FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS RECEIVED . BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION No. 37 .................?9:-P.h~:.f.~Q~~!:Y.............., 1940 U.S.A• . MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S SPEECH COMP.ARED WITH "HITLERI.AN BOMBAST" A eomparison is drawn in today's New York Press between the tone of Mr. Chamberlain's speech and that of the German Fuehrer, which is described as "Hitlerian bombast. " The NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE wr:htes: "We can only sense again that in Hitler's speech there are neither principles nor the type ·of mind to which ·· h future Europe could be entrusted without certain misery and catastrophe. Mr. Chamberlain's speech is not a peace plan, but it is a modest basis for such a peace as might be practically put together. "If, in a ~omen~ of internal crisis, the Gennan anny 'should step in and th~ow th~ Nazis out bf office and offer to make a rational settle­ment, there is no hint of any similarly rational and human attitude behind the Hitleriah bbmbast. One need only compare the two speeches td kno\l, wher~ lies the better ohandes for Europe and the world." The NEW YORK TIMES declares: "One of the most interesting developments in war diplorna~y is that Hitler apparently now feels it necessary to reply to Mr. Chamberlain whenever the latter speclcs. It is as if the Fuehrer feared that the British Premier's words were somehow getting through to Germany despite the elaborate precautions taken to keep them out. It is as though the German Fuehrer thinks that some new show of belligerent confidence on his part is needed each time to stiffen the ~orale of the German people. Over the weekend another hastily thought up occasion was made for him to speak. He used it for an extravagent commendation which has never been matched even in his own long experience in this field. There is nothing in the con­temporary history of Germany which is not his own personal achievement. There is nothing in Germany's past which would not have been wholly different had he had a part in it. "It is true that there are many Germans and possibly the number of them is growing rapidly, who have arrived at three conclusions. Firstly that in view of the defensive strength of the Maginot Line and the domination of the seas by the British fleet, -as well as the actual and potential contribution of the Dominions in the field of aviation, it is utterly improbable that the Germans can win the present war. 26.2.40. "Seoondly, that if the war lasts long eneugh, it will end in the eomplete ., ~ahev!eat.ion of Germany, and thirdly, that the chances are .much brighter now that the Allied nations will recognise that it is in their own interest to strengthen the hand of a more responsible and more democratic German Government -if one can be established, "This is the interp.retation of the state .of affairs in Germany suggested by the eagerness which which Hitler now leaps to the mior~phone whenever Mr, Chamberlain goes on the air, 11 A eondemnation of German propaganda. is made in the NEW YORK MIRROR which declares: "Now and again Germany issues a piece of propaganda so ~viouely phoney as to make the world laugh through its tears~ One such mental piracy appeared in a Nazi-oontroJ.led Leipzig paper last week. In trying to prove that Britain was full of greed and blood-lust and that Germany was the guardian angel of life and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the ·Leipzig paper had the irony to refer to the American declaration of independence, Every J\rnerioan will grind his own comment OlJ. that through his teeth." Reporting that the latest ooektail in NevY York is named "Nazi Scuttle~' this papel'"' adds: "You sink it before you can count three. " YUGOSLAVIA: G8RM.AN INTERVENTION IN FINLAlill? Telephoning to his paper yesterday the Berlin cor~esp~ndent of the POLITIY..A stated that although a Berlin official still denied repOl'ts foresh~dowing German intervention in Finland, the authorities continued to attach much credence to the reports .khov-dng the..t it was in the Be:!cbls interest to avert a conflict "in a field ever favourable for Allied intervention, which would be inevitably damaging and possibly aimed at Germany." This correspondent emphasised the disappearance of the Kuuisinen Government from the Soviet Press as it had always been the chief difficulty lying in the vray of Soviet-Finnish conciliation• It was believed that the Soviet had abn.ndoned the idea. of a l=P.lple's goverrunent. The P0litika's Berlin correspondent went on to so.y that it was r eliably believed that the U. S, S. R, had already accepted the principle of a peaceful solution in the Russo-Finnish confliot. This view had been strengthened by the recent speech of King Gustav. 26. 2, 40. 3. SWEDEN: "SHi1l1tELESS" fo..1SSIAN BOMBING. The Swedish Press has continued to eomment strongly on the Russian bombing of Pajala, which was described by one paper as "shameless". The Sl/ENSKA DAGBLADET v1rote yesterday: "We must aot in a manner the earnestness of which the Soviet cannot mistake". The U.\GENS NYHETER declared that S..veden could not be satisfied viith the Moscow Radio and the official agency denials in oonneotion with the bombing, and added: "It is regrettable that our anti­ aircraft artillery did not fire, but now orders have been given that future violations of Swedish territory will be met with fire", The SOCIAL DEMOKRATEN,also referring to the Soviet denial of the bombing, declared: "The Molotov diplomacy always springs new surprises. A blank denial was expected least of all. Tass has the face to declare that no Soviet plane flew over Swedish territory. Swedish investigation has shmvn the bombs to be Russian, and there is no doubt as to the nationality of the aircraft. "It is out of the question that S..veden should be satisfied with a semi-official reply, and even if the Moscow Government on closer consideration admits and deplores the event, that is insufficient. In addition to full compensation a guarantee must be obtained th~t such remarkable accidents -if it really •vas an accident -as this bombing should not be repeated". Referring to the fact that the Commander of the submarine whi..eh sa.M the Fenris was decorated f'or heroism this paper stated: "In view of all this it is scarcely surprising that certain quarters begin to wonder whether deliberate provocation lies behind these repeated Soviet acts against Sweden. The Soviet behaviour.!in·~the Pajala incident will illuminate the matter. If Russia continues to suggest Finnish provocation and to deny the facts then Russo­Swedish relations will have reached a critical stage." "Hitler's Fate Bouud with Stalin's". Diseussing;!;he conf'iscation of the 8'.vedish edition of the book "Hitler Speaks", the SOCIAL DEMOKRATEN declared: "It is a pity that good books must be so noxious that they must be conf'isoated by the State. It is a pity that truth is so dangerous that it must be suppressed. nPresuma'J;>ly Germany considers some of Hitler's statements unsuitable for publication and likely to cause German-Swedish misunderstanding. It is regrettable that a recent review published statements of Nazi plans for Sweden. It was never Hitler•s intention that such plans should be published." ': Passages in 'yhich Herr Hitler declared that he would occupy Sweden under the guise of seeking a pact were described, and the paper continued: "Thus there is no danger from Hitler, who comes as a protector, but the Swedish and German authorities considered that it was unsuitable to reveal these noble plans and loyal citizens must submit. -· 26. 2. 40, "Let us however pass over the chapter about Scandinavia, Yvhich shows how easily words are misunderstood -this is not the case with deeds -and turn to the chapters on Russia. •.• It is a fact that Hitler, despite a realisation of the danger of the Russian Pact, concluded it, and this is a \vitness to the desperate situation to which the Nazi policy brought the Third Reich. Hitler has bound his fate with Stalin as the Cimbrian fighters were chained together in ancient times, but ideologicalJy this constraint is more apparent .than real, for as Hitler himself points out, there is more uniting National Socialism and B0 lshevism than separating them. One observes how quickly the Nazi-Communist Press has merged the tvfo ideologies and policies. Communist papers have been pervaded with the German spirit and Nazi papers have obviousJy been inspired and helped by the Communists. "From the point of view of clarificci.tion of th1e point and ma.ey others on which the public require information of Nazi aims in Dr. Rauschning's book it is regrettable that it is only obtainable in foreign editions to Swedes. Is the truth in the book which reveals German Nazism so fearful that we may only see it at a distance?" ROUMANIA: EXAMINATION OF W.Ali. SITUATION. The position of the Balkan countri6s and the situation of the N~rthern states are examined in a front page leading article in today's INDEPENDENCE ROT.ThlUNE. This paper states: "The spring, the classic season for war, is approaching, and the international situation gets more and more complicated and needs a more frequent and thorough examination. "In the N9,rth of Europe, dark clouds gather. The Russian offensive, helped by powerful means which have led to some successes, has determined Finland to make a pressing appeal to the Western powers in order to get help. Anglo-French-Russian complications are foreseen. "Sweden, who is torn between the fear of Germany and the wish to help the Finns, is in a tragic situation. "Norway experiences similar difficulties. She has in addition to put right a naval incident, in which her neutrality is shaken by a certain partiality." Turning to the question of the Et.iw.kan States the article asks: "What anci.dst this situation is the policy of Danubian and Balkan Europe? Far from the centre of the war she has nothing to fear of military events. These are going in a different direction. "On the other hand, the approach of spring raises again eertain problems of suppJy which are very serious. "The Danube is an important way of communication towe.rds Central Europe; it waters regions which are rich in raw materials, These two conditions are sufficient to breed many controversies. "The Balkan powers have to stay firm. In a recen.t interview, M~ Gafencu defined the policy of the Bal kan Ent~nte by three factors ­order, security and peace, which supplement each other, but which necessitate in addition the strong military power of each of. the States." .5 26.2.40. EGYPl': COLONIAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY .APPROVED. Britain's Colonial Development Policy has been well received by AL MASfil, the Wafdist organ, which emphasised the significance of the new Statement as a policy of co-operation "instead of exploitation,thus refuting German lies." AL MASRI added: "The white Paper gives de±'inite proof of the pfllicy of co-operation which is an effective weapon of the democracies against Nazi principles." The article emphasised British respect for the full national rights of Colonies and Mandated territories and concluded by quoting the welcome given to the White Paper by the Palestine Press. In an article entitled "~forals Will Triumph", AL DASTOUR emphasised the degeneratj_on of Nazi morals and concluded: "The champions of good will surely triumph over the Sat.ans of humanity." AL ~-:lOKATT.AM, in a lead.er on neutrality, and the attitude of the neutrals regarding the Altmark incident, expressed astonishment at Norway's and Germany's protests and asserted that 1:orld public opinion fUlly ~proved the British actiono J.AP.AN: 11GERMAN GM.IBLE HAS LI'l"l'LE PROSPECT OP SUQ.CESS." A picture of conditions. in Gennany is dravm in the current is.sue of the DIPLOMATIC REVIEW, under the heading "Gloom in Berlin". This magazine prints a letter from a correspondent whose name is not divulged, but who has recently travelled to Berlin and London. He states: "To be honest, it is impossible not to feel that the present German gamble has little prospect of ::-,·.·~cess... °". The sup::,losi tion is inevitable that the Munich bomb outrage was the result of a large scale anti-Hitler plot vri1;bin the Nazi Party. However this internal cleavage has not yet broken out in the surface." In an article in this magazine, bearing on the economic strength of Britain and Germany, Professor Kitamura states that he doubts whether supplies from IUssia can be obtained satisfactorily by Germany. "There are grave doubts as to whether Germany is in a position to secure vital supplies from abroad and so withstand a long war," it is added. Professor Kitamura contim1es: "Unrest is rife throughout the whole of Gennany and in the conquered provinces. Germany is fighting with an extremely dangerous poi.vder barrel within her own house to which the dangers of a discontented India to Britain ure in no way comparable. '':Mr. Chamberlain's position is stronger than ever, so it will not do for Hitler to rely in an internal breakdoYm in England." 26.2.40. 6 Another article dealing '\vith the war states: ".After only three months of war, one sees difficulties and deadlocks in various directions in Germany but in England preparations ~or a long term war structure are complete. The war itself apart, one feels that the issue as between the internal strength of the two countries is already decided. "German losses in Poland were aurprisingly heavy and the real figures have not yet been announced•••••• That British aircraft drop · leaflets rather than bombs is considered a blow to the leaders of Gennany." FRANCE: MR. CHAMBERLAIN 1S "MAGNIFIC"£NT" SPEECH. Mr. Chamberlain's speech has been:f'batured in the French Press and several newspapers described it as "great" and "magnificent", In the semi-official PETIT PARISIEN, Elie-Bois wrote yesterday: "It is impossible to attack too much importance to Mr. Neville Chamberlain's speech at Birmingham. The Prime Minister has always got something to say and his speeches therefore, always compel our attention. Yesterday's, however, has a particular importance, coming as it does at the moment when Mr. Sumner Welles, Mr. Roosevelt's rr~ssionary in search of Information, is landing in Italy and going on almost immediately to Berlin. ".Mr. Chamberlain has certainly no misgivings regarding Mr. Sumner Welles' journey••••••but one can only praise him for having chosen this moment, thus avoiding any dangerous interpretations, to define Great Britain•s and France's war and peace aims in terms which echo those of the r ecent broadcast by M.Daladier." In the extreme Right Wing ACTION FRANCAIS, M. Charles Maurras declared: "M.Daladier's last speeeh insisted. on tpositive and material' guarantees. Mr. Neville Chamberlain goes farther. "Having said that he \Vas fighting the German spirit of militarism and this accumulation of armaments which was impoverishing Eur~pe, he asked a concrete question which is implicit and which is dominant, and answered it by claiming independence for the Poles and Czechs, ~~d by declaring that this independence must be assured. "All that is very well. ,But how? "It means more than signatures and promises, It means indubitably the cession of military material guaranteed by occupation, 11 Reviewing the position of Sweden and her relations with Finland, LE TEMPS stated: "The dilemma comes from the realisation by Sweden and Norway that their ovm independent existence would be impetilled if Finland succumbed, and their instinct of self-preservation leads them to do what they can to avert the danger, vfililst the risk of being involved in a European war leads them to abstain from all direct intervention in the Russo-Finnish conflict. This explains Sweden's policy which is to support her neighbour privately, but within the framework of official neutrality, which is in complete opposition to the fundamental feeling of the three nations, •••• "It is by no means certain that this policy can be maintained much longer and that it involves fewer risks than open solidarity with the Finnish people." 26. 2.40. 7 ITALY: ''JjJNEH.GETIC TONE" OF PRDJIE MINISTEIB SPEECH. :i';!r. Chamberlain's speech has been fully reported in the Italian Press and a London message in the VOCE D'IT.ALIA stressei its energetic tone and its allusion to the need for tho help of the neutral countries in building a new Europe. Dispatches from various capitals oontinuE!l to be concemed with the possibilities of an extension of the war in Northern Europe or the Near East. The CORRIERE DELLA SERA on Saturday, reported the development of oult't..U'al relations between Italy and Germany and the forthcoming intll'Oduction o;f Italian as a subject in oertain German schools. The RELAZIONI INTERNAZION.ALI, writing on the alleged attempts by the Allies to coerce Scandinavia to fight for Finland, remarked: "Finland1 s example does not encourage her neighbours. Finland, in her decisive hour, has been left alone with the comfort of amiable words, as other nations incited and guaranteed by the Democracies were left." Referring to Allied troops in the Near East, the RELAZIONI INTERNAZIONALI stated: "If they contemplate an attack, it evidently is not imminent and their function is plainly that of acting as a reserve to be used according to developments." 26/2/40 -No.1._ FRENCH OFFICIAL C9J:1£.IDN~QUE. (MORNING) Paris2 Monday2 February 26, 1940. The following official communique was issued this morning f'rom French G . I-I. Q. ~ ­ INCR:CASED ACTIVITY OF 'l'HE CONTACT UNITS ON VARIOUS POINTS OF THE FRONT BETWE:CN THE MOSELLE AND THE SAAR. NOT for publication in any form before delivery at 2o36 porn. to-day, Monday, 26th Februar;y9 1940. SPEECH 3Y THE RT. HON. R.S. HUDSON 7 M.P., SEC!~ETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OVERSEAS TRADE 9 AT A MEETING HELD IN THE MERCHANTS HALL ? GLASGOW., I welcome the opportunity that you have been kind enough to afford me to-day to discuss some of the problems connected with export. They are difficult and they are complicated but they are no more insoluble than those YO'\..t have had to face in bringing fertilit~r to your own Scottish soiL The late Lord Rosebery, if I remember aright, described it as yielding nothing to idleness but withi.1olding not anything to the hand of industry; and with indust:ri3r he always coupled the twin virtue of thrift. The same qualities must be brought to "bear upon the export trade. There must be industry and oPganization9 and I should ha1"dly be dealing candidly with you if I did no"s add that the~r must be accompanied by that pinching and paring which pl ays so prominent a part in the exercise of the virtue of thJ.>ifto Rich and poor must contribute alike. Few things are more impo:etant than to bring home to the mind of every citizen the countr~r 1 s need o if"'/i thout unde1"standing there cannot be thC:tt intelligent approva1 of the measures of government which is the very root of our democratic system. I need not apologise for dealing ~n some detail with the problems of how we are to pay for what we need from overseas. In time of peace the export trade of this country is generally accepted as being of great importanceo In time of war it becomes a vital necessity, In time of peace it is a matter of concern mainly to the individual exporter. In time of war it is a matter of concern to every man and woman in this land. If we are to obtain the efforts on the grand scale, on the heroic scale, which are necessary9 every r1Jan and woman must be willing to incur sacrifices. The necessities for these arise out of the very conditions of our national life~ Our task must be to try and explain to our people the difficulties and how we intend to overcome them. In peace time we buy more thau we selL The balance is made good by what are called our invisible exports. These consist for the most part of services we render to the world. The City of London finances much of the trade of the world, om:-Insurance Companies insu;:-e it, our merchant fleet carries it. For this we receive :payment running into tens of millions of pounds. Visitors and tourists contribute by the money they spend here on their holidays. Last, but by no means least, are the dividends paid by overseas countJ:-ies on our investments in their lands. /In ~ 2 ­ In vvar• time a change comes over the sceneo All sorts of things crop up to interfere with the smooth working of Internati1 ma.l trade and to make it ::i.ess easy for us to pay for the gooe.s t~1.at we want abroad" The cost of ou:r• j_mpoPts i.,ises. The vollline of our ex.ports nnrmall:r tends to decrease~ and the i nvisible e~cports ~ which I have just descr•ibed. 7 also shrink. British shi·µs instead of c arriying g·..Jocls betvvee:n foreign C')Untries without t nuch:lng at Un:Lted Kingdom ports ar>e mm·e a.Yld more having to be diverted. to carrying grioc1s to I:nGlsnd on which v10 anc-:. YJ : it the foreigner have to pay the freights. ~l'hat former i tern of i ncome 9 therefore 9 contracts, Ji1orei,zn tourists 1 expenditur·e nearl~r disappears. D:l.vidend.s on 1 i'Ul" investmei1ts abroad a1·e maintained; but onl~r J?l.,')Vided we do not have to sel1 the stocks . Have we any other resources we can fall back on to bric:.ge the gap? lie crmla_ sell our gold and nu1' foreign securities. F.,ie have inlleed taken the preliminary steps ·but circl"..i'TISt ances and caution impose a 1irnit t o the JlI'Ocess. 'I1hey are our capita1 9 our I·:aginot line 9 so to speak 9 to be jea1nus1y JUarcled. and. only finally s1:>ent in the last resort. Once g·;ne they cannot be replacedo i'f·,r would it be prudent to assume that the war vil1 necessaril3r lJe ove::> this year &J.d di.ssi.pa~e nuP reouuPc:os at cnceo ·rher•e is a further d.i:f:ficulty. 'l1he market f')r securities is not unli1nited. It is very sensitivo. If we try and. :pPess saJ.es too fast prices l!vill dro~0 and vve shail get J.ess :for our nat:iona1 investments than otherwise would have been the case. r.rinreover a.J. essential element in our n ati•inal economy is the world's confidence in :8nglanc1-1 s financ:ial strength. Vie must av:;:tc1 as long as is humanly :possible anything which might impair that crn1fid.ence, \"v'hat then rema:Lns? rife nmst rely c;n onr exports. But at what level? Prc~vvar? 'l'hat i.s not enoti_gh, WilJ_ it suffice if we succeed in getting baclc to the E'.iS80 rni11:i.on of our :pealc yea.rs 1929? That in itself v1oulc1 be a notab1e achievement wl'rnn you re1ne~.1ber last year 1 s i'igur·e of onJ.y C:L!-20 mi 1lion" E·ren that wi.11 n0t :fill the gaJJ. fi!01'"'e and stil1 m:.ire will lJe required. Indeed a stupendous task and nna to t ax all our energies, How are we going to do it? .There are j prcfo1ems. Where are we to find the marke~s? How arc we going to get the raw materials? Ca;i we deliver the goocls at the right price? The markets generally speaking are there. My overseas representatives tell me that taking the w~Jrld as a whole there is .zeneral goodwill towards our products .. PeopJe a:re ready 9 and in many areas y anxious to buy theme There is the :Curt.her open:i.ng pPov:tded by f ormer customers of Gerrnanyo I ar:1 n:)t 9 therefore~ afraid of arw i 1J:i1ediate lack of market s. Tlny are there if we can deliver the grobl.em of shipping mj_ght be easier but the t wo i !.1teract on each other in pI'esent da3r circu.mstan:::es. T10 ilJ:ustrste. Often we r:ar obtain a. particular ra11v mater:tal L1 two diff erei1t c01mtries. One invoJ.ves a e.:::imparatively short v0yage across the s ea, the other a J.ong Jne ,. Obviously from a shiJ::>?ing :poj.n t '.Jf vJ.ey,. the shm"t Yoya,r::,e is ]Wefe1~ao1e, On.Ly too often this advantage is outweighed by 6.i:L'ficuJtj_es of :pa;J'!Eent in that ~QaPticular country 9 and v ice versa., I need 11 )t point out thai:, one of the first calls on 0~1r SlL:f?pJ.7'1g _sp .:.t,-:-q must be ra:w materials and eq_;_-:..iprnent f ·')l" the use and. m2intenance of 0111., fi.ghting services, / An.other -3-· 1~0thcr is our food. Whe t is l~ft over hr.s to sorv~ the needs both or ·c>c, civilir-.i1 :)O;_)u1nti cm c.nCl. of c~~j)OI't. If rro c.I'C to increase our c~)orts on anything like t he scal e I have indicnte~ to you r.s being in Ol1-:i." 0:1in:io:.:1 ncce:,ssGI'Y 9 ·chcn clc~:~rl~r tl1ey rec?cuirc a r1mch l:Jrgcr c.r.u[o1n-ci L.y of r~:. ·.-.r iimtcri nls thr.m ii1 l)eaco time. '.7herc is that extra qus.nti t,y to co.;Je fI'o!·11? Scra~~)S cucl oc11.-.111cnts may )Grlw.ps 'oe relc:;ased by the fi .;htin:; sc::Pvices. On t~1e other hanc1 Fe :. Jnst :i."o:t,1er11ber that instoetl'. of :eclcasing nny i·,1r.ter•ials the~r iaay i./Gll rtSl( l'or .t!1ore. That possibi lity .mst oJ.'7c.ys be ~;:o}_)t in raind. Where then o.re rt'e to look? Clearly the only altE.:rnativc i s to restPict home consmff9tion. This may cnuse the i ncU.vic:_ual so1:1e e.iscornfort. It Dr.y ho.m:;_)er the manu­fo.c tuPer who orci.ino.ri ly co. tors l'or the horne market. r2uite frrmkly there will have to be furthop restrictions. I cnnnot say to-day Yvha t the~r 1.vi 11 be beco.usc ~-o1Jviousl;y 9 they r.rill v?.ry from industry to industry. In mD.ny cases 9 l1mvever 9 they [H'e bound to ~Je Cl.ro.stic. They are inevitaole if 1i'le are to mainto.in our war effort on anything lilrn t he sea.le 11eec1ec;. to achj.eve victor~r. I am sure that the ;)eo}!le of this country ·01ill acce~;t t he i cheel"ful1y once the~;-u.n.derstand how vital they aPeo The third problem is one of ~rice. I have said more than once thr,t ever;y-one engs..zcd in i-! 10.~::in:; .c;ooc1-s for export, oe he worker Yvi th hand or heo.C, oi-•ganiz~.r or craftsri1an? is eJ.J.gaged on just as :9atriotic and. vita l El duty a.s those who •aal(e munitions. There is ? honever 9 this great Cifference between the problems ~itl1 ~hich they are faced. In the case o :--rnuni tions the Government issue the s~;:iecification and place the or(lero Er::mufacturer anc1 Ywrker know that as fast as the goods ce.n be tl1rnec1 out the~r 1·fil1 be sold and be paic1 for. The exporter aslcec1 to in~11ease M.s overseas trade is f nceC. rd th a much more di fficult problen~ He has no such definite assurance of sale. The~e is no baneficent Ministr y of S~J)ly to tc~e his ~roducts off his h8nds~ He has to 00 out and try o.nd :Lind customers and he rnust not let his forei:~n rivuls m1dersell h1ii1. Don't for.::;et that l'oreigners are free t o s:.;:iencl t11eLe i<1oney on c lciny goods other t han our oYrn. 1'eo1)le o:L'ten ask why tlicse difficulties rrere not so acute in the last war. The answer is conditions were auite different. Then nracti~ cally alJ. the chief j_nc1ustri81 colmtrie·s were at war on one sia.e or the other, and prices rose nearly to the same extent all over the worldo This tir11e many of our most important industrial competitors are neutral and do not have to bear the financial Ol~dens of a nation at rvarn 'l'his tii11e higher freight r ci tes and 11var risk insurance increase the cost both of OU.I' raw materials and of the goods made from the;·1 for sale abroac.~., rvhile .1.mn~r of our chief competitors esco.pe these bu.rd.ens. To that sxtent theiP corn:::ieti tive J_Josition is better than our sa I stress these points not from any c1esire t o be pe ssirnistic 9 out becuuse the wen anc1 vvornen of this countr>y must I'ealise the iimgnitude of the t aslc ':i!hich faces us. This c1uestion of price rnay well become dominnnt. I have referPec1 to t 11e .-;oodwill t hat ·we :-:_;assess in the '.:l0rl c1, but t h.at goodwill will not su:Lfice to sell our goods if our costs and :,-;:irices rise I1mcll further. •r11e industrialist anc1 the workma~1 '.vi 11 each have to l.Jl ay their ;;:iart. So much for the pr•obleri1. f\..s I SEo'.;;J" it is serious. But we are tacldi.:t1:; it and W8 shall ranl(e s job of it. An E:;c~00I't Council consisting of leacU.ng business men 9 trade union leac1..eI'S 9 e.nc". officials, 1 has been set up. It is investigatinc; uigently the ve.rious i)ro'olems and devising methods to overcmne t he c1ifficulties. Its r;1emoers will I am sm"G consider syrnpat heticall;;r any :L"emedy which r.ia:/ be s._i.ggested and see whether it can be turnec.1 to -.;ractical nccount. Our> first t ask is t o get industries organiseCl. in oro.er to find out 1.7!.~.at their r equirements of r arv-i·1a terials are likel~r to beo IIo.ving Ftscerto.ined that 9 i;ve x;mst iimke st~e tho.t t11e~~ ·.vill i)e o.vails:ble ri;1en rec_;_uired. We have got to di scuss '".'i ·L.~1 each inc1l1.stry whut 1.10.rli::ets can nost easily ancl. c:i_uicLly be develoriec1 anc1_ ~c,ri~o.t cssisto.nce and guidance t:1ey require t o achieve t hs t ;;:iur~1ose, \'le have got to make full use of our merchant honses ond t heir ex·:::ierience. 'l'he maall man must be given his chance aL well as the big. Many who have never exported "before 1rvill oe called/ -4­ called on to do their share. We have often been told that the Government should guide and he1p industPy. 'Ie agree and. we are setting up the necessary machinery 9 but in return we shall expect industry together to ac cept our help and above al1 our guidance 9 and to -v-mrk on our common tasl~. We have already conducted negotiations with a number of industries. We have made the necessary allocation of,.raw materials and those industPies arc now actively planning 9 in some cases already carrying out 9 their pr>ogrammes for increased ex:9orts. The results so far enc:mrage us to think tho. t we are proceeding on the right lines 9 but there is still an immense amount to be done. The figures for January ·will give you some idea, Our exports amounted to £41.1 millions 9 a very fine achievement, representing as it did an increase of £1. 6 million over last January, but our imports were £105 millions. That shows you how much more we bought than we sold, although some of the gap was covered by invisible exports. Multiply that by twelve for the year, you will rca1ise the si.'2:c of the gulf that has still to be filled. Each industry's problems vary and will have to be treated on their own merits, but broadly speaking I think that the motto we have in our minds is ;'we will make sure that you get the raw mate1'.'ials; 1t is your job, with our assistance, to go out and get the trade. 11 The:·e is no doubt in my mind thnt we shall succeed. To sum up. -rar today is no longer an affair onTy between armi0s and armi es. It is in tho last resort a struggle between manufactupcr and manufacturer, between shopkeeper and shopkeeper. If in time of peace we 112vc to sell abroad to safeguGJ'd our standards of living, in time of war we have to do so even more to safeguard our very lives. We mur:: t all r ealise the magnitude of the call that is m2de on us. Ex~orts have been called the 4th arm of defence. I prefer to think of them as a new British Ex~;:iedi tionary Poree, a Force, in which the common people of this realm, both men and women 9 whose enorgy 9 r esourcefulness and self sacrifice hav~ serve~ England so well in the past 9 will once ~nee again, unitedly, play their part in ensuring the ultimate victory or our cause. ++++++++++++ 26/2/40. -No.3. PRESS NOTICE. The Secretary of the Admiralty regrets to announce the following casualties as a result of the sinking of H.M. Trawler BENVOLIO :­ Officer. Missing, believed drownedo SoM. Aldred, Chief Skipper, R.N.R. 2406~ (In command). Ratings. Missing, believed drowned. Haddon, R. J., Ordinary Telegraphist, RoN.V.R., L.D./X.4693. Howland, H.s., AoB. (Pensioner) C/223159. Johnson, Williame Seaman~ R.N.R.i x.19144. Megson, K.F., Seaman Steward. Morrison, John., Seaman, R. N. R., · x.18126. Reid, Thomas. 2nd Hand, R.N.R., Ripley, R.Jo, Seaman, R.N.R•, x.19603. R0bertson, John. Seaman, R.N.R., x.18332. Thomas, G.H., Seaman, R.N.R., 6939. Slightly in~ured. Morrison, Boyce. Seaman, R.N.R., x.17871. ADMIRALTY, s.V".r.1. -----000----­ MINISTRY OF LABOUR & NATIONAL SERVICE Press Notice The Aerated ifate:cs Trade Board (Scotland) have decided t o i ssue a Notice of Proposal to vary the minimum rates of vrages at pr esent operati ve i n the trac.e 1;y increasi ng the rc.tes for male wor~rnrs of 21 years of age or over oy i:d per hour and t hose for f emale worki3r s of 20 years of age or ovo-c by ~d per hour , wi th cor responding increases f or younger wo:~kers . A Notice setting out t he pro_~;osals i n full will be issued i n due course arn'L a peri od -.,..rill be a J.lowed for any ob,jecti ons to be lodged with the Tra~o B~ard. An undertaldng Vias given on behalf of the ern;:iloycrs pr esent at the meeti ng that they would pay voluntarily th2. increases proposed by t he Board commencing on t:1c first pay day in Larch, 1940, and would. recorr~ lend the ;:1embers of their ?ederation t o do the same . Press Office, Mi ni str y of Labour and Nati onal Service , Hont agu Houso , Whitehall, S.~.1. 'l'el ephone: Whit ehall 6200. H.Q.597-475 B.J . (6107-1'21l ) Wt. *7177-7026 20,000 %/60 T.S. 677 -VYAR-TI ME: FOOD J?HODUCT I ON I:~ .ALLO'l1lvTS~rTS 1\ND PRIVATE GARDENS. ·--··­ ----·----~-·~-··~M-· ·--....·-M-------·-----· SEEDS FOR THE ALI.iO'I'~vTEJ:.lT. It is a wise economy l n the end to buy the best seeds possible fnr the all0tment.. Inf e1•ior seeds can ne'rer give such good results and eft.er the hard WOI'k of digging the plot and preparing the seed bed, it would be a pity to spoil the ship for a ha'pcrth 0f tar. Go~d s~eds cannot be sold cheaply. The work entailed t o breed the best strains and keep them true to type is considerabl~ end costly. Cheap seeds ar(' usually the most ~xp~nsive in the long run. Seeds procured from the best Seed Houses may be r•elied upon to germinate well and to be true t~ name and type. Consequently :fewer seeds are required tn produce: a· full crop. There is not th~ least doubt that in man.y instances far more S(")eds are bought than are requi~ed; such a loss shoul d nE: ver occur, especially in these times when every seed is needed, Beforo purchasing a.ny seeds a plan should b~ worked out for the cropping of the la,nd to be cultivated -taking into account the number of rows of each kind needed and the t.~tal length of the rows. By doing this a very clos~ ~stimate ~f the quantitity of Sf}eds needed ff'.'r each particular crop may be obtained. Thin sowing should be practised fo1• many goed reasons, f or not only is thick sowing a waste of ·good seeds but it entails more l abour in thinning, without which the crops would be ("f poor quality,. The best advice is to buy the very best seeds, to sow t hinly and to buy early. 1. ~e following list will give some idea o~ the qu~ or seed.s required:­ Pes.s, Early "!Pt• t• 30 ft. run of r·ow. 11 ti Peas, Second Early and Late, ipt. to 40 ft. It II Runner Beans, !pt. to 40 :rt. U Dwd' Bsans, !Pt, t.o 10 tt•. " · ti .. It It Broad Beans,-1pt .. to 30 ft. · n Beetroot,. l~z. to 60 ft. " tt Carrots, ioz. to 80 :rt. " " 0 Parsnips, 1· It ~•z. to 60 rt. ! Spinach, ioz. to 40 ft. " " " 11 ti Turnips, l•z... t., 100 .. ft. · " It • It Onions, ~z. to 80 ft. Potatoes, l ,peel< (14 lbs.) to 70 to 100 rt. row,. according to size of. S.eed. Leeks~ i ~z. will provid~ some hundreds or plants. Lettuces, Cauliflowers, Broccoli,. Brussels Sprouts, Kales, Ca'bbages, Savoys and the like -~ oz•. will.produce some 250 plants. ce1ery -i oz.. will provide 300 plants. It is difficult to recommend ~he particular varieties of' the various vegetables that should be grown in all parts of the coun~ry; the best guide will be information obtained :from ~ld esta'bl1shed allotment h01de~s in each district, and it is hopod tha..t this information will be freely gjv~n by them to the leas well informed. x x x · If There Is A Surplus.•. Allotment holders and occupiers of pr1vate gardens should grow vegetables to eat not to sall. The well-~lanned plot •r. gardon supplies the household with vegetables for as .. ..,. long a pe.r±od of each year as possible, avoiding surpluses. But Nature is bountiful,. and however care:fully the cropping is planned more o:f' one or another of the crops that cannot be stored will sometimes be ready for use than can be consumed B.. . just at the timeo :t should not be u.ifficult to find someone who can make good use of the temporary surpluso Organised means of disposal are being arranged in some towns, whereby supplies will be distrj_bu·t.ed to AoRoPo workers who have not the cpportunity to cultivate plots for themselveso Other means will no doubt occur to those who are willing to consider action in this direction~ It is go od to hear that &. mem-ber cf the RegnaJ League has taken a 30 square rod pi ot and, not req_uirj_ng the whole of it for his own household, has persuaded fellow members to help him to cultivate one half of J.t and the whole of the produce from that half will be gi.ven away to needy families. x x x x Keep interest in the North. A public meeting has been held at Carlisle for the purpose of stirring up interest in the Grow More Food Campaign. It was organised by Messrs., Plant Protection Ltdo 1 and the Deputy Mayor presidedo The principGl speakers were the Director of Education and Medlcal Officer of Health for the County of Cumberlandu The Director referred to the local war that had had to be waged against depression arising from unemployment. He spoke of the success achieved in helping the unemployed towards good health and an interest in life by the provision of allotments, seeds and implenit;n~.~ at reduced cost. He urged the need for similar action on a national basis and offered the co-operation of the County Council and their Agricultural Education Staff. The Horticultural Superintendent had already produced a "book.l et on gRrdeni.ng applied to conditions in the county. The Medical Officer spoke of the val1ae of allotments from the point ' of view of healthc Some of the things in our food tbat keep us fit and healthy are likely to be scarce and we can best obcain them by eating more -vegetables and f"ruit, as fresh as possible and preferably in their r aw state. One of those present said that she intended to grow carrots and beet in beds of nasturtiums so as to produce food and yet not spoil the effect of her flower garden. Flowers have their place in war-time! Practical H,;lp. There are now nearly 200 public parks where demonstration plots have been prepared, with the Parks Superintendents to act as advisers and demonstrators. The Minister of Agriculture attaches great importance to these, congratulates those local authorities that have done it and hopes more will follow their exfu~ple. It is not only that they bring the necessity for more home food growing before the public eye in an admirable manner. There is also no more practical way of discussing the problems of the experienced grower or guiding the first steps of the novice than by advice on the spot where vegetables are being grown from the men who are growing them. x x x x ALLOTMENTS IN WAR TIME -A NEW CO-ORDINATING COUNCIL The Minister of Agriculture has set up a Co-ordinating Council with the following t erms of reference:­ "To advise and assist the Minister of Agricultur8 on the development in war-time of the production of vegetables and fruit in allotments and private gardens, and of such other forms of food production as may be appropriate to the home; to or ganise, where necessary, supplies of seed, fertilisers, stock or equipment; and to advise as to such measures as may be practicable for the effective use of produce found to be surplus to the producers' home requirements." 4. Organisations concerned with this import ant aspect of increased -food production will be invited to nominate representatives to sit on this Council, and I nm glad to be able to announce that my friend the right Hon. Lord Bingley has accepted my invitation to act as the Chairman of the Council.. Meantime the urgent need is for the tl.u'ning over of as r~uch allctment land os possible during the next two months, to secure vegetable crops during the coming season. 11 The following bodies have been invited to nominate representatives to the Council:­ National Farmers ' Union National Poultry Council National Allotments Society Society of Frie~ds Trades Union Congress British Legion National Federation of Womens Institutes Parliarnentary Coti1rnittee of the Co-operative Congre ss Chick Producers' Association County Councils Association Association of Municipal Corporations Urban District Councils Association Agricultural Education Association Horticultural Education Association PoultI'Y Education Association Federation of Accredited Breeders National Council of Social Service Royal Horticultural Society Institute of Parks Administration National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs Clubs and Institutes Union The list is not yet final and further organisations may be invited to nominate representatives if it is thought desirable. 5. The Secretary of the Council is Mr. J. H. Dutt!'m to vvhom all cornmun1cations sho-uld. be addressed at 83, Bake r St:eeet, London~ W.. 1•. x x x Grow Mm'.'e Pood at Martchester•. ----..··----­ Meetings are boing held at Manchester on Pebruary 28th in connection vvi th War-time Food Production in aJ_lotments and private gardens. There will be a meeting of members of' the North Westc;rn Brsme:;h of the Institute of Park Administration in the Towh Hall at which members will be addressed by Dr. H. v. Taylor, Horticultural Commissioner of the Ministry of Agriculture ancl Pisheries. This will be followed by a public meeting in the Tovm Hall which ·will be opened by the Lord Mayor and addressed by Dr. H. v . Ta;s.rlor on the subject of the "Grow More Food Campaign11 • The Chairman of the Manchester Agricultural Commi ~tee vvill preside. 6. MINISTRY OF ./~.GitIC;lUL1:Ui--time allotment has to sm:render his plot during tho c ror)ping ;:-~c11son, he wi11 be; com:pensa tcd by the Minister for any loss of crops growing on the land and for unexhausted mmmr·ial value in aecordanoe with t:rrn provisions of t:ne Allotments Act, 1922. 26/2/40 No. Si: At a meeting of the International Tin Connni ttee held in London to-day 9 at which all the signatory countries were represented, the quota for the second quarter of the year 1940 was fixed at 80% of the standard tonnages. +++++ EMPI~E AFFAIRS. !~ ~ I.1~ ~ BULLETIN lJO. 410. R 0 Y h L A I R F 0 R C E. The .Air Mini.s try announces -.·~ The King has been g~ac~ ously pleased to approve of the undermentioned award in r c:;cogniti Dn of gallantry displayed in flying operations agains t t h e enemy~­ Squadron Leader l.ndrew Dougl as Fl!.RQ,UfL R9 11.uxiliary Air Force. During February ,. 1940$ this officer engaged an enemy 1 aircraft while on pa troLo Tt.0·i3h t.e .::xp ended only a small amount of arnmuni t t.on , t ne accur•acy of h j c shooting appears to have put both engines of the enemy ai.rcrnft out of action and it effected a forced landing~ Sg_· 1adr on Leader Farquhar also very actively engaged enemy aircr'3.ft :~ n October, 1939, and has led his squadron wj_th magni.f .Leen t dash and courage on several occasions, Press and Publicity Branch, Air Ministry~ King Charles Street, Whit ehal1 ·' Sor.r.lo .. .~· 26th-Fc1Jruary, 19400 Jmxi1 i G,_!:X.__..~.i..r;:mn~_J2.,!_ F'..:.,_..Q.:.. Shot _Dqwn_.-1'.t·/'..9.g_l:l.:~ini~_o.l.§..:. (Nqti .t.() _ Q.~ _qµot ed as an li.i r IJ~ :'.1~. 8 tr,y anr~ouncement). Squadron Leader i'..ndrew Dli· .::.glas .Pa rquhar, Auxili~? Air Force, who recei ved :r..:..s Dia t.t ngu:::.shed Flying Cross from the King today, had led his squadron with 1nugnificcnt dash and courage on s ever al occas j.ons" He wDs concerned in two actions that r esulted in the "bringing Cl.own of enemy raiders, and shot down a th~crd , last week, after he had already been recommended for the D. F. C. The action for wh~.. ch he re-::!ej.ved the Cross was the bringing down of a Hei.nkel bombe2 at N·)rth Berwick earlier this month,. While on pa trol ..; n a V.ickers Spitfire he sighted an enemy aircraft, foll owed :· ~-jnto a cJ.rmd] and :t s.ighting it. again in a clear pa tch, gave a burst w~.th his machine guns. Though he expended onl y a small amount of amn unition, the accuracy of his shooting appears t o have put "both engines of the Heinkel out of action and it effec~.ed a forced l anding. Squadron Leader Far-quhar·- then corc-tinucd his patrol. In Octooer, this offi cer was also in action -in the Ge11man raid on the Fj.rth of Forth on October 16, when he chased one of the r a.iders ovm.• th e r o•)f s of Edinburgh. He was also the leader of th~ Squadron tha t shot down the first enemy r aider to f all on Brit ish soj_l . the fi3i.nkel that came down on tae Lammermuir Hjlls9 nenr Dal keith, on Octooer 28. It was the sams Squr,dron that '::·rought down the Heinkel that crashed n ear Sto.Abo 1 s Head; Bc:r'wjckshire, l a st Thursd!:ey'. Squadron Leader Fa rquhar, j_n h~.s Sp~. tf'ire, followed the enemy pilot down and landed. his own ai.r8raft not far from the Heinkel. He was too late, however ~ to pr event the German airmen from destroying thetr gj.r craf t, .vl1i.0h was already on fire. -2­ Thirty four years of age, Squadron Leader Far.quhar was born at Renfrew and was one of the young West of Sco.tland men who joined the Auxiliary Air FcrcG.before the war, being given his commission as a Pilot Officer j.n 1927. . Within a year he had gained his Pilot's flying badge with a specia~ distinguished pass, and a year later was promoted Plying Of'f'icer., He became a Flight Lieutennnt in 1931. His .. per1od _ of service was extended after his first five years, and -he.was promoted Squadron Leader .in 1937. Last November, he was rna:r;:r;'1ed·, to Miss Barbara Audrey Bisset at Dirleton Parish Church, East Lothian.. ­ Press and Publicity Branch, Ai.r .Ministry, King Charles Street, Whit ehe.ll , _ S ~ w.-i_ 26th February, 1940. BEMO. '110 SUB-EDITORS. ,_ _ Ts~tl'lis script is being issuea_ in advance, it is necess ary to checl~ it against the actual broadcast at 7. 20 p.rn. this (Monc1a~1) evening. ~1:1he B.B.C. announces that 111-!aval IJye Hi tness•1 vvill bl"'Oadcast the follovving talk in the B. B. c. Home Service prograrmne at 7. 20 p. m. this (Monday) Evening;­ THE RESCUE OF ...Tiill..., .AI.TM.f'..W';.J?RISONJ,filW ~l'he destiny of ships, lilce that of men, is often d.ecided by some factor· which seems quite insignificant a t the ti:.·,1e. On 17th Oct. the raia_er GRAF SPEE captured_ the HD!."'TSII.AN 9 a British tanker homeward b ound from Durban. She transfer::..'eo. her officers and crew to an oiler labelled SOGNE of Oslo ane_ fl~dng the Norwegian flag. On arrival on board the prisoners were t 'lld she was a GePman Fleet Auxiliary. Her nar11e was changed. t o f . .I,'I1~ ~ARI~ . The GRA.17 SPEE subsequently sanl~ five ships and transfe1"rec1. their personnel to AI.,TMARK .: but on 6th Dec. all the Captains 9 C~1ief Officers and Chief Engineers were brought baclc to the GIU.F SPEE and the tw!J ships parted company :for the last time. 'I;he first thing the GRAF SPEE 's prisoners d.icl afte1" release in Montevideo was to give a complete description of the !J:.tion of the ALTBARI\. Diving 10irr over her stern the;y were able to i...ead her name, and reportect he1" :-;;:>"sition. On the afternoon r; f that day a force of destro~1ers sent to intercept her sighted the ALTMARE. She was then steaming south, hugging the Norwegian coast and was escorted by t wo :Nor·:.·egian gun­boats. At a point where the s •:mthern end of Norway curves a little to the east the latitude actually is 58° 18' N, there is a little fiorct called JOSING fiorc1. The entrance is onlJr t vm hundred yards wide; at its widest this inlet is barely a quarter of a mile across, and extends inland a little over a mile. The Aiir:.J:..RK probabl~r realised that her long voyage was over -as far as her function as a :prison ship was concerned, turned into this fiord accompanied by her Norwegi an escort. It seemed incredible to the senior officer of the ci..estroJrer flotilla in the COSSACK that the /\LTP.A..RR should be cerem. ~ni.»usly conducted on her voyage t ,.., c+er-.many by Norwegian men of w2.1" if she really hac1-three hundred prisoners on boardo CO.SBACK ace 'Pdingly followed the Norwegian gunboats int0 Josing Fiord t o ask f :·)r enlightenment. /The cliffs -2 ­ The c·liffs rose sheer from the ·wat er for hundreds of feet9 streaked with snow and reflected in the glassy surface: of the fiord. From a little settlement of fishermens' houses on the starboard hand all the inhabitants came crowding to watch the development of this incredible drama. The ALTMARK had proceeded some distance up the fiord and the two gunboats turned to meet the COSSACK. The Norwegian officer stated emphatically that the ALTMARK had been examined the previous day, that she was authorised to travel through territorial waters with a Norwegian pilot on board, that she carried no armament and that he was ignorant of the presence of any British prisoners on board. Rather astonished by these statements but accepting them without guestion 9 COSSACK immediately withdrew outside territorial waters and aslced for Admiralty instructions. She got them. They wc::re the kind of order•s Naval officers pray for in times of crisis. They were curt and perfectly clear. If the BPitish prisoners were not on board ALTr·'.iARK where were they? Only one person could answer that question9 and that was the Captain of the ALTMARK. The COSSACK again entered Josing Fiord to solve the mystery. It was now dark 9 a brilliant moonlit night. The little houses ahsore were all brightly illuminated. The beam of the COSSACK's searchlight immedi ately located the ALTMARK in the pack ice at the far end of the fiord. The ALTMARK also switched on a searchlight and directed it on to the COSSACK's bridge, trying to impede her nagivation and began signalling with a morse lamp the rather redundant j_nformation that she was in Norway. One of the Norwegian gunboats closed the COSSACK and the latter asked permission to send a joint British and Norwegian search party on board ALTMARK in the Norwegian gunboat. The Norwegian captain replied that his ship was not able to Peach ALTMARK through the ice, but he finally consented to go in COSSACK and personally accompany the boarding party. The ALTMARK was now manoeuvcring stern first out of the 1ce 9 towards the COSSACK, in an endeavour to ram her. By the most dexterous handling of his ship the Captain of the COSSACK laid his bows alongside the stern of the ALTMARK and the First Lieutenant jumped on to the ALTMARK's poop 9 caught a rope flung to him and secured the two ships together. A boarding party of thirty men.and two officers were in readiness. The officers were armed with revolvers and the men with rif.les and b&yonets. As a precaution against i mpulsive shooting the cut-outs of the rifles were closed and only the magazines loaded. Immediately the ships were secured the boarding party l eaped on board. The upper deck of the ALT!\'lARK was brightly illuminated and there was not a soul visible. Followed by a party of his men the First Lieutenant ran forward along a plank bridge spanning the after well-deck and came to a st eel door l eading to the bridge and superstructure. Bursting through this they weJ'.'e confronted by a Ger.man officer with a pistol levelled at them9 but realising the futility of it he shrugged his.shoulders and threw it on the deck. -3­ The Captain and officers were found on the bridge working the engine room telegraphs and sullenly admitted they had British pri­soners on board. The telegraphs were promptly stopped, but by this time the ALTMARK had so much stern way that she grounded stern first on some rocks on the opposite side of the fiord, on the only shelving beach there was. In the meanwhile the Norwegian officer had decided after all not to accompany the boarding party and returned to his ship. The COSSACK cast off and slipped clear of . the ALTMARK to avoid sharing her fate on the rockso While the First Lieutenant was getting control of the bridge a lieutenant and a gunner were rounding up the German crew between decks. Suddenly a shot rang out in one of the alley ways and the gunner fell, seriously wounded. He was taken to the sick bay where the German doctor attended to him. Little mell~es were going on all over the sh~p as the Germans were overpowered and placed under guard. A boat full of Germans had been lowered and dropped through the ice, smashing it. These men stayed wher.e they were clinging to the life lines. Another party escaped with rifles across the ice to the shore. They were presumably the armed guard from the GRAF SPEE, put on board to guard the prisonersQ They kept up an inter­mittant fire from the land, but hit nobody. Once the officers were under guard the First Lieutenant took the Captain down to show him where the prisoners were. The sentries had fled with the keys. The British boarders .smashed locks with rifle butts and prised off the heavy hatches to the hold. "The Navy's here!" they shouted "Come up out of it~" They came, two hundred and ninety nine of them, like men in a dream. And then they saw the familiar British uniforms and faces grinning at them under shrapnel helmets and they knew it was over. They mustered on the forecastle under their officers, cheering wildly. The COSSACK then came alongside bow to bow and the prisoners were transferred with their belongings. She was delayed by the rescue from the water of a German seaman who had jumped overboard. What his motives were in doing so is unknown because he died on the passage to Englando The German officers and crew were brought onto the ALTMARK's forecastle, and the boarding party, carrying the wounded officer with them, re-embarked in COSSACKo Once more the CO~SACK turned her bows towards the entrance and threaded her way through the navigational risks outside which in the words of the Norway pilot "Can only be taken by small vessels with local knowledge." The COSSACK's navigating officer had never set eyes on the place till that afternoon. And then she beat it for homeo In spite of all efforts to save him the German seaman died on the passage and was buried at sea wrapped in a Naz·i flag that had been brought away from the ALTMARK as a trophy by a prisoner. COSSACK _reached home the following afternoon and after weary months of captivity the ALTMARK prisoners found themselves once more on British soil. Once more free~ Free as the winds of Heaven. ------oOo-----­ .. '°l''he War Office, London, s.:,c;.1 • 26th February, 1940. NORTH OF SCOTLAND ?ROT:CCTLD AREA• . The War Office announces ths.t an Order under the Def'ence Regulations, declaring a laI"ge e.rea in the North of Scotland to be a protected area, has been signed by the ·.)ecretary of State for War and will come .into force on 11th March, 1940. The area affected consi sts of the Counties of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross and Cr~narty, and those parts of the Counties of Inverness (exclusive of the Burgh of Inverness) and Argyll, which lie to the north and west of the line of the River Ness, Loch Ness, the River Oich, Loch Oich, Loch Loc}l:y, the Caledonian Canal, L~ch Linnhe and the Firth of Lorne. It includes all the Islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides lying north and west of that line. The effect of the Order will be that on and after 11th March no i::ierson v1ill be allowed to remain in or enter the area without a permit, except those, not being enemy aliens, whose homes are in the area on the date in Question. Persons exempted from the provisions of the Order include members of His Majesty's F'orces a:nd Police Forces; those who hold o.f'f'icial passe_sJ Foreign Officers or officials who hold foreign official }.Jasscs whose of'ficial duties require them to enter the area; persons under the age of 16 years; }.Jersons certified to be employed by the Admiralty, i\rmy Council or Air Ministry within the area, and holde11s of certificates of em:ployr11ent in essential services in war whose duties in such ern.Y:Jloyment require them to enter or be within the area. Persons (other than enemy aliens) who are on 11th March residing 'Nithin the Burgh of· Inverness 90r i.n that P8:rt; of Invernessshire which lies outside the aree 9 and in the Burgh of Oban will not be required t o obtain nritten ::_:iermits to enter the area.; They will, however, be rec1uired to J?rove their identity. Persons / Persons wishing to enter the area by sea or by air will only be allowed to do so by way of cer t ain prGscribed sea and air r)orts, · The seaports are Glasgow and Oban, and the airports are Renfrew, Inverness and Aberdeen. Forms of application for permits to enter the area may be obtained by personal or written application to:­The Military Permit Officer, 5, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, 2·• The Military Perinit Officer, 200, Bro:omielaw, Glasgow, C.2. or The Military Permit Officer, Passport Of'fice, Dartmouth Street, London~ s.'.tf~ 1 • Applicants are warned that it may be impossible to issue permits until s~me days after their forms of application are received and they are, there:.e·ore, advised to make their application well i.n_.a.d.v.anae of ..the- -date when they wish to enter the area•. 26/2/l+O!._:: J~o~ 12. ULSTER 1 S GENEROSITY ~[10 HOSPITALS. Ulster War Bospitals Supply Gift Fund has received over 60,000 articl es of clothing from its 214 depots in the Province, and £11 9 000 ho.s been raised to provide hospital supplies. The Overseas League Branch in Belfast has sent 1129000 cigarettes to troops overseas and tQ tho Royal Navy9 and 620 knitted comforts and hospital garments to a Naval Unit and the Ulster Gift Fund. • EMPIRE AFFAIRf3 . SIR KINGSLEY WOOD INDISPOSED • .,.._ -·~·-· '"6 •. ._ .... --·---~--· The Air Ministry announces:­ State for Air, is in<}.is~)osed v•i th a mild attaclc of influenza,. and will be unable to transact public business fo:r• a few days. +-!--:--:--:--:--:-++ AIH AFFAIRL PRESS NOTICE The Royal Conm1i s sion on Workmen's Compensation announce that their next sitting for the :pu:rpose of taking evic~_ence will be , held in Room 137 on the first floor o-.r Thtimes House (No. 2 Entrance), Llillbank, I.onc1-on, s.r!.1. on Thursday, 29th February at 10.JO a.m. and on · Friday, 1st ~~rch at io.30 a.m. The sitting of the Commission will ·be open to the ~ublic and the Press, +++++++ HOME OFFICE 26 12 I 40 -Ho .16. ,_.,..":::,/.. y_ ..... ............. . ... ­ FILl!IS OF C~ . N..illL.1' '.i.'H00.2S. l,+ "-he r·; n 0'1" ··nr l c · ·-1 ·'-or1. T ( .. _0"' " ) ,-.. 1 01" l. V;,, v·~-'-'-'-'-0 <....ll.1.p;,, \,L l-<) :.' l ""c~.__;y :Cl..WHG ·che Dominion' s troops in ·crc.,inine; 1·rore t ,_,lrnn i or the 'I1heso ". iill be deposited in the .:i.rchivc ci c;t Ott.J.VJ.J. for the purpo :.:; e of i)erm~nent reco rd. Cu.no.clinnG vrill thus h CLve the opportunity of s eeing who.t their troopo o.re doina oversc.J.o. A new honour fell to C.J.na~~ to d.J.y ,;hen the GUiJG:i."'Vi Si OD o.nc1 c-1..dmini str ,::;.t ion Of the entire _,l dershot Command v-re re ·c c.~ken over lJy Gcner..11 UcNc..U6hton~ G.O.C~ cl PL":f +++++++ 26/2/40 -No.20. FRJ~NCH OFFICIAL CmiMUNI(),UE (Evening). Paris 2 lVlondai(, February 26th, 1940. The following official communique was issued this evening from J?rench G. H. 'l· :­ -A QUIET DAY ON THE WHCLE. 26/2/40 -No.21. FOR PUBLICATION AFTER 9,30 p.m. THIS (MONDAY) EVENING FEBRUARY 26th, 1940, As this script is being issued in advance, it is necessary to eheck it against the broadcast at 9,15 p.m. this (Monday) evening on 419 or 391 metres. / AN AMERICAN VISITS THE EUROPEAN NEUTRAI,S by H. B. Elliston (Home Service: 9,15 -9,30 p.mo) I don't know who invented the phrase "Somewhere in France" but the phrase has caught on rapidly, and in the last three months I have been "somewhere" in hR.lf-n-dozen countries, m3.inly the neutral countries. Very soon after the Finnish was broke out -I saw Finland go from peace to w~r -I found myself bro~dcasting to America from "somewhere in Finland11 It was Abo, really-Turku to you, if you • are a Finn -for Finnish towns hnve two names, one Swedish and the other Finnish. Abo seems to be in more populnr usage nbrond, so Abo it shall be, Now Abo is too lovely a town to be called 11 somewhere", The place h~s a soul of its own -like York or Edinburgh. It really me;:i.ns trading post. And in the mind's eye this mco.ning of Abo brings back a panorama of the Baltic under the Hanscatic League, It's still a thriving port -where ships are both m2de 2nd manned to snil the seven sens. And it's the cleanest port city, too, in my experience of port cities, the world over. However, Abo, in its cloistered repose, is full of more memories than H~nseatic. For it1 s the old capital of Finland, with ci1stle and co.thedrri.l complete. It was a week after the bombardment of Helsinki th::'.t I got to Abo from Helsinki. "Here you will find no tears~" said o. Finnish :friend as I greeted him on the station platform. And I saw no tears all the four dnys I was in Abo, Tho Finns were too busy boarding un their shons, plastering their windows with strips of paper. I woke up every mornin~ to the sound of nails being driven methodically into boards. And I used to think of the line from Henry V : With busy hc..mmers closing rivets up, Give drendful note of preparation. Only the nnil-driving interrupted the quiet of Abo. Abo -the city of dreadful quiet! -2 ­ There were two air raid alarms while I was in Abo. They were false alarms -Abo is only twenty minutes away from the Hussian air bases on the ~sthonian coast 9 so it's no wonder there were false alarms. But I got some experience of the way the Finns were taking ito After all, the war in Finland is far more of a war on the civilian population then on the army~ and only as the civilians -older men, women and children -stand up to the terror can the army hold out~ In an alarm in Abo one evening in a cellar I sat next to two little boys. One had a name that sounded like Davido They were holding handsa Then one of them began to talk to keep up his courage " "We shouldn't be afraid at such times as these 11 , he saido 0 No, we shouldn1 t be afraid11 , said the other. "Why should we be afraid. If something happens it meaEs that we are getting all Russian Karelia as well". ·rhen one of the cave dwellers told the little boys a story. This was i to In 190L1., he said, the Japanese sank the flagship of the Russian fleet in Far Lastern waters, and the news was put up on a bulletin board in the streets of Helsinki. The notice was in t-'innishb A Russian officer -· Pinland belonged to Russia then ­kept trying to make out what was printed, but finally gave it up, and turning to a Finnish boy standing next to him, demanded "What does it mean?". The Pinnish boy responded: Japonski; boom, boom, boom llussky, boolie, boolie, boolie. The little boys laughed at that, as we all didq In Abo I engaged a secretary ·who Yvas formerly a school teacher. Her name, Peltonen, or LittlefieldQ ·,-Vi th Miss Peltonen I used to go shopping, for I had no Finnish or Swedish language to help me .. Miss Peltonen was one of the many Finns who had taken up English on the exciting prospect of Finland being the world's host for the 1940 Olympic Gamese Her nnglish was almost Biblical. One day, as we were walking in the streets , I said, "You hear the nails being driven in, but it1 s not as loud as I woula_ have thought"n Very seriously she responded: "Ho~ you see they will cast down bombs on us, and destroy our homes , so that we must be very CJ.Uieto 11 And as I was leaving Aboy Miss Peltonen bade me this goodbye: "It will be a full moon next weeko When you go, will you pray for us, please, that we shall have clounse Otherwise they will come and cast bombs on us and destroy uso,, · The other day I had a letter from Miss Peltonen which showed how remorselessly "they" were casting bombs upon Abo. "After you left" she wrote, "our eastern neighbour began to visit our town every dayo We have been sitting in the vuesta-sueya (the Finnish word for air raid shelter) almost every day for several hours 0 Today I was in one for five hourso In the morning I just wait _ for the alarm, which usualJy comes at eleven o'clock, sometimee earlierQ At three o'clock as a rule we are allowed to come out and begin our work. In the evening~ I am very tired, as if I have done a hard day's work9 thrugh all we have done is simply go to assembly in the vuesta-sueyao Many people have lost their/ -3 ­ their homes, but mine i s still a s it was . I shall r emember the soul of Abo long after the sound of na ils driven into its boaPded-up shops has been lost in my memory. The s oul of i t! Al as ! There mus t -be little else left of' afrai d• it. The bombs are fast destroying the old. city , I'm What impressed me most of a11 in the first ten days o:r the war in Finland was the way that the Finns kept their sense of humour. It's J;iretty grim, t hat sense of' humour, even in peace-time. It' s grimmer still in war-time. Most of the jokes in Finland I heard during the air raids. For instance, a grim jester remarked one day in a shelter, "We ought to send away the churches, and then our women and chilO.ren would be safe". The joke touched the risibilities the more because it was uttered without any change of fa cec Your true Pinn is expressiofrless even when cracking a joke. And the laught er -the laughter that greet ed this sally -seems t o provoke not the slightest strain on t he constitution. In Sweden they are not possessed of humour as are the Finns. Sweden's lack of humouI' comes out in their public notices to be silent. Admonitions to be silent are posted up everywhere -on lamp posts, city walls, doors, in homes, hotels, public buildings, offi ces. This notice is the most ubiquitous thing in war-time Sweden. Herc it is, vivid yellow against a vivid blue background : Seri ous Times Demand community spir it al el'.'tness silence The Swedes arc probably the best-behaved people in the world. So the injunction t o be silent commands wide obedience. Indeed the injunction is making the Swedes talk with what Walt Whitman ca lls a "fai nt indirection". It is the same kind of talking out of a pol'.'tmanteau that the Chinese use f'rom fear lest nla in talk might sound rude. In war-time Sweden plain talk mi ght -be embarr•asstv.g ~ if not dangerous. Examples galore of Swedish prudence occurred in my visit in Sweden. For ins ance, an American accost ed a stranger in the street and asked him in Swedish the way t o his hotel. The Swede looked at him blankly. Then, fearing to be· i mpolite, said in English "I am sorry I don't speak Swedi sho I am an Ame rican". "'rhank goodness! returned my acqua intance heartily, 11 so am I. Now where ---·--·--11 But by this time the pPt::.dont Swede had f l ed. Perhaps one might judge a na tion's humour or lack of it from these notices to be silent. The Swedish noti~e is a strai ght command without any funny frills. In Holland I first discovered the whimsical touch which I find in Pougasse's drawings in Engl and. "Somewhere in Holland11 I saw a drawing of a pot. "A pot has two ears", read the notice, "and it is we 11 to 1'.'emember that when you have military information11 ,, It may seera surpris ing that tho Dutch should have more humour than the Swed.es. J3ut I was cons t antly 1'.'unning across evidences of Dutch humoul'.'. Por three days I was the guest of the Dutch General Staff on a tour of the fortifications, and humour I found was well mixed with sej:>iousness. The humour came out in a peep I took inside a shoeneker's shop. There wel'.'e shoes in the wind.ow, and the pl at e on the door advertised 1'mast el'.' shomnaker 11 I • looked in, and lo! the shop was a pillbox, wi tlli two machine-guns and one anti-tank gun insi de, and the whole made/ -4­ made of ferro-concrete several feet thick. The offiQers laughed out loud over nry astonishment. One of the great jokes of our tour -it was a tour arranged fo~ neutral journalists, by the way -hacl to do v-d th the little boy who was supposed to have kept the angry sea from flooding Holland just bysticking his finger in a dike. The officers pulled our legs ove~ this story from English and American schoolbooks. They said it was quite a myth, and toward the end of our tour they suggested that a picture of one of us sticking his finger in a dike would be a good method of laughing it away. My finger Yvas elected. So, on a day with the temperature at 15 below zero I stuck my finger into an imaginary hole of a dike on the Zuider Zee, and, to the merriment of the officers, the picture was recorded by the newspaper photographers in our party.It will appear in America. Then the Dutch canteens are gaily decorated with funny pictures. One of them was called in English 11 Annie' s Villa". Inside thezae was a picture of Annie with barbed ·wire over her heart. Underneath was this Dutch adaption of the popular German marching song Ericka• It runs: Fair Mina has a barbed wire heart And no soldier will ever take that fort Yes, they've got a pretty sense of humour have the so-called stolid Dutch. The feeling which I find outside Holland that the Dutch wouldn't fight if their country were invaded makes the Dutch laugh too. "The question isn't even asked here", said one officer. "Itis just taken for granted". And after you have been in Holland a few days, you have no doubt at all that the Dutch would fi ght. Whatever may be said about the other neutrals -and much may be said -nobody can accuse the Dutch of not defending their neutrality. In Holland they shoot and then protest whenever a oelligerent strays over their territory or territorial waters. In Sweden they just protest. You know, it's said that God created all other countries but Holland, and that Hollanders created Holland. Meaning that the Dutch dragged up their living space from the bottom of the sea -reclaimed it. It's rather absurd to think that after doing that the Dutch wouldn't fight to keep what t hey've created. In Holland, by the way, I heard them say that the British had lost their sense of hmnour. They contrasted the lack of it with the humour of the British in the world war. "The Germans", said a lutchman, 11 have now got what the British had in the world war. 11 By way of illustration he showed me a German funny pa:;:Jer containing a cartoon of a mother looking dubiously first at her dirty infant and then at her soap ration card. "I think I' 11 save the soa~J, and send you to the cleaners11 , she says. All very well, but I'm going to write to that D.utchr11an that he was mistaken, and I shan't write to him from 11 Somewhere in Engl and", either. ++++++++ -'RITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION. Weekly No~.§· NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE MORNING NEWSPAPERS OF FRIDAY, lST MARCH, l940Q ----------------·· ~-..... AIR MINISTRY WEEKLY NEWS LETTEg. Note: The information contained in this news Letter may be used by the Press without .acknowledgement. If' it is desired to ref'er to the Air Ministry as the source of' t ·he inf'ormation2 the ·expression nThe Air Ministry: Announces:-" is not tq_be ~· CONTENTS .. PHANTOM FLIGHT. AIR EPIC OF NORTH SEAe PROGRESS OF THE AIR WAR. SILVER GREYHOUNDS OF THE R.A.F. UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE VISITS AIRlViliN IN THE DESERT UNAWARE HE'D SHOT DOWN HEINKEL. MEN WHO MAN THE R.A.F. GUNS. NAMING OF THE BRISTOL nBLENHEIM11 .,. GERM.AN PILOT'S HARD-LUCK STORY. BOY :MI.:;ETS DAD, Press and Publicity Branch, Air Ministry, King Charles Street, Whitehall, s.w.1. 1st March, 1940Q 2•. TH]I; P11ANTOM rLrmu:. AIR EPIC OF THE NORTH SEA. On the night of 23rd May, 1917 six Zeppelins crossed the North Sea to bomb British towns. One of the British aircraft sent up to attack them was overdue in returning, and a Short seaplane went out to search for it. The log of the pilot, Flight Sub-Lieut. Morris, recording his search, forced-landing and subsequent rescue tells in terms of stark s:im~licity a tale of extraordinary fortitude4 11 The •••• •".my engine suddenly failedia choppysea was and the wind rising, so my observer sent off his pigeon. At about 2.30 p.m. the starboard plane was carried away. We climbed out on to the other plane to balance things." "The machine got tail to wind, the tail plane was smashed, and we gradually began to sink~ We climbed out on to the f'loats-." "The sea was very rough and the wind blowing a gale.. We clung on all night. When morning dawned the wind had dropped. We watched all day, and at evening sighted a lightship and two destroyers in the distance." "About sunset six seanlanes, flying very low, and in diamond formation, flew over us. As we waved they answered by firing a green light but took no further notice. The 3_. machines were *going east, and fl.Ying v,ery f~11 1•Nothing else happened until Sunday, when an ao1..,o:plane flew over but failed to see us. The weather remained calln. " non Tuesday, about 2 o.. a.Lock, we sighted an H.12 It circled r01.md and landed, although the sea was getting rough again. AB it passed us we hung on to the wires and climbed in. Vvhen the pilot tried to get it up again the rough water broke the tailplane. We taxied for about 25 miles when we sighted the 11 0rient 11 , which took us ~ • 11 aboard. " • All that the pilot and observer had had to eat during the five days and nights they were clinging to the float was a few malted millt tablets. As to the flight of six seaplanes which pass.ed overhoad1 t her e is no record of any British formation such as doscr>ibed. Nor is it likely that Gorman pilots of those da~rs would callously have left the castaways to their fate. It is not ilIIpossible that tho seaplanes were a phantom flight, crea~ed from the stuff of tho hopes and suf~erings of tho two airmen. PROGRESS OF THE AIR WAR. The German air effort continues to bo directed against British and neutral shipping -activities which the Prime Minister described as 11not war> but murder.11 The Royal Air Force, on the other hand, has maintained tho established patrol work in the Norttt Sea, and reconnaissance activities directed against enemy naval and military objectives. British long distance reconnaissance flights into the German Reich have included Austria and Bohemia again. As with the magnetic mine, now known to have been in secret preparation for years to attack Britain~s life-line, Germany's air attacks on shipping are apparently part of a long­term plan to "ble.ed Britain whito11 • The essence of the plan seems to be to strike at Britain in a way in which Germany cannot well be struck back in return; and to refrain from measures that would invite immediate1 and overwhelming, counter attack. Lord Chatfield' s recent hillt that Britain's air strength vdll be brought into play at the right instant may dispel any German hopes of the success of such a plan. Tho Allies' growing air ascendancy, backed by the groat Dominion Air Training Scheme which is now getting into its stride, is bringing that time nearero x x After a short period of comparitivo irmnunity from loss;, there is a rise in tho casualties inflicted on raiding German aircPaft, As new defensive measures become effective tho loss factor suffered by tho Nazi~ may be expected to increase. An analysis of Gorman aircraft knovm to have been shot down on raids on Britain shews that by far tho largest proportion foll to tho guns of R.A.F. fighterso Tho majority came down in the seas off the British coasts; only four on British soil. Several are now definitely known to have fallen in neutral countries after engagement with British air defences. It may safely be assumed that a proportion, similarly damaged, fell in German waters or crashed in enemy territory. x x x The Air War is being fought on the drawing boards and in the design shops, no less than in the field. Time, in this respect, is at least a neutral benevolent to the Allies, with their greater facilities for the manufacture and purchase of advanced types. Also, since Britain and France started serious air re-armament long after Germany's bombing fleets were already built, what they lacked in numbers at tho outbreak of war theyl gained in modernity of aesign. But design marches on~ Already tho crack fighters and bombers in service on both sides are demodod by newer types on the stocks. Details of now British typos may not be disclosed; but it is no secret that the demand for still higher, speeds, greater fire power, and increased range has been most successfully met in both defence and countor-offonsivo aircraft. \ Germany, faced with the rapidly growing obsolescence of the thousands of aircraft which so far have been used only as threats, is known to. be making strenuous efforts to keep abreast of' design. A new Hoinkol, said to be fitted with new type 6., Daimler-Benz motors of a total output of 4 1 500 h.p. giving a top speed of 350 m.p.h., is spoken of. But just as the Vickers Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes have mastered tho existing Heinkels and Dorniers, British designers will have the enswer to any new German typos. SILVER GREYROUNDS OF THE RrA.Fq A Royal Air Force Officer is sometimes soon wall:ing dovm the gangway of a cross-channel steamer before disembarkation has begun, with a military tred-cap1 policeman escorting him ond his bags. Or ho may be observed being shevm very special consideration by the station-master of some foreign railway station, or by a Sea Transport Officer. That R.A.F. officer is almost certainly one of the Royal Air Force Dispatch Couriers ­the 'silver Greyhounds' of tho Air Force. Tho Royal Air Force Dispatch Couriers came into being a few months ago. Their job is to carry priority official dispatch bags by any alternative means of travel when woathor or other• reasons prevent the ordinary air dispatch letter scPvico of tho Air Force from being usod. There arc four courier s; officers specially seloctoc for their stamina and their familiarity with the cont inentc. They arc tho most powerfully sponsored members of tho travelling public, and they oarry the highest possible government crcdontialsc On the average they travel 8.bout 71 000 miles a month, and theiP motto is 11 J 1y vais11 (I am going there). They aPo individually knovm to railway and departmental officials on both sidon o:L the Channel, and nover complete a travelling form or make ap,;lication for any concession. They are given precedence because of their mission, which may include the charge of important dispatches from any Government department. Occasionally tho R.A.F. Couriers do unexpected things. When tho Prime Minister was at tho front recently Dnportant papers had to be convoyed to him urgently. They left Whitehall at 9 a.m. Two hours later tho duty officer at an advanced air · station in France read in tho Courier's movement order the magic words "you arc to render all available help.••• Priority Sorvice11 • He commandeered a motor car from its astonished occupant, found out the Prime Minister's exact whereabouts, and had tho Courie~ and his dispatches delivered to the Primo Minister by twelve noon, UNDER~ECRBTARY OF STATE VISITS AIRMEN IN TIC DESERT. Officers and airmen of tho R.A.F. 'carrying on' in tho desoI1ts of western Egypt and 'Iraq, arc specially interested i:.1. two things -tho 1 inside story' of the way tho air war is goin6, anti the latest dovolo:pmcnts in air f'orco cq_uipnont. tho questions most frequently asked of' Captain Balfour, Under-Secretary o:f State for Air, during his recent 7,000 milcc air tour of' R.A.F. stations in the Middle East. Captain Bo.lfour was as much impressed 1.J y tho v·nw in which British airmen have settled down in out-of-tho-way desc:::-e spots, as by tho scope of tho fncilitios fol' work and spol't at the big Roye.l Air Force centres in Lgypt and· trroaq. The men1 s own ingenuity has added a number of 'homo comforts' to those officially supplied. Hot plates have been made from old petrol cans; old aircraft packing cases have b 2on converted into sports pavilions and 'nineteenth holes' i'or 4oGort golf' courses• Open air cinemas are run by tho airi:L l thcrrwolYcD • in these remote spots out in t the blue' 1 hundreds of miles fro:::1 a big town•• Modern air and radio developments h~wo taken rr.uch oi' the monotony and risk out of desert li:re. Big load cc:trr~ring aircraft hnve ended the •canned food' era, since fresh :foodstuff's~ as well as water and :fuel su:ppiios are now rcgulo.rly flown to the desor't outposts. And although the health of tho men is remarkably good, it is a comfort to know that in case of critical illness a patient could be taken by air to a modern hospitnl in a matter of hours. A now uso for the radio is to givo warning o:r approo.ch:i.ng dust storms -one of tho bugbears of desert life, and at one time a menace to flyingG Such a warning sent Captain Balfour l'o.cing back from a desert air station to Cairo at 300 m.p.h. Half an hour later the dust storm arrived, with "visibility -50 yards11 • But before he left the Under-Secretary had time to take charge of a letter which a sergeant pilot had written to his wif'c at Motherwell, Scotland. It duly arrived a week-end 2fter po.sting t somewhere in Northern Africa' c UNAWARE HE 1D SHOT DOWN HEINKEL. Extract from report by a Royal Air Force pilot of Fighter Cormnand: "I descended to cloud base ~d continued on my patrol'!• When he made his matter-of-fact· statement this pilot d.id. not know that he had shot down an enemy Hoinkel raider. There was at first some doubt as to which of the British pilots who engaged the Heinkel recently off North Berwic~ was to be credited with tho bag. It is now known that tho raider foll to the gu.na of a Vickers Spitfire fighter. Tho pilot, a Squadron Leader, described the fight thus:­ 11While on patrol, I sighted one aircrnft climbing steeply. Enom.y aircraft entered cloud, and I followed. In an open patch I sighted him again. I saw rod flashes from his top roar g'tlh• Thon I fired a burst, and enemy aircraft disappeared • into thick cloud. A:F'Ger making certain that enemy aircraft was . not flying abovo cloud, I descended to c.loud base and continued. on my :patrol.11 This laconic report means that the British pilot :plunged after his g_uarry at some 400 miles an hour into tho kind of cloud that is so ofton the refuge of Nazi raiders. Ho was lucky enough to find his enemy again without a colliB10llD_, and in c inoma idiom "gavo him tho worksn • Tho Squadron Leader's first exploit during tho war was to attack n Gorman bomber low over tho roofs of Edinburgh during the Firth of Forth raid on October 16th. MEN WHO MAN THC R,A.F. GUNS. The war has brought to the Royal Air Force a now type of fighting man -officer nir-gunners. They are tho crack shots who will sit in the tail turrets of Britain1 s big bombers, ready to fight off with a bc-tttory of machine guns any enemy aircraft which may at·~!OJ.ck th0m. As yet many of them aro still under training. · But a ntnnber of those newly-commissioned air gunners aro now joining operational squadrons, with tho new A.G. badge on their uniforms. The first batch includes representatives of many professions. At one bombing and gunnery school there is a Canadian who served two years in the North Vfost Mom1ted Police, and throe years in tho Royal Canadian Air Force; a master builder; ll; a tobacco planter f'rom Siam; a wireless engineer; an Eton and Oxford race-horse owner; a London newspaper man; a policeman; a Westel'.'n Australia medical student; a business man who flew sea-planes in the last war and survived five crashes; an instructor in the London Gliding Club. One of the earliest to join was a well-known M.P. Although of widely differing types, they have two things in common -they are all used to firearms; and they are men who can be relied on in a tight corner. All are tremendously keen on their j ob, and share a determination to shoot holes in Nazi air•craft at the earliest possible opportunity. The average age of the officers under training at thi s school is 30; some of them are nearly twice that age . NAMING OF THE BRISTOL 1BLENHEIM 1 • The Bristol Blenheim is one of BPitain ' s crack bomber ~ircraft which has provoked a good deal of comment from the enemy. Nazi propagandists have even sought to make some play on the choice, for this modern British aircraft, of the old Germanic name Blenheim (Ger. Blindheim) scene of Marlborough's great victory over an earlier dictator. Possibly the memory ranklGs of the defeat of the Bavarians there by Britain's Austrian allies. The history of the Blenheim is unique among successful contemporary military aircraft. It was originally designed as ' . a civil ty-pe, and was sponsored by a private citizen. Although designed six years ago, it remains tte basic design for one of the most advanced aircraft in its class -the high speed9 two-motor medium bomber which can manoeuvre like a fighter$ Ihe Blenheim has reached its present stage through a series of improved patterns or 'markst. Since the prototype was designed the wing positions have been changed from "low-wingll to 11mid·-wing"; th 8 fuselage has been redesigned and visibility improved; and the engine power progressively increased from about 1,200 h.. p. to a total of nearly 2,000 h.p.. The prototype was the Bristol 1429 known as 0 Britain Firstn. This aircraft was presented to the nation by Lord Rothermere after it had proved itself almost the fastest in the world. From half a dozen place names with the initial letter "B11 the series allotted to Bristol built bombers .... 0Blenheim" was chosen in consultation with Lord Rothermere because of its special historical interest. An order in 1935 for 200 modified versions of "Britain Firt:it11 laid one of the foundations for the expanded Royal Air Force with which Britain entered the war. The number of Blenheims eventually ordered may now be reckoned in thousands rather than hundr'eds,. It was in a Blenheim that Captain Balfour, Under­Se.cr'etary of State for• Air, recently carried out part of his air• visit to R.A.F. units i:a the Middle East, flying 7t000 miles in ten days. The latest version of the Blenheim now in service, the Mark IV or "long nose0 , fitted with two 920 h.p. Bristol Mercury engines, has a top speed of about 300 m;,p.h., and a range approaching 2~000 miles. Blenheim aircraft have already distin­guished ~hemselves both as bombers and fighter s in a number of air actions against the enemy, as well as in continuous recon­naissance and patrol work over Western Germany and enemy bases. Still newer versions, incorporating features suggested by war­time experience, will ensure that the name Blenhei m r emains a source of anxiety to the enemy, and a credit to British aircraft designers and the Royal Air Force. GERIV1.AN PILOT'S HARD-LUCK STORY. Two men met recently in a prisoner s' of w.ar camp in France -a visiting American war correspondent and a sturdyt hard-faced German air pilot. A year ago the American was in Spai n covering events there for his news agency. A flash of memory came to him now. He spoke to the German pilot. flr feel certain we have met before~ It was at the 0-tta.ncl Hotel, Saragossa. wasn•t it'" he asked. Hyou a'.l:'e probably right••• answer ed the German prisoner, speaking in good English• l was flying and f i ghting in Spain with the German Condor Legiontt. The German was shot down on his first raid beh~~d the Maginot Line by a young French airman some ~~1mo~ths ago. The , I .American expressed his sympathy at the wa,ste of good ~ra).ning! '· J BOY MEET§ DAJ). Last summer a young man was completing his last year at Keble College, ·oxford. A brilliant scholar and a good linguist, he had hopes of a diplomat·ic career. A few months later, a Squadron Leader• the Director of Music of the Royal Air Force happened to visit one of the R.A.F, home depots. A young corporal saluted smartly in passing. The Squadron Leader, returning the salute, glanced at the N.c.o., then started, looked again and stopped. 11Hullo!" he greeted him. ttnullo, Father -er -I mean, sirl" was the reply. The Squadron Leader is in France now. So is the Ool'poral. The Squadron Leader conducted the Royal Air Force band at its first Paris concert given at the Chaillot Theatre. The aorpo~al is carrying 0ut his routine duties with the B.A.F. Father and son have since met.a.gain in the B.A.F. area ova~ g cup of tea.