRAFO in n. messnge from Budapest, ~3:'.,t,~ -~-satisfaction at 'Turkey 1s deolaration of neutrality despite the Anglo-·Fronch Alliance~'.-Satisfaction is o.lso felt n.t Yugoslavia's constructive influence regarding the Hungaro-Rounw.nian relc..tions ,-lhich, it is declared, must be regulated before potent accord c011 be reached. Comments from Berlin declarod t hat tbo result of the me0ting was "diametricalJy oppose~~ to that desired by the .:Ulies". The POPOLO DI ROMA., in a Berlin message, .cij;erJ· a denial of the presence of Germans in the foreign legions in Finland, but points out the "significant f'act11 that five special German correspondents have been sent to Finland although none are follorring Russian troops. There are, it is added, onJy 'b.vo German correspondents in Russia. FRA.NCE: PR.:US'.c; I'OR "'i[~\R }.:JNIST'.bb. Is SPE~CH. Mr. Oliver ft:·.nley' s speech has 2..gain been praised in the French Press. The EXCELSIOR f ound it full of common sense and resolution, the JOURNAL said that he spoke like a nu n, the _\CTION FRANCAISZ considered the most excellent pc..s .. age was that which underlined the radical difference between the spirit of Germany £1.nd thc spirit of the ·,;est, and Pra.x in the · PETIT PARISIEN emphasised that the joint power and strength of the Allies vras increased by the importc..nt news r cvee.led by the 3ccrc.:to.ry for War that England's exports re~ched a higher figure in December thc..n in peace-time, which clearJy showed how little effect Hitler's submarine warfare has had. There was a divergence of opinion on the r esults of the Belgrade Conference. On the left the POPllL.'1IR.ii: f ouul that the Balkan :<ente had recovered a cohesion that it seemed to hQVe lost, and that this sub­stantial result wr:..s a positive element of peace , security and independence in the Balkans. The JUSTIC-E pointed to the improvement on the political plane and the strengthening of economic co~,operation as the constructive achievements of the Confer ence. In the E.JCCELSIOR Pays said that Belgrade, 1 Bucharest1 Angora and Athens hid given proof of serenity, confidence and strength. 5-2· l+O. 7 FO R E I GN PRESS REVIEW Page U.S. A: NAZI JUBILATION PREMATURE -U.S. PRESS. There is little foundation for the Gennan belief that the Balkan Entente meeting was a success from the Nazi standpoint. This view is expressed in today's I'fEW YOR"l( Til>lES1 ·which states: "There is no good reason for the jubilation that has come from German. spokesmen over the outcome of the Conference at Belgrade. Troubled waters are necessary for Nazi fishing whether Gennany seeks to win Balkan grain and oil by peaceful intimidation or aggression. Wisely the Balkan states have not supplied Gennany 0r any potential aggressor." Commenting on Herr Hitler's speech, the MI.AMI HERALD stated: "The English studiously refrain from making any loud threats as to what they are going to do. Such language as that used by Hitler is foreign to their programme. At the same time, knowing the English oharacter, we are forced to believe that they are steadily pursu.ing their own plan for the reduction of Germany's sea, air and fighting forces." The neutrals w-·uld do better to throvv in their lot with Britain and France according to the PORTLAND OREGON JOURNAL. This paper add.ed: "The behaviour of Germany and Russia tOi\ards their newly acquired vassals in CentrQl Eur-.pe and on the Baltic should be a warning." The irr.LEVELAND NEWS published extracts from a b:'joklet written by a fonner secretary cf the Y.M.C.A. in Prague. It was stated that the Nazi eystem was tr;Ying to destroy completely all Czech schools and educational establishments. The pamphlet added: "The Nazis have plundered the country and taken over its forests, mines, industries and bc.nkso Tl:.ey are attempting by brute force to Nazify Czech youth by li.enying them education, by shooting the students and by closing the Universities, 11 6L2/40 No. 1. FRENCH OFPICIAL (MORNINQJ. ;' COMMUNIQUE The following officinl communique was issued this morning from French G.H.Q:­ NOTHING TO REPORT. ++++++ ++++ +++++++ 6/2/40.... No. 2. ARMY COMFORTS. Owing to the very generous response by the public to the broadcast and Press appeals last week on behalf of the Army Comforts Fund -over 50~000 parcels have already been received ­it will not be possible to acknowledge all these gifts individually f'or some time. In the meantime the Fund remains open for contributions, which are being distributed to troops at home and overseaso This announcement is made to dispel any concern the public may have that their generous gif'ts have not been received. THE WAR OFFICE, Whitehall, s.w.1~ -----000----­ r GQ~D__g_Qj\_ST -~1ssr911::::,H1 s J.'OQR LOYA~T"Y:_ _Q.:f_TOGOLAND .CHD~F'~. His Excellency the Governor of the Gold Coast 1 Sir Arnold Hodson, Ko Co Mo Go , has just completed a nine days' tour of the Southern Section of Togoland under British Mandate. He penetrated on foot into the mountains of Togoland and into the remotest "bush" villagesc-Everywhere he rrnnt he was accorded a rousing · reception by the chiefs and the people, many of whom ha(l_ come fifty miles to greet him and to assure him of their unsvrerving loyalty to the British Empire a nd His Majesty the Kingo The local hunters and farmers also assembled on the palaver-grmmds to perform their trad.i tional dances in honour of the Governoro Sir Arnold also visited the Lepe~ Settlement at Ho, where he was received by a guard of honour d.rm-rn from the Settlement Scout Troop. He had a long talk ~ith James Carrier, who contracted leprosy while serving as a transport driver with the Gold Coast Regiment i n the East African Campaign of 1916­19180 James, who is totally blind and badly disfigured by leprosy, talked cheerfully about his memories of the last war. +++++++++++++ EMPIRE _4Fj'AIRS It has been obsc:~'"ved. l.cttely by the above of'ficial Comrnittee at the Admi.ralty that several people have w1... i tt0n letters to the :public press stating that there are bases where it seems to be nobocty•s business to look after the cornfor·ts of the men of the Fleet and Auxiliarieso This gives an erroneous idea which is likely t.o hurt the feelings, not only of the many generous donors of comforts and other Gifts to the Navy, but also of the voluntary organisations rrho have worked so hard to distribute them to all vessels employed by the Admi:-alty, Literally hundreds of thousands of gifts compris:_ng garments, games, cigarettes, books, magazines, suee-Cs and food, inclua.ing b oxes of ruit, have already been distributed, and by consultation with the Royal Naval Wai... Comfort s Conrrni ttee as little overlapping as possibJ.e has ensued and no units escape considerationo The vvork, will, of course, be continued till the end of the war, ana_ gifts can be received and distri­ buted in consultati.on with the Actrniralty by the undermentioned voluntary organisations:~ The Depot fo:." Knitted GaPments for the Royal Navy ;· llA West Halkin Street Sc.\V,, lo (Knitted gar~Jents only)o 9 Soldiers and Sailors Help Society, 122 Bromptor:. Road, S"Wo 3. and. all its branches, (Other than knitted garment.s) ~ and all gifts otl1er than perisha"ble goods may be sent to :~ The Navy League, Grand Buildings, Trafalgar Square, V!o Co 2. and all its brancheso The British Legion, Haig House, 26 Eccleston Square, So We lo and all its branches. Daily Sketch War Relief Fund, 144 Piccadilly, Wolo In add.i tion to the above, rnany working parties are contributing to local organisations~ s~veral hundred Dart Boards have been and are being distributed from the Daj_ly Mirror CassaYLdra Fund; Draught Boards "'rom the Reynolds Nervspaper Fund.o The Adr11iralty take this opportunity to thank all those vvho have so generously contributed or given their time towards the making and distri­bution of these welcome giftso Any further enqui ries shoula. be made to the Royal Naval War Comforts Committee 9 Adi11j_ralty$ S.,Wol., but no gifts can "be received at the Admiralty for forwarding~ These s::-iould be sent by post vvhenever possj_ble to the organisations referred to above in parcels of under 15 lbso It is suggested that donors should, if they so desire, attach labels to gifts indicating send-er' s name and. address., +++++++++ 6/2/40 -No. 5. PRESS NOTICE Sinldngs due to enemy action for week ending midnight Sunday/Monday 4th/5th February, 1940. No. T·onna'ge. BRITISH 8 25,069 ALLIED (French) NEUTRAL 6 17,546 14 42,615 BRITISH SINKINGS:-Tonnage. 28th January S/ S 11 ESTON" 1,48729th II S/S "ST.ANBURN" 2',881 30th '' · Tanker 11VACLITE" 5,02630th S/S "BANCREST" 4,450 ·~· 30th II S/S "GIRALDA" 2,17830th tii S/S "HIGHWAVE" 1,1783rd February S/S "ARMAN I STAN II 6,8052nd If, S/S "PORTELET" 1,064 25,069 NOTE:-The · tankers "VOREDA" and "BRITISH COUNCILLOR" have not been included as the sinking of these ships has not yet been verified. NEUTRAL SlliKINGS :­ 27th January S/S "FREDEN SBORG" Danish 2,09428th S/S 11ELEN I STATHATOU" Greek 5,625 !'I 30th " S/S "KERAivIIAI 11 Greek 5,0851st February S/S ''VIDAR" Danish 1,353 11 1st · . S/S ''FRAJ\111 Nor'.-regian 2,760 jj, 3rd II S/S "TEMPO" 629 17,546 Last week was neither a particularly good noP a particularly bad week from the viewpoint of sinkings of Bnitish merchant ships.Eight British ships, of a total tonnage of 25,000 tons, we!'€ sunk by enemy action. It must, however, be remer,changed from time to time. Last Au:~ust 9 :for example 9 VJheat was about 4/3d. per cv.-t; on 9th Sept ember it be come 5/L1d., and since then it ho. s risen to 7/-. Under the old method of estimating the average wheat price over the whole year for the purposes of arriving at the deficiency payment figure , farmers who sold their wh~at early would -be penalised compared with those who are selling now. Therefore there will now be shorter accounting periods, coinciding with periods when there is no marked change in the 'Nheat price, and this will prevent any in~quality of deficiency payment. The Bill provides for a progressive extension by Order, as the situation demands, i f the dates up to which th~ £2 per acre ploughing grant will oe payable. It also takes account of the fact that there is some gr as sland that would not yield a very satisfactory araole crop but would pro~1ce more food i f it were ploughed up and re-seeded so as to carry more stock. Such land will become eligible for the £2 grent 9 subject, of course, to approval by the Viar Agricultural Committees. RECLAI MING . LCST ACRT~S. More Scope for Land Drai nage. New measures with regard to land drainage should add consi derably to Britain's capacity to produce food. Recent Acts have done much to straighten out a tangle of legislation that went back to Henry VIII (some of it even to Magna Carta.) They now 1"nable most of the necessary drainage work to be done, but there were still a few instances whi•h _,XpQrien"e has shown to ne~d further attention, at least from the point of view of wartime food production. There are minor rivers and watercourses where the Cat..hment Board has no exec•J.tive power to get work done and no internal drainage board exists to do it. County Councils, often without drainage experts on their stnf'fs and,burdened with many other wartime tasks, hs.ve in ·some cases found it impossible to carry out the drainage powers vested in thsm. The new legislation, broadly speaking. gives the -Catchment Board power to undertake drainage work, where there , is no other drainage authority throughout its whole area and1, if need be, in adjacent counties, instead of being confined as heretofore to works connected with the arterial rivers. Where there is an I~ternal Drainage Board, the CatchrrentBoard cannot do the actual work but it has the duty of seeing that this work is done. The Catchment Boards can thus take over the work of draining and re-conditiQning minor watercourses for which county ~ouncils have been responsible, and will, with the consent of the local authorities concerned, be enabled to undertake work outside their own area. The Government will pay 50 per cent of the cost of each drainage scheme and the remainder will be paid by the landovmers concerned, who may distribute these capi·tal payments over a maximum limit of 5 years in equal annual instalments. It is estimated that there· are over· 200,000 acres of land urgently in need of land drainage for which there is no drainage authority at all or none but a catchment Board. ~ In these instances the Board would previously take no action because it is a question of minor drainage work and before this Bill the Board could only undertake worlt on its 11ina'in river." If the County Councils were unable to act, it meant that this land could not be drained at all. Many thousands of acres of land are in need of mole-drainage to put them into good heart and in such cases also the Government will bear 50 per cent of the cost, the remainder being paid by the occupier. The total cost of mole-drainage is estimated at from 15/-to £3 per acre and the Government's contribution is limited to £1 per acre. Uncultivated Land~ For want of drainage, but for various other reasons also, there are many thousands of once fertile acres that have 4. gone out o.f cultivation .. The natio::.-1 certainly cannot ar:rord t o lwve rrereJ.j.ct bores in vmrtime.. ·rne Coun ty War Agricultur-al_.. Executi".fe Cn1~;:1i t tean 3lrerdy have powers to take possession of' such l a11d wi.th the M:2nister's consent as well as l and that is not beine cuJ. ti vated in accordance with the rules of good husbandry. The Committees may .find a suitable tenant in these instances or they may farm the land under their own direction. But considerable expenditure may be needed to bring land of this class back into proper use and no tenant would be very eager to come forward i 1~ he fe 1 t tfj.a t he might have to vacate the land just as his labours were likely to be rewarded. Nor would it be right that the state should be deprived of the opportunity of recouping the expenditure made on i tR behalf•. 'l'he County Committees , 'therefore, will be empowered to retain possessi on of such land for a per·iod up to three years after the end of the war. When the land i s given up, the owner can be called upon to pay a sum eq_ua1 to the improvement in the l .and' s value as a result of the money sl?ent in .farming it. Another useful pr ovisi on in the Bill is one that will enable owners of land thi:.;.t is not now used for agricultural purposes, or is not let under an ordinary agricultural contract, to be let for ar able cultivation for a period up to four years without entailing any obligation on the owner to pay compensation­.for disturbance or improvements at the end o.f the letting. The tenant for his part will be f ree to crop the land without fear of a claim for "dilapidations". MORE PEED PROM FA...'RMS . Taking the Silo to the Crop. Ensilage is coming into its own as an aid to solving the feeding problems of stock farmers. The practical results obtained in this direction by two Dorse tshire farmers, Messrs. c.G~ Purchase and R.S. Vine of Little Canford, are worth putting on record. 5. They began ensilage in 1938. In the f'ull year 1938-39, without additional labour or any upsetting of their farm routine, they were able to make the same 173 acres of grassland produce extra home-grown foods equivalent in feeding value to 30 tons of dairy cake, worth over £240 at pre-war price. This was achieved by making silage out of surplus summer grass, that would otherwise have gone to waste, and from the rich young grass of late autumn -a total of 140 tons. They used the molasses method with a portable silo equipment that can be bought even to-day for £25. Its mobility adds to its economy, for it is obviously cheaper to take the silo to the crop than the crop to. the silo. The molasses (ordinary feeding treacle diluted with 50 per cent. water) are sprayed or watered on the grass, which is packed into the silo load by load, at the rate of roughly 30 lb. solution per ton of grass. The smaller silos hold about 20 tons. Messrs. Purchase and Vine estimate the over-all cost of silage at 10/-per ton excluding rent and fertilisers. They have found that silage-making has many advantages. It can be done in any weather fit for men to work out of doors. It has improved their pastures and the health of their herd. It has made them more independent and saved them money. They still feed a little ~ake in their rations, but they are confident that in any emergency they could rely entirely upon silage. THE COTTAGER 1 S PIG Yorkshire Shows The Way Yorkshire has prided itself on its pig-keeping since the day when Joseph Tuley and his wife starved themselves that their pig might live in luxury. Thus this humble Keighley weaver founded the famous Large White breed, ninety years ago. But Mrs. A.P.A. Shaw of Sutton-on-the-Forest, York, has been showing that it is neither necessary to starve oneself or the pig to produce pork or bacon from the residue of the household. 6. 0I have al vmys kept pi gs on cc i·aps fr-om the house and garden refuse surplus", she writes, 11 :::;.nrl :foun'.3 tl:1cm an economic al proposition. I usually get f1'om t·..:o to L1ur sto1·cs und. keep them fr om ei ght to tvv'el vo months wit hout any meal. Then tho local butcher buys them at about £4 to £4.15 .o each, a profit of over 100 per cent. 11 "When I was in charge of a hos-pital during the last war I carried out the same procedure. The soldi ers looked after them and often won prizes at the local mart. 0 LIQUID MANUR~ Natural Fertiliser ~09 Valuable to Waste Much of the liquid manure produced on our farms is de~tined, by modern drainage, for the sea. Yet it is one of the finest of all top-dressings f or kale and other quick-growing nrops, it promotes an early bite of grass, and is highly beneficial to arable land. Liquid manure is also particularly rich in potash, a fertiliser not now so easily obtainabl e in artificial form as at normal times. Next to its potash-creating efficiency comes its richness in nitrogen. But it does not contain must phosphate. Less use is made of it in this country than on the Continent, largely on account of the general inconvenience of applying it at the right time, to its demands on labour and to the expense of liquid manure tanks and distributing carts. But its importance, espeeially in war-time, is so great that it is worth making any possible effort to overcome these difficulties. Undiluted, it is too strong for direct application to grassland; it should be mixed with about an equal volume of water. Even so, to prevent scorching of the herbage it is safer to apply it in showery weather -about 2,000 gallons of the diluted mixture per acre. If the grass thus treated is not eaton down but left for hay, rather coarse herbage will result unless a proper balance is achieved by the addition of slag or superphosphate. 7. • It could. be used :far more frec::uently than it is on arable land, particularly on bare land, inte11ded for roots or leafy green crops . Dilution is less necessa~y in this case . li1U.RES 'liffY PR UJ3I1.21·1~S --..-·uocoo··-----...-...-.-­ There are fashions in trees as vvell as in women 1 s clothes . The last century witnessed the not very successful attempt "to grow oak in mixture i,vith Scots pine. .f~bout 30 yea::.s ago Douglas fir was introduced :from A."'D.erica. It showed a rap id rate of· t:,r owtJ.1 and attained an exce:pti on'il volm.1e per acre. It ~as thought to be the solution to everyone 1s problem, and was widely pl dnted en all types of soil. :Nm~: that rnore i:.3 known abnut the species, it is relegated to stiff soils only, and avoided if a pheasant covert is the s.in:;. . l•iore recently larch has coma into 1'avour 9 ·.i.ild tl'ie tendency is still to plant it regardless of soil suita~ility. Uncloubte6.ly a very valuable S:?ecies, attaining a greater value per acre than other conifers, it produces thinnin~a of use for fencing, pergola work ~nd pitprops . Larch is one of the 0 ost particular species so far a.s soil itl concerned. Ths :'.Eur opean variety is suited only to a sandy loam of the type that carries lush braclrnn, or to a heavier loa!1~ if of agricultural quality. The Japsnese larch has a wider soil range , though it is an inferior tree . lt is suited to the 1 it,1~ter soils, where he;1ther is mixed. with tlB bracken, '.:Lnd to neavieY-s0ils, Vl'here br&,nbles intrude . To-day we hP.a.r much about the hybrid l .:i,rct., secured by a cross ~etween t he two apecies. Little is known of the soil requirements of this new type , nor ;·;_as one been brought to the saw. The probability is · th,_1t it is an i.r.;.termeliate :forCl, and certainly it is not sa,fe to assume, as is 3ai d in som.e qudrters, that it is the only forest tree worth planting to-day. 8. 6/2/40 No. 8. ULSTER'S Il~DUSTRUAL SWITCH-OVER "Our resources, UJ1impairecls are already . in action and are being developed to the full in furtheringthe effort in which the United IC ingdom and :empire are engaged", declares I'.r. J. Uilne Barbour, (Northern Ireland Minister of C~11rnerce) in the annual Northern Ireland trade review. "Under the rnle of v.rar our national life is undergoing a far-reaching change", he states. "'.I'he time is past when, for exarnple, the linen industry could look to the home market for consuI11ers of its gr~odso Now we are obliged to renounce that market in favour of work on Government requirements and the development of the export trade. "Reluctantly 17e have had to suspend many of our activities devoted to developing new aspects of the industrial life of Northern Ireland. But we have found some compensation in the demand for certain types of war­time products which the Province is especially suited to supply. . The establishrnent by the Ministry of Supply of a Northern Irel8I1d Area Org8I1isation is a welcome sign of the import8I1ce attached to our efforts. "Our productive capacity is still as great as ever 8I1d our peo:ple are willing and eager". EMPIRE AFFAIRS .§/2/40 -No.9. BUILDING SOCIETIES . AMENDING THE LAvV IN NOR'THERN IRELAND. The Building Societies Bi l l which will come before the Northern Ireland House of Commons for second reading on February 13th., is intended to bring tt1e law relating to building societies in Northern Ireland in line with the law in Great Britain. It deals with such matters as the security taken foi'.' advances by building societies, the payment of commissions in connection with the business of those societies, and the liability of persons concerned in building society administration. A schedule to the Bi l l sets out seven classes of additional security which may be taken into account in determining the amount of advances to members o The Bill contains provisions substantially similar to those contained in the Act of 1939 passed by the Imperial Parliament. If the Bill is passed it wi l l come into operation on July 1st, 1940, and the law governing building societies 9 and also the powers of such societies, wi l l then be substantially uniform over the United Kingdom. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. t he The following Secretary to announcement the Ministry of Trans~)ort makes ·­ Roa.Q_Vehicl~_:___New Re_gistrations. The number of mechanically-propelle d road vehicles registered for the first time in Great Britain during the month of :December 1939 was 9,595 compared with 35,181 in Dece:r:iber J. 938 . 1~he figures for the several clasBes were : ­ De script ion . 1939 .Cars t a~ec±--2.!l hor~-:QOW§.J.'. Exe. Not - exc. 10 H.P. 3,404 10 15 Ii 1 ;045 15 20 II 126 20 25 II 36 25 30 II 42 30 -ti 15 1938 16,985 6,538 1,317 604 405 168 Miscellaneous l 1 ---···--------+--------­ 26, 018 T_otaJ. 4,668 '----- ·---­ Cycles 707 2,178 ----+---------·~-­ Hackne,.,Y:.? Exe. Not exc, 8 seats. 8 40 II 40 II Tracto:t:.1'.2 Agricultural Showmen's -Other total Agricultural _Engjzi_~_i?_. ( 5/ -claq s ) . Exempt Government owned Other Q.2.Qds Agricultural vans and Lorries Showmen1 s Special Vehicles Local .Authorities (Watering and Cleansing) Other Goods Vehi~les Weight Unladen. Exe. No t exc. 12 cwts. 12 cwts. 2~ tons . 5 2~ tons. If ! 41 267 37 77 233116 ---· --·--------------·-·------­ 577194 1---------··· !---·------­ 17 6 16 14 33 20 652 175 -----------+--------·----­295 510 131 99 -----------~-----------­ 609426 ---·-------+---·-------­ 89 10 61 11 ---~--------~----------­ 491 19055 2,058 4,099 307261 5 II 34 43 2,844 5,504 Total, Other Goods Vehicles. _,..... .....- .......................----· ....-..--·.....--------­ l 9,595 35,181 g_rari.d, Tot al~ I ··­ Ministry of Transport, Metropole Buildings,Northum·berland Av enue, London9 W.C.2. 6th February, 19400 ( ~ •:: !' '' \ \ ...L..U -.J. ·........ I The War Office, London, s.Yl.1. 6th February, 1940. The War Office announces that His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the underme.ntioned awards for gallant and distinguished services in action in connection with recent operations :­ The Military Cross Captain Francis Peter Barclay~ The Royal Norfolk Regiment. The Military Medal. Lance-Corporal Herbert Arthur Davis, The Royal Norfolk Regiment. Captain Francis Peter Barclay was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and coolness when acting as patrol leader on night patrol. Captain Barclay led his patrol far into the enemy lines, and secured valuable information. His patrol entered, and searched, a house; and then continued the reconnaissance as far as an embanlanent. On their return, the patrol, fired at by the enemy, took cover in a ditch. Captain Barclay, realising that the enemy were working round the flanl{s of his patrol, which had exhausted its bombs and ammunition, withdrew it, under fire, but without loss, to our lines. ---·-·­ Lance-Corporal Herbert Arthur Davis was awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery and coolness when on night patrol. Lance-Corporal Davis assisted the leader of his patrol to search a house. Later, when the patrol came under enemy fire, he displayed great determination, and indifference to dan.ger, thereby setting a fine example to the rest of the patrol. 6/2/40 -No 12. GOLD COAST "MAMMIE" SOLVES THE WAR PROBLEM. HITLER NEEDS A MUSICAL BOX. "If Hitler had had a wife 9 piccins, and a musical box there would have been no war"; declared a 11mammie" tending a stall in the market of Tarkwa, the chief centre of the ri6h gold-fields of the Western Province of the Gold Coast. This is her simple solution of Europe's war problems . EMPIRE AFFAIRS• .. +++++++++ I _i. .... • :· ~. ' -• ~ • ~ j .... .... "'" • • ~.. . .. • ' "' ... ' ­ r7 The War Office, London,, S,. YJ.1. 6th February, 1940. EMPLOYMENT OP RLSERVE OFFICER PERSONNEL. The w·~.r Office makes the following annow.J.cement regardin~~ the situation of Reserve Officers with reasons for the delay in notifying individuals as to their prospect of' future employment. Broadly s~eaking the position is as follows:­Regular Army Reserve of Officers:­All off icers whose services are likely to be r e11uir•ed within six months have been notified. Territorial Army Re_?.erve .Q_fficers :­Infantry Offtcers: Nearly all whose services are li;cely to be required within six months have ~een noti:fied. Other Arms ( exc_e.tl._Ro;yal Artille.£Ll.; All notified with a few exceptionso Royal Artillery: Twenty five per c.ent already notifiedo Another fifty per cent may expect to receive t heir notificatton within the next few days. It is this cat egory which has been the last for interview by the boards and in reeard to which complaints ho.ve recently appeared regarding clarification of their position. It m~st be remembered that membership of OoE.R. is extremely laree and the members presenting themselves before the boards have been correspondingly numerous. Nevertheless, seventy f ive per cent of .th® total already examined and interviewe:i have been reported on and it has been necessary for the boards to complete their reports before members can be re-divisi oned into thei:r r espe·.!tive clas'._;e::" as follows:­ (1 ) Likely to be required within 3 rr. c;~. ~.t.:b.s. () 11 !I II II II 6 If 2 (3) Unlikely to be required for over 6 months, if at all. This /I 2. This is an enormous task, and one which is being carried out fully and with great care in fairness to all concerned. It must be remembered that although the number who might be classed in the highest group may be high, the nuraber of anticipated vacancies occurring within three months may be small. Therefore, if letters were sent out irnr11ediately the report of a board was received, the vacanies in the highest group would quickly be filled, possibly at the expense of as good or better men, whose intePvie11v was conducted at a later date. Wnen all boards have finally reported, there should be little delay in the issue of letters. Extra staff has been provided to accelerate action. 6/2/40. -No. 14. The I:-Iip.ister of Food announces that under the Food Documents (Fees) Order, 1940, which comes into force at once, a fee of one shilling will be charged for replacing a ration book., ration card. or other ration document that has been defaced, destroyed or lost. In the case of a licence to sell by retail or a certificate of registration of an establishment, the fee for replacement will be ten shillings and sixpence. Local Food Control Committees to whom application tor replacement should be made have power in a case of hardship to remit the fee in whole or in part. MINISTRY OF FOOD .. Press Not i.£Q.:. •• I."'-• • WALTHA~.I ABBEY \"OPJ<:ERS HONOURED . H.M. the King has approved the grant of the medal of the Order of the BI'itish Empire, Civil Division, for Gallantry (E~G.•M.) to Leo Francis O'Hagen Stanley William Sewell William George Sylvester explosive workers (first grade), Royal Gunpowder Factory, Waltham Abbey 9 Essex. Following announcement of tho awards in the London Gazette, tonight (6th Februnry~ 1940) an official statement from the Ministry of Supply, v1hore tho men were rccc ivcd and congratulated by the ilinistor, Mr. Leslie Burgin, said: Although they might ho.vc sought safety for themselves, the throe men honoured by H.7.1 . the !Ung remained steadfastly at their posts, within a short distance of the centre of the explosion at the Royal Gunpowder Factory, Waltham Abbey, on January 18th., and continued determinedly with work which exposed thorn to acute danger for some hours. At the time of the explosion, Hr. W.G. Sylvester was engaged in the work of purifying nitroglycerine in a washing house within 100 yards of the centre of tho explosion. Half tho roof and tho greater part of tho walls of tho washing house were torn away by the force of the explosion. Hot water and air services, essential to safe completion of the process in which he was engaged, wore cut off~ More than a ton of nitroglycerine was exposed to tho possibility of freezing and detonation, Aware of the danger, . Hr. Sy:j.vo stor continued at work until hot water and air soryi_ccs v-wro restored, tho whole charge was processed and tho nitro~lycerine was brought to a safe, stable condition. Messrs. L, O'Hagon and S.W. Sewell wore engaged, in a building 150 yards from the centre of the explosion, on the nitration of glycerine -a critical stage in tho process of manufacture. Hero, again, tho building in which the men worked was seriously damaged and hot water and air services were cut off. More than 1,000 lbs of nitroglycerine were under process and in n dangerous state of instability. These men, too, remained at their posts until services were restored, and work on tho charge \Vas safely completed. Mr. Sylvester is 25 years of ago. Ho entered the Factorj 3 years ago. Mr. O' Hagcn is 25 and entered the Factory in June 1936. Mr. Sewell, who is 33, has boon employed at the Factory since April 1936. All throe men live at Enfield. By their courage, discipline and determination, these throe men ung_uestionably prevented tho explosion from spreading and saved alik8 destruction of buildings with vital stores and the lives of their f ollow workers. A letter to each of the throe men from Mr. Burgin says-:­ "I am very happy to be o.ble to congratulate you on the O.'~tard of the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (the Empire Gallantry 1-iledal) which the King has conferrod on you for the part which you played in the recent unfortunate explosion at the Royal Gunpowder Fnctory , \ilal tham Abbey. 1iAs the Minister resi1onsible for the Royal Ordnrmce Factories, I should like to express my personal appreciation of your gallantry and devotion to duty, and it gives me great pleasure that His Majesty has so signally recognised your action in granting this high award. 11 MinistPy of Supply , Press Office 9 Adelphi, IH.c.2. 6 February, 1940• RELE!.SED FOR PUBLICATION AFTER 9.30 P.M. 6/2/40 -No.17. ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 1940. MEM TO SUB-EDITORS~ AS THIS SCRIPT IS BEING ISSUED IN ADVANCE, IT IS NECESSARY TO CHECK IT AGAINST THE ACTUAL BROADCAST IN THE B.B.C. HOME SERVICE (391 or 449 METRES) AT 9.15 p.m. THIS (TUESDAY) EVENING. THE NEW ZEALAHD CENTENNIAL: AN EXCH.AJ~GE OF GREETINGS BETWEEN THE PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND, the Rt.HON.M.J. SAVAGE, and the Rt.HON.ANTHONY EDEN, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS. THE NEW ZEALAND CENTENNIAL Rt.Hon. One hundred years ago New Zealand became a British Settle­ M.J.Savage ment and organised colonisation began. Today it is a self­governing dominion, as c~saly attached to the Motherland as ever before. I am glad of this opportunity to greet the people of the United Kingdom and to tell them something about the celebrations of New Zealand's first century of organised settle­ment. We are pleased that others are joining us in commemorating the achievements of our first hundred years, and in particular that His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom has been kind enough to send so distinguished a representative as the Marquess of Willingdon. We in New Zealand know how much Lord Willingdon has done in an active career to promote the interests of the Dominions and to strengthen the bonds of unity throughout the British Conunonwealth of Nations. I may also mention that the British Government is playing an effective part at the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition in Wellington. There it had a magnificent display, centering around the history and progressof British transport in all phases throughout the King's realms and is proving an inspiration to our people. Some may recall, though with full understanding of the circumstances, that a hundred years ago the British Government did not greatly want to annex New Zealand, but they were some­what hurried into this action by several weighty factors; these included, of course, the determination of that great colonial reformer, Edward Gibbon Wakefield and his associates,to colonise the country on a systematic plan. The British Government accordingly commissioned Captain William Robson, Royal Navy, to proclaim British sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand, or over any part of it, but only with the consent of the Maoris. So on February the 6th, 1840, one hundred years ago, the first Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi at the Bay of Islands. On that historic occasion the welfare of the native race in New Zealand was the spirit and aim of British policy; today, the wefare of the Maori is no whit behind that of any other citizen. The Treaty of Waitangi has always been regarded as the Charter of the Maori Race; certainly the treaty did not prevent wars between the Europeans and some of the Maori tribes. Those conflicts represented temporary friction, but, and this is what really matters, the wounds of either side did not fester, and they have healed long ago. Today the principles of the Treaty are honoured, both in the spirit and in the letter of the pact. The Maori is equal with the European, enjoys full political rights, sits in Parliament, and has sat in the Cabinet; he is eligible for all professions, and he plays games with the Pakeha, as the European has always been called. The Maori's loyalty to the British throne is staunch; he fought side by side with his white brother in the World War and is enlisting eagerly for service in the present conflict. -2 ­ So this year in New Zealand vm celebrate the centennial of annexation by consent of the native~ population, of the establishment of British Government, and of the beginning of organised settlement. Now the organisation of our earliest settlement vvas not without its hazardous aspect. For the New Zealand Company despatched settlers to New Zealand before it had the assurance that it could obtain land or that British sovereignty would be proclaimed. These adventurous, hardy men and women embarked on the voyage of twelve thousand miles in small ships, bound for a future that for sober folk was full of uncertainty and danger; but this rashness was justified by events. Difficulties there certainly were, but these presented themselves as obstacles to be surmounted with all possible speed. · The settlements founded by the company and those which bore the impress of its ideas rapidly grew in prosperf;:;;y ,.~ Wellington, Nelson, TaranUki, Otago, Canterburyo From these and other separate isolated communities a mtion has been built.. There are over one million, six hundred thousand European New Zealanders, and nearly ninety thousand Maoriso The country has a record of material achievement, of which it may well be proud; it e::-::ports in one year goods worth approximately sixty million pounds. New Zealanders have built ro ads and railroads all over the country; they have establishod secondary industries alongside the primary industry of pastoral and agricultural production; they have provided education for everybody, and have enacted a large growing body of social and industrial legislation, designed to protect wage-earners and to raise the standard of living, to open the doors of opportunity and generally to counteract the effect of personal misfortune and social economic ineq_uality. Nevil Zealand is developing a culture of its own, influenced, undoubtedly, by Maori history and lore" It proved its nationhood when it sent more than one hundred thousand sold.ier3 toserve in the World War of 1914-18, and today again it is in arms side by side with the Mother Country. We New Zealanders look back therefore to 1840 with feelings of pride and gratitude. What was done in 1840 has moulded our hist".Jry. It ·was decided then that New Zealand should be a British country, and New Zealand has remained, not only a British Dominion bu~ overwhelmingly British in origin and sentiment. We are British in family, in political practice and constitution, in literary associations and in ways of life and thought; but we balieve, that, while this tie with Britain docs not weaken as the years pass, we are building up in this most remote of Dominions our own political, social and economic ideals, and we are erecting within the family, a nation with a mind, a culture and a heritage of its own. On this our hundredth birthday 9 bound by this double allegiance, we greet Britain, our Motherland and the Mother of Nations. 3 In reply~ I!ir. Anthony Eden, the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs~ said:­ I am grateful to the Prime Minister of New Zealand for the generous message of greeting which he has just sent uso . It is my privilege to express to you in return, on behalf 9f His Majesty's Governifient and o:i:' the people of this country, our warmest congratulati ons and good wishes on the occasion of the Centenary Celebrations of New Zealando In t imes of peace many visitors would have come to you i n New Zealand from this country and from elsewhere in the Brmtish Commonwealth to join in your celebrations, and as Dominions Secretary I had hoped to come myselfn War has made that impossible, but we are honoured that Lord Wil1ingdon should have cons(jnted to add one aore chapter to his great record of Empire service in und0rtaking a 1.ong journey by air in. order to be with you and to represent the Government and people of Great Britaino Nevv Zealanc:l is always sure of a special place in the aff'ection and admiration of us all here at home,,. But to-day that affection and admiration have becor.i.e visible l inxs t hat unite us when for the second time in a quarter of' a century we are f'acing together the challenge of an aggressor and the perils of waro In this struggle in which we are engagbd together, ~e are not fighting to gain either territory or• wealth, but to win for nations everywhere the po·ssibility of true progress in freedom of mind and spirito If the Nazi system vvere to tr:i urnph~ the libe1'ties of every nation would be in jeopardy. Nowhere wi 11 this be better understood than in New Zealando \!Vhen we look back on the hundred years of the Dominion's history vve can see plainJ.y from her own hnpp;y-and successful experience that without such freedom there can be no enduring peace, and, indeed, no enduring life either for ne.tions or indi vidualsc That is vvhy, 9 at the outbreak of wa2, t 1:1ere was no doubt in the mind of the people of New Zeo.].andc 'rhDy understood~ as f rom their own history and tradition they were certain to do, that war had been declared because there was no alternative if the world was to be freed from the ultimate domination of evil o Our enemies have been active i n propaganda and fertile in confident ~uggastions that with the outbrGak of war the British Commonwealth would collapse i n ruin" The links that bound us together seemed to them so frail that a crisis 9 they thought, must finally burst them asunder~ They didn1 t understand that in our greater freedom lay our greater strengthc The truth is, of course, that the British Commonwealth, whi ch is essentially an association of free peoples, is the very ant~thesis of the Nazi system and its aim of world domination. Free co-operation and not forced subjection is our methode That is why the unity of the British Empire at this hour is of such immense significance in world hL.:-;tory, for that unity has brought us not only mate1..ial aid, but spiritual strength also" As Robert Bridges expressed it so well twenty-five years ago:­ 11 'l'hat f airest· earthly f ame, the fame of Freedom, is inseparable from the names of Albion, Britain, England: 1 t hti~ gone out to America and the Antipodes, hqllc·vv-i nr; the :v1mes of Canada, Australia/ .. .u. ­ Auet.ra,1ia, and New Zeal a::-d: it has found a new home in Africa: and this heritage is our glory and happinesso 11 Those words ar e as true to--day as when they were written, and in their t ruth i s t he assurance of ultimate victory. At this moment, r:h ~n the thoughts of the people of this country turn to New Zealand w:.th affection and pride, those feelings are enhanced by our gratitude for the great contribution that New Zealand is mak:~:1g to the war effort of the Allies. At the very outset t~i0 New Zealand Government placed at the disposal of the Admiralty HoMoS. "Achilles", of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. No need for me to t17 to describe to you to-night the gal:ant part she played in the battle with the 1rGraf SpeeH ~ On land New Zealand is making a parallel effort. The first echelon of about 79 000 men which has been raised for service overseas has alr•eady completed its training and is now ready to take up its duties in any t heatre of war where its presence may be neededQ Further echelons are being trained to follow on. At the outbreak of vmr the New Zealand Gover-.ament offered to place at our disposal all officers and men of the Royal New Zealand Air Fo?Jce who Pere in this country, and also bombers of the late st t l' ?e whi ch i.,7ere due to be delivereO.. from this country to New Zea:'.!. and,, We accepted this offer rd th gratitude, and a New Zealand squadron i s now in process of being formed hereo New Zealand is playi.ng a notable part in the vast Empire Air Training Scheme by unc1eiJt aking the training of a large number of pilots, observers and air gunnerso It is 001 immense encouragement to us also to hear that the Royal New Zealand Air Force is already over four times its peace-time strength, and we know that this r emar kable expansion is only a beginning•. It is indeed expected that within fifteen months air personnel in New Zealand will again have been d8ubled and the number of New Zealand airmen serving overseas will have been nearly trebled. Here is indeed splendid practical proof of New Zealand's realization of the immens ity of the effort needed to bl"ing victory. It is also a measure of her convintion of the justice of ~he Allies1 c auseo Nor i s this all. In the ranks of our existing Air Force are many pilots from overseas and we shared the pride that New Zealand must have f elt at the achi evements of her pilots when we heand that two of the firs t mem'bers of the Royal Air Force to be decorated during the war were New Zeal anders.. In this as in so many other spheres New Zeal and has alre$.dy shown by the valour of her sons t hat she is but 1 ding a f1Jture greater even than her past has beeno J_,et me again 9 on behalf of this countr~r , thank the Prime I1inister of New Zealand for hi s message of greeting. The people of New Zea1 and may be s'Ure that our congratulations on their Centenary are heartfelt and sincere~ VVi th them go our best wishes for their happin ess and our prayers that they may be sustained in the trials which are inseparable from the great ta~k to which together Yre have s et our hands. _.-...._,____............ .§~40 ____ .. N_o_o_1_8__ NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE MORNING PAPERS OF WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7tho NOT TO BE ISSUED ON CLUB TAPES, OR BROADCAST BEFORE 7 aoI!k ON l!'EBRUARY 7thc, Within a couple of miles of the British Army's front lines three hundred turbaned Indians and the 400 army mules they brought from the Punjab are toiling to bolster U18 co'.Jbl8d roads for real wartime trafficc In the cold spell just past the Punjaoi wore the woollen cap-comforter of khaki, the regular arm;y issue in India and next thing to the French-Canadian toquen But now they are "back again to the trim turbans they call-pagris -each made of nine yards of khaki cloth. These hardy soldiers can stand the cold, for the temperature is a s exi:;reme j_n the Punjao as in the north of France~ out in idle moments they crmvd chatteri:1g ar ound. their· camp :fires just as working t ommies steal moments to crowd arolmd a glea-rn:i.ng orazierei The mules and their J32 all·-met::il. carts ar e used for h::iuling cement, sand.bags, gun smmuni tion and am;nunition boxes and all sorts of trench stores,, They are just the thing for packing orush-·wood used for revetting ti-•anches and anti-tank ditcheso The carts came all the way from India , knocked down. They are two-wheel ed a1'fairs which fold up like a collapsiole go-cart, but can carry a burden of almost half-a-tono The mules may be used for packi ng as well a hauling to save the use of motor transport on smaller tasks which scarcely justify the necessary expenditure of g~H:0l.ine" Their pack saddles are fitted with a swivel attachment which may be connected vvi th the wagon-pole of the two-mule cart~ -2 ­ "We have no trouble at all over the fact that these troops virtually all do NOT understand English", said the English major of the Royal Indian Army Service C.orps who is in charge. "They are extremely clever at picking up ideas, and once they become acquainted with the various points and the general location of this part of the country, they will be quite at home". By coincidence there are a numoer of officers in this area who have served for many years in the Indian Army, but actually there are only two British officers and one British warrant officer in the Indian mule company. Six officers are native Indians,, one of whom] Risaldar Muhd,, Hussain, was in France in the last war, coming out as a Sepoy in 1914. The Punjabi are Mohanrrnedan and they brought their own padre or maulvi. They brought along also a supply of atta, or coarse· ground oatmeal from which they make ehupattis, leather-like biscuits somewhat in the shape of pancakes. They cover these with turkhari, a highly-spiced stew of vegetables and meats. The only meat these Mohannnedans eat is goat or sheep, though the French variety is not banned. When this co!'respondent visi.ted the rruleteers a lonely, sad-looking sheep was tethered in the corner of a barn looking much like a fat turkey on Thanksgiving eve. The Indians brought their own butcher t•) kill the meat with a short ceremony called_ Halal. Five times a day prayer is held and between times the Punjabi bustle about as if they figured a Germen attack might be making for the morrow. They seem always busy except in those luxurious moments when they pause for a 11 a..rag11 at the ever-smoking hookah or water-pipe kept available day and night. EMPIRE AFFAIRS ~.fpo. -No.19. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE MORNING PAPERS OF WEDFESDAY, FEBRl[A_fl~C~ft'h."'-·NOT TO ~:c·_-If:rsu:cD OH CL~ TAPES 2 OR BRO~Q:~s·T BEFORE 7__ 8:,~]2}.•_. _91'1_.J':'~BRUARY 7th. THE BLACKOUT. The blackout in the French village is the most baffling of all the blackouts this side of the Rhine tor the traveller who scorns to carry a flashlight. Aboard the troopships bound from Canad.a to England in December the blackout was one hundred percent perfect­a lighted cigarette on c1-ecl<: brought a v--rarning signal fro:m accompanying Yvarships. But ship decks follow an accepted plan and it is easy to get about blindfolded. In London the blackout i allied w'i th freg_uent fog, is depressing and e;sre-tiring, but it still is comparatively easy to get about with the glow of passing traffic lights and the will-o'-the-wisp guide of the tiny 11 starlights" recently approved. In Paris the blackout is as free and eas;sr as the Parisian folk, with street lights a bit dim but store windovrs aglare and street-cars sometimes darkened, sometimes not. It is about as strict as in Halifax. But the ~easants retire early in the villages along the British front line, and the lights go out. The winding streets become a darkened maze with deep gutters, silent sentries and gnarled roadside trees to test the directional instinct of the wayfarer • . The safest plan is to car1;y a torch, as they say in London, or a 11pile", as the villagers say. ---·--000----~ EMPIR"IJ; AFFAIRS 6/2/40 -No 21. ULSTER TO HAVE A 'R~GIONAL ORGANISATION .QE_!HE MINISTRY OF SUPPLY. -­ Lord Craigavon announced in the Northern Ireland Parliament todaJr that Mr. Burgin, Minister of Supply, had consented to pay a visit to No rthern Ireland shortly to inaugurate a regional organisation of the Ministry of Supply. It was hoped that with the establishment of this organisation in Ulster still greater use would be made of the capacity of the province in the production of supplies for the prosecution of the War. It was intended that Mr. Burgin would meet local captains of industry to discuss problems with them. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. +++++++++++ 6/2/40 ­ OLD AGE PEN3IONERS, -NORTHERN IRELAND. It was announced in the Northern Ireland Pa~liament this afternoon that in keeping with their policy of maintaining the social services on the same footing as those in Great Britain, the Government proposed to promote legislation giving Old Age Pensioners in Northern Ireland the same benefits as was proposed to be given to those in Great Britain. The age limit would be reduced to 60 for the pa~nent of old age ~ensions to t hose women who are insured in their own rights 1 and to the wives of contributory pehsioners who had reached the age of 65 years. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. No,22. 6/2/40 -No.23. CHIEF CENSOR VISITS PARIS. .Sir Walter Monckton, K. C., the Director-General of the Press and Censorship Bureau, will visit Paris on Thursday next~ the 8th February, to consult with the French authorities on Censorshi}'· Later Sir \'falter will visit G •.H, Q. of the B •.E.F. and ac11uaint himself with the problems of Censorship in the Field. PRESS BUREAU. 6/2/40 -No. 24 FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNPWE (EVENING). Paris, Tuesday1 February 6th~ 1940. The following official communique was issued this evening from French G.H. q .: ­ LOCAL ACTIVITY OP. oun. PAT::COLS IN 'l'HE REGION r1'0 THE n;::;s·r OF THE SAAR. · ----000----­ The War Office, London, S. W.1. 6th February, 1940. The War Office announces that His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned award for gallant and distinguished services in action in connection with recent operations:­ THE MILITARY CROSS Captain Michael Edwards Ovans, Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army. On the 14th November, 1939, Captain Ovans was sent up with his company to reinforce a detach.ment of another Regiment. On arrival he tool-c over part of the :front, qrganized a covering party for the wounded, and later took over the duty of detachment Commander. By this time there had been several casualties on the right flank -and an0ther company of Gurkha Rifles had come up tJ join Captain Ovans' cormnand. Darkness was rapidly approaching and Captain Ovans, displaying great energy and power of comraand, organized a defensive position, and thereby enabled the casualties to be evacuated. Under heavy fire, he exposed himself freely, .· giving orders to the platoon commanders of his own company, and also of the other whose commander had become a casualty. Although darkness had fallen and his command was surrounded by the enemy, he eventually succeeded in withdrawing all troops including casualties; a difficult operation in which he displayed skill, leadership and courageo