FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIO BEPORTS REOETVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION No. 63 .........'...............................~.?..~:?...!.'!.~.~.?..~, 1940 U.S.A: U.S. ENTRY INTO WAR DISCUSSION. The question as to whether the United States will eventually be compelled to enter the war is discussed in a leading article in today's If.C:n YO~U\. HidALD-T.tUBUNE9 This pa:_Jer ·writes: "Setting aside all question of sympathies or of merits in the European struggle even the most rigid isolationist would still have to grant that the practical chances of the U.S.A. ulthnately being forced into a major war will be very much greater in the event of a Nazi victory in Europe than if Britain and France win. The chances of the United States being foroed into the present war will be much greater the loni~er it lasts. On all grounds, the realistic isolationist must conclude that the best hope lies in a prompt Franco-British victory with0ut military aid f'rom the U.S. A. He might well ask himself whether his time would not be better employed in encouraging that result rather than in throwing all sorts of paty obstacles in the way of' non-military assistance which the Allies may derive f'rom this country. "On the most rigidly practical calculation, assisting Adolf Hitler to the hegemony of Europe is by no means the only, nor is it probably always the best way, of keeping the United States out of war." The view is expressed in the m:w· YORK Tirvli!S that Signor Mussolini is unlikelJ' to take any step which would involve him in war with the Allies. In a l eading article entitled "Which way Italy?" this paper writes: "Hitler wanted something when he hurried to the Brenner to meet Mussolini. This much we know. Exactly what he wanted or what response he received we do not know yet. The only visible r esponse so far has been the dense smoke screen of rumours and warnings and the familar outright threats from Berlin. Italy, we r ead,will stand"by her strong right arm to hold off' the Allies while Germany gobbles up Roumania by 'peaceful' pursuasion ; Italy will join the Berlin-Moscow friendships Italy is ready to incur Vatican displeasure while sh€:: sidles up to Russia. "Everything it seems is the subject of noisy discussion -exc8pt the essentials of Italy's position. In the Balkans Italy's greatest interest is now, as before, the maintenance of the status quo and the avoidance of war throughout the Balkan peninsula... Any German attempt to swallow Roumania even without armed invasion would run counter to Italy's strategic and economic interests for it would immensely heighten the risk of war on the Danube and would lessen Italian influence in one of the few r egions in Europe where it still counts for something• "Moreover, Italy would not find it so easy to turn an ideological somersault as Germany did in making peace with Moscow. .Above all, Italy is in no condition to wage war f'or anything. Her finances~are shaky and htr strategic position is vulner able in the extreme. It is true that the Italian fleet and army in Libya could make infinite trouble f'or the Allies in the Mediterranean but it is also true that the Italian coasts remain dangerously exposed to the British and French navies and that the Northern Italian ?lain could pr ovide t he Allied armies with the battle ground which they cannot find along the Rhine. Si gnor 1/iussolini knows these things better than some of his voluble Axis f'riends in Berlin." Referring to the Canadian elections the NEWYOHK IGRALD-T.1:UBUI'l""E states: "To those in Germany and elsewhere who had hoped that Canada's inter est in the war might be waning this vote will be a sure disappointment. Despite superficial issues in the campaign there is no doubt that the conduct of the war was the determining f actor and that the vote on this was, by a large majority, one of' gener al satisfaction." FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR OOMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION N-0. 63 ...................................a.g.tfi.··Ma,r,efl:...., 1940 S1iITZZi.lLAHD: DISB~LIEF II~ .iW.L\'i:i:;-B.ZHLIN-MOSCOW ALLIJ.NC..:.;• . The general view of Rome correspondents of the Swiss newspapers, com­menting on rumours of a Berlin-Rome-Moscow alliance is one of sceoticism at .. the possibility of Italy's throwing in her lot in an 'Axis' which includes Soviet Russia. The Rome correspondent of the BASLL.;rt NACHRICHTEN, the Liberal Democratic organ, writes today: "Italy's attitude towards the Soviet is summed up thus -firstly Italy regards Russia as of little value as a military Ally and secondly Rome regards the political world-wide aims of Moscow with undiminished mistrust. While this would not prevent Italy from continuing trade with the Soviet the inclusion in any political military system in which Bolshevism is a partner is out of the question. It is most unlikely that the next European sensation will come from this quarter." The GAZETTE DE LAUSANNE deolares: "Italian feelings are profoundly anti­communist. Rome is poles apart from Moscow and the Vatican is the antithesis of the Kremlin. Crown and church are two institutions deeply .anchored in the hearts of the Italian people. The Soviets reject, suspect and scorn both. Hence the impossibility of a secret or open understanding between Italy and Russia on the lines of German-Russian collusion." BELGilllli: G3-.:UviAN AIH VIOLATIONS. Violations of Belgian territory by German aircraf't a.re discussed in the Belgian Press today. XXme SIEGLE, the Catholic Organ, discussing its Berlin correspondent's report that the German High Conunand is contemplating vigorous 'reprisal actions' for Allied aircrafts' alleged activities over neutral territory writes: "Berlin goes too far in making these reproaches. Ceaselessly, and in groups so that it is impossible to accept the suggestion of error, German machines fly over our provinces. "After Lieutenant Henrard's murder assurances were repeatedly given by Berlin. But there has been no change for the better as is proved by the quantity of Gennan tract:s destined for the French and found throughout our country." The Conservative newspaper, NAT;r:oN BELGE, states: "Despite noisy Germ~ allegations about Allied aeropJ.anes infringement of our neutrality the Belgians note that the sole intrusions regularly occurring are made by the German planes." BRAZIL: M. REYNAU..D "THE :iVIOST ABLE LE.ADIB." M. Reynauii , the new French Premier, was described in the CO::IBEIO DA MAWA as "the most able leader at present of any belligerent or neutral country. Much is to be expected from him." O J01-0~.AL expressed the view that the war situation is becoming clearer "with the intensification of the struggle between the totalitarians, who deny right and justice, and the Democracies who are fighting for Ghristian civilisation." FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPIDO BEPOMS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORl\IATION 29th lfarch No. ....................................................................., 19-ID GERKAI1Y : R\N ON " HYJviN 01'' HATE". The latest of the many prohibitions which, from the begi11ning of the regime, the Nazis have been compelled to impose to prevent their own public from making them ridiculous, is a ban on the Fazi hymn of hate "Denn v;ir fahren gegen Engelland" (We are off to fight against }England), which is known as the "Engelland Lied." The ban, as reported in the German Press, has been pronounced under the decree "for the protection of national symbols and songs" and forbids the singing of the Engelland Lied in places of entertainment except on approved occasions. The officially approved rendering of the song after broadcast announce­ ments of imaginary victories often acquires an ironical touch by the addition of "Ahoy" at the end of the last verse. The Reichsbank weekly return yublished in the German papers shows the uninterrupted course of currency inflation. The circulation of Reichsbank notes on Earch 23rd 1940 was given as 11,526,232,000 marks, which compares with 7,463,727,000 marks on rEarch 24th 1939 -an increase of 4,062 0505,000 marks. At the rate quoted for sterling in yesterday's FRANKFURTER ZEITlJ"NG, this increase is equivalent to £4,100,000,000. Adding the milliard of old Renten• bank notes which is believed to have been reissued since the war began (an official return gives the amount of Rentenbank notes in circulation at the end ~f February as 1,1110 300,000 marks) the total increase in the note circulati~n since March 23, 1939 is seen to be about £5,1006000 ,000. German newspaper readers -recently d.escribed by Dr. Dietrich, the Reich Press Chief, as the "best-informed in the world" -were yesterday asked by the NATIONAL Z~ITUNG of Essen (Marshal Goering's organ) to digest a fantastic story about the British "plutocrats". Quoting a reply said to have been given in the House of Commons by Captain CrQGkshank to the effect that there was nothing unusual about Lord Hankey's income the Nazi organ exclaimed.: "A really plutocratic conception.' But there is something more behind all this. Chamberld.in was educated at Rugby. Hankey also went to Rugby. Not one per cent of Bnglish youtl;l. is educated at the four leading public schools, J£ton, Harrow, Winchester and Rugby, but over 85 per cent of their scholars hold the key positions in the British Government and. industry. "All these people have known each other from childhood. and all of them help each other to increase their ·wealth by obtaining the best positions. In accordance with this ancient plutocratic custom Chamberlain piously presented his old. schoolchurn Hankey with these remunerative posts. Such profiteering at the expense of the Bnglish people is indeed not unusual in England." The NATIOI~AL ZBITUNG ornitted. to mention that Lord Hankey 1 s income is probably less than that of many quite minor Nazi leaders. U.S. S. R: ALLEGATIONS AGAINST Tllli ALLIBS. The Soviet Press continues to _:•rint reports tending to show the existence of tension in Anglo-Italian relations. A signed. article in a recent issue of PRAVDA said. that Britain and France were trying to create a ne';v nar front in Spain and to drive out Italy. It was added that the Anglo-Spanish -~i_Zreement of Larch 18th was intended. to damage Italian interests in S~ain. FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIO REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION 63 29t h March No. 1940 ..•••••••• • •••• • •••••••• •••••••••••••••••••• ••••u •••••••••• ••••••••• , I '.L'ALY: ITALIJl.N VIEd OF ALLI~S 1 ?OJ.iI CY. · A tone unf'avourable to the Allies is still noticeabl e in t ht Italian Press. Commenting on Count 'l'eleki 1s visit to Rome , Signor Gayda stat ed in the GIORNALE D'ITJLIA: "Italy and Hungary wish to preserve the Balkans from a threat which despite I.i0ndon and Paris Press suggestions could not come from Germany. Their policy is par t of a gradual scheme of collaboration and stabilisation in that sector irrespective of the pr esent situation." The TRIBUNA declared: "The British who habitually make their pnrticular interest a question of universal conduct are trying to convince t he world that the existence of the German people constitutes a danger for the independenoe of all and so must fight with the Allies against them. But no one believes in this apocalyptic myth. "Many indeed think that the end of German power would destroy the balance of power and eternally consecrate .Pranco-British hegouor::;r o The cause of peace is served by preserving the most inflannnable sector of Europe from war." German threats to the neutrals in connection with their shipping activities were referred to in a Berlin dispatch to the HUFVUDSTADSBLADET_, ·the Swedish ?eo·ple' s Party newspaper. This message stated: "Germany is submitting, or has submitted, severe alternatives to t he neutrals which open serious prospects for neutral shipping. Germany demands that armed merchantmen .should be treated as warships. Germany will do everything to clarify her position and hopes that the neutrals are aware of the danger of ignoring these views. The neutrals thus are progressing towards a new and dangerous development in naval warfare." This paper in a Paris dispatch reported that the Allies intend to disregard the neutrality of Norwegian waters as Gennany had systematically violated Norway's territorial waters since the beginning of the war. The possibility of a ~ome-Berlin-Moscow alliance was r ef erred to in a Berlin dispatch yesterday to IiELSINGIN SPJ~OivJ..T. 'l'hi s message stated: "A three power declaration may be expected soon. Before a German offensive on the Western Front becomes a .:;>ossibility the Italo·-Russian discord must be eliminated. Ideological differences are irreconcilable but it is thought that a mutual approach is possible without ideological sacrifices. Gennany has achieved this to the extent that th8 three states will be able to fulfil common political tasks within the frame of the declarati on, which will be issued when M. Molotov arrives in Berlin." UUSI SUOMI r eported from Berlin that in the official German view the Allies "offered a bribe for Italian neutrality and Italy may possibly accept the off'er." Several J!'innish newspapers r eported from Kaunas .that the Lithuanian Government had decided to coxrnnission German f'actories t o construct a water power plant near Vilna. Raw materials would be used as the basis of payment. FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIO REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION 63. 29th March 1940 u•••••••• •••••••• •• •••••• •• •••••••••••• •••••••••••• •••••••••••••• •••t No. PANAMA: RUSSI.AN POLICY CONDEMNED. Russian policy was condemned in the strongest language in an editorial article entitled "Another Felony" which appeared in a recent i:rnue of the ESTRELLA DE P1\NNi1A, the Liberal newspaper. Referring to a report that the Russians were making new demands on the Finns following the conclusion of the peace treaty, this paper stated: "The first impression created by this news is one of profound amazement: H.ussia, without justification, invades ?oland and then :F'inla.nd; she burns whole cities, sacrifices her annies and imposes a humiliating peace by the cruellest of treaties. And when the time comes to give effect to the clauses of the treaty, we find that the Hussian victors, instead of being ashamed of their infamy, and instead of obeying the voice of conscience, ruthlessly take advantage of the existing circumstances to impose new conditions which violate the terms of the treaty while its ink is not yet dry. "On further consideration, however, one comes to t:ec conclusion that there is nothing to be really surprised at in this news. Russia has demonstrated to the world that for her, truth is a myth, that justice does not exist, that respect for the weak is mere rhetoric for her leaders, that the Soviet1 s only aim is to absorb her weaker neighbours no matter what hideous crimes may thereby be per;ietrated. Yesterday1 it was the invasion of Finland, today we are witnessing a further treachery against the Finns, and tomorrow it may be an attack against Sweden, against Norway, against all those practically defenceless peoples who think that, with the ending of the .H.usso-Finnish War, they are now safe, but who may yet be the tragic victims of the insatiable appetite of the Siberian bear. There is nothing in all this to be amazed at -one canuot but expect such atrocities from these criminals." Did Germans Trick Neutral J 0urnalists? \-Triting in this paper in connection with the R.A.F. 's raid ~n Sylt, Sener Leopardos stated: "In n cable from Hornwn we read ~f the visit of three American correspondents to the Island of Sylt to see the damage, or laQk of damage, r esulting from the British air raid. on that German base. 11The text of the cable would seem to indicate that no appreciable damage was caused. "Readin[S between the lines, however, we get the impression that the ?crres­pond.ent who sends the cable wishes to tell us something which the German ce.n.se:r:­would. not allow him to make clear. 11 11.le were shovm a building (says one of them) described by the Germans as a First-Aid Post, on uhich ·we noticed evidence of perfect markmanship 1• "'Hot one person in the bombed buil ding was hurt', says another, also stressing t hat the Germans described the building as a First-!ud Post. " ',111Y this insistence i n repeating 'building described by the Germans as a First-Aid. Post ?' It is much more likely that the building in question was not a First-Ai d Post, but a munitions f actory or barracks. "The last paragraph of the cable i s ind.icative of the 'liberty of action' permitted to t he journalists during t heir visit to the island: 1G0ering put his persom:.l aeroplirne at our disposal during the greater part of our trip to Sylt. '" FOREIGN ·PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR / COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIO REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE ?tfiNISTRY OF INFORMATI~N 29th March No. ....................................................................., 1940 . A complaint has been made by UJ EAGYARSAG that the method of bl•ekade war­fare seriously injures neutral interests. This paper wrote yesterda3"·that attacks on boats in neutral waters paralysed neutral shipping and even Hungary was seriously affeoted. Several Hungarian newspapers suggested the convening ~f a r.eutral csn­ f erence t~ define the rights of neutrals "·whose duties have been so clearly determined. " 1.AGY.\R NEllZET ~tressed the "endeavour of the British fleet to obstruct German navigation in the North Sea and the sinking or capture of seventy-five per cent of the German merchant fleet." BULP~CT FOR 1'CUTR:\L~3 ~NDORSBD. Approving Nir. 01iver Stanley's statement made earlier this month regarding neutrality, the Left-wing newspaper LIETlNOS ZINIOS points out the inconsistency of neutral reproaches for Allied respect of the neutrality ef small states "vmich should be properly appreciated." XX .AMZIUS and. LIETtNOS ZINIOS both state: "Poland which had a weak ethnographic structure will never be restored to her former fr~ntiers and. will not have a common.frontier with Lithuania." FOREIGN PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION 29th March No. ....................................................................., 1940 DBIJ:MARK: 8C:6PTICISl1.'. AT RONl~-lViOSCO·,.-ALLIANCE. The belief that Italy will not join an all iance in which Russia is a partner is expressed in todey' s POLITIKEN. The Rome correepondent of this paper writes: "Italy has no tibjeetion te correct trade and aiploma. tic connections with the Soviet. This has been more or less officially emphasised.. But under the present conditions there is evident no desire to bind herself to nussia, even for such vital Italian interests as the Balkan zone. Rome regards it as quite out of the question that there has been talk of a German-Russian-Italian guarantee to any Balkan state• nor does the idea seem to have avrakened any enthusiasm on the Russian side." The L0 ndon correspondent of the NATIONALTIDE1'1DE writes: "The !illies' Supreme We.r Council held its sixth meeting since the war in London, and. it see:ns certain that this meeting vrill assert a greater influence on the future conduct of the war than the meeting in the Brenner Pass between Hitler and Mussolini. It was the first time that H. Reynaud, the new French ?remier, participated. in a Franco-British War Council l\~eeting, and the political realism which his Cabinet expresses can shortly be expected to assl.Ulle a concrete form. "As the starting point the British and French Governments have issued a solemn declaration that they will neither negotiate nor conclude an armistice or peace treaty unless in mutual agreement. This banishes all German hopes of shaking the Allies. The present alliance aims at the maintenance of international order after the conclusion of peace." 29/3/40. -No. 1, OFFICIAL ADMIRALTY COMMUNIQUE One enemy a ircrnft attacked one of our convoys in the North Sea yesterday evening and d~opped five bombs, doing no damage. ADMIRALTY• SiW~l•. 29/3/40 ... NO: 2. FRENCH OFFICIAL_ COMMUNIQUE . .(MORNING) The following communique was isS'Qed this morning from the French G.H.Q.:­ NOTHING TO REPORT. 29. 3.40/No. 3. P.N. 1630. The Postmaster General reminds holders of National Savings Certificates of the first, second, third and Conversion issues that in accorda.YJ.ce with the announcement made by the Treasury on 1st October 1938, these certificates may be retained until 30th September, 1945 and thereafter until further notice on the tenns set out below. Certificates of the FIRST ISSUE and the SECOND ISSUE will continue to increase in value at the rate of ld. a month (1/-a year). Certificates of the THIRD ISSUE and the COl'lVERSIOl~ ISSUE, which are vvorth 24/-after ten years, will increase in value thereafter at the rate of 2d. every three months (8d. a year) until they are worth 28/-, then at the rate of 2~. every three months (lOd. a year) until they are worth 33/-and thereafter in the absence of a further notice at the rate of ld.• a month (1/-a yeax) , Holders of all these Certificates who desire to keep their holdings need take no action in any event until 30th September> 1945, or thereafter in the absrear 1939. Most agri~ulturnl workers required to register on 6t~ A~ril, 1940, will be covcre~ by the Schedule of Reserved Occupations, but ap:plic ':.t.i.on f'o..r> t:i1e postJ_)0_.1ePent of caLLing up l'or IJilitary 2.ervice ma;y lie r;1ad.e in r•es~)ect of n:en who reached 20 between 10th March , 1940 and bth April, 1940, both dc~te..s i nclusive, and. also those ill occ-;upations ( t:>uch as hoPticult 1.tr8.l occup!1ti011s) fo:e which the age of rese rv .tion is 25 or more, who h~id not re -chr:;c1 the relev:::mt a2·e of rescrv;=ttion by 6th April, 1940. Snch a::n.1lics.tio:t1s for l'.)OStj;1cnerne11t must be sent to the CountJ' War /\.~;r-iculture.l )!;)~ecu tive Cornrni t ee as s0cn n8 the n;ell hu.ve r•e;;_,istered. The c::r"1::;lic ltlon muse be r1mde on for~~1 N. S. l OOA , anL as the latest date 1or the receipt oi' ar1plic8.tions by t he C01nrnitteFjS is l?th April, em~_,loJers shoul d apply t'•t once to their War Agricultu1·al Executive Cmrnuittee for the r•ec,uisite ap~::ilication for1::. The p~riod of postponement grenteG. v.r:Lll not exceed six months , and no postponement wi ll be sanctioned except where the man is in a "key" position on the f'.'.'lrm and it is i r11pocsi ble to obt a i n a substitute or to m:JL.:e other arrangements. P R E S S N 0 T I C E. ~------------~ The G.P.0 9 Film Unit will be transferred to the diJ'.'ect control of the Ministry of Information as Prom 1st of April. Since the outbreak of war the Unit's outputhas been at the disposal of the Ministry, and the transfer is made merely in order to simplify administration and . acqounting~ Thi~ does not . imply any change in the 'Ministry's policy of making the fullest pos~ible use of.suitable trade producers, many of whom are at work on Ministry films. The Unit's latest products are a film on the Balloon Barrage, for which a very large distri.bution is already assured9 and a film in French -intended primarily for distribution in France -about this country's munition work. These films will be included in a special exhibition which has been arranged by Sir John Reith for the French Minister of Information, M. Prossard, during his visit next week. It will be held at the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2nd. Representatives of the Service. and other Departments , and of the Cinema Industry are being invitedo MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. 29/3/L,.O -NO: 11 • PRESS NOTICE. Lord Derby presided yesterday (March 28th) at the Annual Meeting of the United Associations of Great Britain and France, held at 27, Belgrave Square, by kinc1 perraission of Lady Agnes Peel. · Lord Derby and Sir Eric Phipps ·outlinect the War ·,-rorlc of the Socfetyo It was unanimously decided to confirm the appointment of a Committee to demonstrate the solidarity of Anglo-Fronch friendship. The Committee has already been responsible for sending out some 40,000 blankets and quantities of children's clothing t:or the use of the population evacu'.lted from the War zones. A circular letter has been sent out to Girls' Schools throughout the country aslting for relp in knitting blankets a.nd clothing , or in schemes @uch as the 11 adoption" of a child for the duration of the War0 There is now a special need for mobile dispensary cars . which will be fitted up at a cost of £ 200 and maintained at a cost of £250 per annum. Lord Derby has ~romised a mobile d.ispensary car on behalf of Lancashire, ancl. the Anglo-French Society of Birmingham is making a collection for a similar puriJOse., There is also need for sewing machines, and, thanlrn to the Lord Provost of Glasgow 1 a gift of 25 sewing machines ­11 from the women of Glasgow to the women of France" -is now on its ~ay to Franceo At the meeting yesterday the following were unanimously .elected members of the Solidarity Committee:­ President, The Earl of Derby: Chairman, Sir ~ric Phipps; Vice-Chairmen, Captain J.H.F4 McEwen, M.P., and Mr. B.S. Townro-e1 Monsieur J .• Arnavon,; Mr0 C.,R$ Attlee, Mo1\; The Countess of Bessborough1 Captain Malcolm Bullock, M.P.; The Marquis de Oastellane , Sir Walter Citrine; The Marchioness of Crewe; Sir Alexander Hardinge_, Sir Frederick Mander; La c1.y :'.?eel, Monsieur c. Pineau; Monsieur G. Riviere; Sir Archibald SinclairI Lord Snell and Sir John Forbes Watson; Hon. Treasurer, Mr. J. McQueen Smith, Royal Bank of Scotland; Hon. Secretary, Mr. J. B. Brenan. In addition a Lad.i.es Committee has been set up. viith La o.y Peel ,.as Chairman; The Countess of HardJNicke anc1. Mrs. ~.H.F. McEwen a s Vice-Chairmen; the Marchioness of Crewe, Lady Phipps, Mrs . Lionel de Rothschild( Miss Sutherland, Mrs. Waterson and Mrs Philip Argenti Hort, Secretary). o UNIT~D ASSOCIATIONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND FR,lµlCE-!-. As this script is issued in advance _g9/3/40. -No. 12. it should be checked by the actual broadcast. NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNTIL AF~]R 9. 35.. P• m. TODAY. ONCE A WEEK: TALK _]2Y SIR JOS'EPH ADDISON._ Broadcast in the B.B.c. Home Service al; 9o20 P orn. -on·Friday 2 M~r-ch.-29·~-_19Gg. I have been asked to take the paace of "Onlooker" for this evening and I do so with some reluctance because I realise that I cannot be as fully qualified as he is to discuss the subject in relation to your present thoughts and anxieties. i\".y qualification for addj'.'essing you is that I have resided fo.r many years in Germany in an official capacity and was actively engaged during those years in examining and reporting upon the veryproblems with which we are now faced, so that I may perhaps be able to help you to understand the baffling problem confronting us. For years, a nation which) on the one hand, has produced great thinkers, poets, musicians, philosophers and scientists and9 on the other hand, with all this background, has blindly chosen to follow a band of gangsters whose exploits can only be compared with the vilest acts of oppression of the worst of the Roman Emperors. That such a phenomenon should be possible in a supposed:l.y civilised community, in the twentieth century, when we all entertained the reasonable hope that the future would be one of freedom within the law and of ordered progress from the J.ess good to the better -that we should all be plunged -as the result of t he disordered imagination of a dreamer of nightmares --into a struggle for our very existence ­that this, I say, should have occurred is so astonishing, so bewildering to the average man or woman in this country, that an analysis, however s1ight, of cause and effect may not be altogether out of place. It is clearly not in my power, within the time limit of fifteen minutes, to attempt to explain, in any form approaching completeness, the manifold reasons f'or the rise of the "leader and his band" to authority and for their maintenance there for the past seven years. Such a task would requi re the compiling of many volumes and there is much literature on the subject. But I can, at least, place before you one or two national characteristics 9 which may help us towards an understanding of this unpleasant problem. In so doing I would ask you to remember that I lay no claim _to completeness. In the first place the German has a natural inclination towards war as a normal -a quite normal -· instrument of poliay. He considers it to be an obvious outlet for courage and indeed -strange as it may seem to us nowadays -· for honour. These two words, courage -"tapferkeit 11 -and honour -.iEhre" -are i n such constant use that at last they seem to stand for all that is right /and -2. ­ and proper in J.ifeo-It follows that since honour and cou~age, in the German sense, are the finest q_ualities of a human being; the most complete form which human perfection can attain -and the most honourable -is to be not only pre:pa.red, but willing and eager to use force on every occasion on which force and complusion can attain the end desired. · This feeling is not confined, as in other countries, to a very small and insignificant minorityo It appears to-be share.d by the vast majorit;y of the German pe0ple, whatever their personal convictions on internal policy or economics~ Ih short, they are, at any moment prepared to think that war is not only right, but that it is the natural condition of mankind and a "good thing" in itself. In this connection I vrould like to tell you a story which illustrates this state of mincL, rears ago, indeed so long ago that T hardly like to confess as to the exact c1ate -but at any rate towards the end of the last century, I was a stua_ent at Bonn, and subseq_uently at Heidelberg• In the latter tmm I boarded with a most distinguished University Professor. He lectured on comparative philology, and, above all, on Sanslcrit, that is to say, he delivered lectures on Sanskrit to a select band of about twelve students; mostly foreigners, who were learning Sanskrit in order to become Professors in foreign universities when the~r v1ould in turn deliver lectures to those who also v:iished to become professors of that ancient and extinct langaageo He was a member of the Social Democratic party and was lmovm, to the dismay of his colleagues, to indul.ge in violent abuse of the military caste~ From such a man it was only natural to expect that his private opinions should coincide vvi th his public utterances. JBut. so far from this being the case, the following was the conversation which took place almost daily at the breakfast table and to whioh I cheerfully submitted, since I was learning the language and anyvmy looked upon the whole matter as a huge joke. "I see by the papers that England is in a bad state -no st1"ength, no energy left in the country~ You are a weak nation -you wait and see -one of these days Jrou will get a good whack in the eye." .1 '''But, Herr Professor;" I invariably replied, "why do you saJr that? And why is it necessary tha't we whould get this whack in the eye, as you term it? I thought you were an anti-militarist, a pacifist and a Social Demokrat?n "Yes, yes, no doubt 1 11 he would answer, "in theory, anc1 on cel"tain internal matterso I share the views of Bebel. -(at that time the leader of the Social Democrats) -but that doesn't alter the fact that one of these days our army 'Nill show ~nu v1hat we can do. You haven't got one. Why Bismarck said that if Engl&nd. went to war he. would send the Berlin police to arrest the English army., ii I leave it to you to apDreciate the full savour of these tactful remarks. They were, I should adc1, not confined to my professor. Now there are many reasons, clue largely to past history, for this state of mind, but I have not the time, even if I had the ability, to go into them tonightQ I only mention it because, although it may not have raised Hitler to his present position, it has certainly con­tributed powe:i."fully to his remaining there.· Another reason is to be found in the German love of the expert•. This is expressed in the word 11Tlichtigkeit11 .... a word which is un­transl~table. The nearest equivalent in English would, I su:):;iose ~ be "efficiency" -but it is a mild equivalent and does not convev the full grace and flavour of the original. At any rate nTlichtigkeit"is the aim and goal of every true German, · for /by by its means he may, "!_)erhaps, soE1e day succeea in hoisting himself into the best position of all 9 that of "Sachversttlndige11 or "expert." Now, in England we have a healthy distrust of the expert and we rightly confine, or attempt t o confine, his activities to the proper sphere of the science which he is s1wposed to · have mastered~ In other matters we suspe~t, with truth , that he is generally a frau~ In Germany they love him, 'I'he s.:tr11 of evePy1Jody bej_ng to become an expert, it follows that thos e who have succeeded in establishing their reputations as exper>ts are :LnfaJ..libleo Above the ordinary experts of everyday life~ there are super experts who govern and above them again there is the super-super expert who, or course, ·cannot possibly be wrong since he is tb-._~£.£.o 'rherefore .• once you are in power, it takes a long time for you to be discovered as what you are 1 a bombastic blatherer or a sangui nary dreamer~ as the case may bee There is a charming book on Germany, written over forty years ago by Jerome Ko Jerome -jjThree Men on the Bumrnel" -in which the author conveys home truths in the manner best suited for the purpose, that of pleasantry,, . I would recommend the chapter where he advises the English lady to take the path marked "for ladies aloneo" Now that particular path led l n the vvrong di:r•cctiQj.1, but he ha9:_ ·to advise he:ti to take it since there was no other alternativeo Or again, the dreadful entanglement which ensued when George entered the muni­cipal garden by the door markecl ;'exit, 11 leRding to the j_ntervention of the police and the prosec~~bn of Geor ge on a multitude of charges. In this book again , t here is one sentenc~ which explains succinet·1:y what I have been .trying to s ay -"You get born-' 11 says the German Government, "we do the rest~ 11 I cannot im_;irove on this ad::nirable sumrning up of the whole caseo The German is "born; he spends his life in attempts at efficiency and, for the rc;st, he is quite content to leave it to others to decide his cour se of action and his destiny. Since they are there 9 t hey IT22:§.!, be experts and 9 consequently 9 better fitted than himself to tell him vhat is good for him~ It never occurs to the German mind. that , in the absence of healthy criticism, even an expert can go vYrongc And so this love of the expert will probably in the future, as it has in the past 9 lead those in control in Germany to commit ont~, or se veraJ., of those monurnental blunders for which they a re so f amouso There are many other characteristics, and minor causes, which, when added together, constitute the mental i:.omplex which has permitted Hitlerism temporaraily to gain the U:p!_)er hand --just as there are many welcome sighs that; eyen in Germany , j_t is possible to go too far; but there is no time for th1s, as I should like to say a few words on the subject of the German propaganda to t.M.s countryo In addition to the hysterical outbursts of Hitler' -which invar­iably repeat his distorted. view of the past and his fantastic vision of of the future -and apart from feeble imitations such as those of his tactless pet, Ribbentrop , we are gratified daily with a series of sarcastic canments on our country by a composite being who has been dubbed Lord Haw--Hawo I would natu:"ally expect a German commentator to present the German case~ Surely a German , appointed for that purpose, should havf; §.grn_e:_:t}1_ip£ to say, howeve~, unconvincing , in defence of a policy whj.ch hLs prompted his Government to b1"'eak eve1,y treaty which it had but re( ently concluded c.i.nd to a·ctack many of its neighbours in turn? I shoulc have vvelcomed, anC. so w01·~1d you9 a few words of explanation as to th ; nece ssit y cf concentl"a t ·.on camp s in peacetim~, as an instrument. of ·Jroper gov e1•i1111ent and I stt0uld have been prapared to listen to an exp o -;i tion of thr:: res sons whi(~h have made it j_mperative to prosecute and oul:y all relig .. ous denoi11ina·:,ions in the ide:al .. pursuit of 0olonie s !I r E...W rile te-eia_ s anC. what t:1ey call 1'7-i tal spaceso " -4­ Thcse, and other topics, would h8.VG received from. us 2t least some moo.suril of g_uiet attentiol1!.·. Instead we o. re treo.tec. to a. ridiculous misrepresentation of facts about our own country, its past, pre~ent and probable future. In so doing the German commentators are again attempting to be 11 efficient11 in the art of controversy, according to the praecepts of one of their 11 thought experts" , Schopenhauer, who wrote the following advice, more or less in these words: 111fvhen you are .getting the worst of an argument, switch the conversation on to something else. It is astonishing how often the trick will succeed.11 They are also practising the art of constant repetition and its effect on the human mind. But since what they say is foolish, more repetition cannot invest it with wisdom. Nor is it good advertisement, for you can p:bove the truth, or otherwise~ of most advertisements. If I buy a cake of soc~ or a bottle of patent medicine, I can do something With it. But if I purchase a pennyworth of Haw-Haw, I have acquired nothing which I can put to the slightest use. We cannot go to him for accurate information about .hi§ country. And his patronising advice concerning our own is obviously useless. We have ms.naged our affo.irs, in our own way,since the early da.ys of the \lllitenage:nrot and if there is an3rthing which we desire to alter, amen or improve, we have only got to express our will to that effect by the exercise of a free vote and in the full knowle:dge of that wise saying of Canning that 11 it is the duty Of the Legisla.ture to rememdy practical grievances, not to run af'ter theoretical perfection. " Nor, when it comes to this war, do we require any conm1ent from a German speaker, for the one patent fact which he never mentions is that it is his Government which has challenged our natiQnal existence and has brought upon the world the miseries which this struggle is bound to inflict. That this war was none of our seeking-that in our desire for peace we went right up to the frontier line where dignity ceases and abject surrender begins -is too patent to require argument and no amount of cynical jeering and of grotesque mis-statements is .going to wipe the blood off that dagger which is the chief adornment of Hitler organisations and on which is engraved the significant motto of 11 Blood and Honour" 11 Blut 'lf:f,nd Ehre" -for the blood has overflown and has stained the honour to the point of disappear~nce. Lately we have been privileged again to hear the real voice of Nazi Germany, for Dr. Ley, the leader of the "Labour Fi-•onta ­whatever that may mean -was good enough to inform us, in a speech delivered on Easter Sunday, that "the German :air.1 is the completeannihilation of Britain and France. 11 That's the stuff. I am gladhe said it. N~w we know exactly where we are, and, disregarding all minor matters, we can stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood and go forth to battle in or~er to defend ourselves, and, of course, win, together with our dear and gallant ally, against a brutal oppressor of nations who desires no less than to relegate us to that state, of n~ture so well described by Hobbes in his 11 Loricithan" that I make no excuse for quoting the passage as the most fitting conclusion to these remarks. It is qs follows. "In such conc1itions, there is no place for industry because the fruit thereof is uncertain and consequently no culture of the earth; 'no na vigation nor 11se of the com.modities thut may be imported by sea -no commodi•ous: buildings -no instrurnents of moving and removing such things as require much force -no knowledge of the face of the earth -no account of time -no arts, no letters, no society, and, which is worst of all, continual fear flnCl. a_anger of violent death -and the life of man solit8ry, poor, nasty, brutish and short." BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION. , - IlVIPORT LICENSING DEPARTMENT NOTICE TO IMPORTERS N0.52 · Imnort Licensing_.Q! Foodstuffs 1. In the Notice to Importers No.50 concerning the im~ort licensing of foodstuffs reference was made (paragraph 5) to the Open General Licence dated 20th March, 1940, permitting the importation of certain classes of foodstu~fs without separate licences. 2. This Open General Licence of the 20th March and preceding Open General Licences relating to foodstuf'fs have now been replaced by a consolidated Open General Licence for foodstuffs dated the 27th March. Under it the follO}Virig classes of foodstuffs may be imported without separate licences:­ (a) The f'ollowing goods, consigned from any country:­ Farinaceous substances, the following: Arrowroot. Tapioca, Cassava and Mandioca. Meat extracts and essences. Cheese (except Cheddar, Cheshire, Gouda and Edam Types) . Bananas. Nuts used as fruit, the following: Barcelona nuts, hazel nuts (filbert or cob nuts). Brazil nuts ~nd chestnuts. Tomatoes, fresh or raw. Fish, frozen.. Isinglass and agar agar. Malt extracts. Cod liver oilo Vegetables, dried, including dried vegetables suitable f or use as seeds. Vegetables, preserved in salt or brine (not including olives). Vinegaro Yeast. (b) The following goods consigned from any part of His Majesty's dominions except Hong Kong, or any British protectorate, or any, country 6r territory under His Majesty's protection or suzerainty, or any territory in respect of whi ch a mandate on behalf of the League of Nations has been accepted by His Majesty and is being exercised by the Government of any part of His Majesty's dominions (other t han a mandate ·in respect of a territory referred to in the fourth paragra~h of Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations). Apricot and peach kernels. Biscuits. Chutney . Cocoa, raw; husk and shell. Curry powder. Fruit fresh or raw. 1. Fruit juices. Fruit pectin. Fruit, preserved with added sugar the following:-­ Cry~tsllised, glace, Nletz or drained. Ginger preserved in sugar or syrup. Honey. Jams and Marmalade. Nuts used as fruit. Peel, candied or drained. Pepper, whether ground or not. Shell fish, fresh. Vegetables, fresh or raw, other than potatoes and onions. (c) All goods consigned from Eire except the following:­ Lard, refined or unrefined. Bacon and ham including bacon or ham preserved (with or without other meats) in airtight containers. Sausages, except canned or otherwise preserved sausages. Beef, veals mutton, ls.mb and pork, and edible offals of beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork including beef, veal, mutton, lamt, pork and edible offals preserved (with or without vegetables or cereals) in airtight containers. Butter. Cheese. Compound or irnitHtion lard. Con(!.ensed milk and milk powder. Cream. Marbarine. (d) The followi.ng goods, consigned from France, Algeria or Tunis:­ Confectionery, the foll..wing:­Angelica. Flowers and flower petals in crystallised sugar. Dates. Fruit, crystallised, glace, Metz, or drained. Turkeys, fresh, chilled or frozen, other than tinned turkeys. Asparagus. Walnuts. Mustard . Table Waters. 3. Paragraph 9 of Notice to Importers No. 50 pointed out that enquiries and applications for import licences should, apart from certain specified exceptions, be addressed to the Ministry of Food, Great ~estminster House, Horseferry Road, Westminster, S.W.1. Importers are now informed that appli­cations for licences sent to the Ministry of Food should be made in duplica~. As previously stated,. application forms are obtainable from the Import Licensing Department or from the Offices of H.M. ColJec tors of Customs and Excise. Import Licensing Department, Board of Trade, 25, SouthamptN! Rui1 d.ings, Chancery Lane ] London, ',:/ . C. 2. 28th March, 1940. 2 • • The War Office, London, s.W.1 • 29th March, 1940. The War Office announces thut His Mnjesty The King has been pleased to approve of the appointment of· Colonel (temporary Bri£~adier) A. T. Miller, M. c., as Aide-de-Camp to The King, with effect from the 2L~th February, 1940, in succession to Colonel (honorary 1;rigadier) v. T. R. Ford, n. s. o., who has retired. War against the.t dcstruc·tive pest the rab oit is to be intensJ.fied. Unc'ler a r eYised :i:.egulation made 1Jy Order in Council in su-ostitution for Regul8.ti0n 63 of the Defence (General) Regulatior.s 9 1939 , the Minister of Agriculture and. :'!1isheries has made an O:rd'3r -The Rabbi-cs Order 19!l:O -·which r evokes the Rabbi ts Order 1939 and delegates :!:'urt21er powers in respect' of rabbits to the County Vi/ar Agricultural Executive Comrnittees. The Comn1i tteos now have pm'rnr themselves to make an Order requiring any person having the right to kill or take r abbit s on his l and to carry out the necessary steps for that pur)ose within a definite time, to be specified in the Order. Failure to comply wit h such Order is a punishable offence, and, withoat prejudice to any lega:l. proceedings for non-compliance 9 t he Comrni t tees mo.y unter on the l fand r or the pt1rpose of killing and t aking the rabbits . 29/3/40 -No, l .6. FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE -EVENING. The following official communique was issued from French G.H,Q. this evening: ­ LOCAL ENCOUNT~RS BETWEEN THE CONTACT UNITS. FAIRLY LIVELY ACTIVITY OF BOTH AIR FORCES. A GEHMAN BI-MOTOR WAS BROUGfil' DOWN WITHIN OUR LINES BY OUR ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY. IN ADDITION DURING THE D.:.:,y OF THE 28th MARCH A GERlvil-1.N RECONNOITRING AEROPLANE FELL IN OUR TERRITORY. The War Office, London, s.·.i1. 1 • 29th March, 1940. The War Office states thDt applications and medical certificates f'or leave extension by B.L:. F. :personnel li1Ust contain the _Army Number, Rank and Unit of the men concerned. \:/ithout such information cases cannot be dealt with immediately, and, consequently, the. ap_,_ilicants are bound to suffer in not having Supplementary RQtion Cards. The Private Secretary to the dinister of Transport presents his compliments to the News-Editor and begs to transmit herewith notes of a speech to be delivered by the Minister at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, on Friday, March 29th.9 at 8 p.m. Ministry of Transport. 29th March, 1940. (2940). Notes of a s)eech to be delivered by Captain The Rto Hono ~:.uan \iallace 9 ~.lo Co 9 i\~ .. ?o 9 dinister of Transport 9 at Sto Andrew's Hall9 Norwich9 on Friday9 ~ ·larch 29th9 at ~ Porn~ So far the strongest im)ression wl1icll the war lias made on the public mind is that it has been quite different froi.11 what vms eJQectedo ':le must be thankful tl1a t London and Horwich. 11ave not been bombed 9 and t::..at r,1any ) recautions taken botl1 by the GovernE1ent and by local autllorities have as yet appeared to be unnecessary. But people who to-day resent the blackout and the evacuation of children from the more dangerous areas would have been the first to complain i:' tl1e situation l1ad been reversed -if the attack had come and the plans to meet it liad not been there. Yillowing wJ.ia t we do of Herr Eitler9 it seems most surprising that he did not exploit to tl1e full tlie flying start which is alvrays the initial advantage of the aggressore It . certainly was not out of hu~r>anity t lla t the im:.nense force of Nazi bombers was not loosed upon us on the morning of Septe111ber 3rd. We have only to look at the treati11ent ineted out to Poland for conclusive evidence t :.1at Hitler has no scruj_Jles about bombing civilians.. The r eason l1e did not start the "blitzlcrieg" 9 with which anyone who dared to stand up to Gerrnany had been so often and so stridently threatened9 can only have been because he thougl.1t it would not pay. It ;:nay l12ve been that he was nervous of the effect upon cert.Jin pmverful neutrals of starting another war of frightfulness on civilian.so It ~~s much more likely that he feared the results of retaliation u;_1on 11is own )eo)le 9 wJ.1om Dr. Goebbels has taught to regard all Hitler's victories as bloodless. l he recent revelations of the refusal of the Graf S9ee's crew to fight casts some doubts on the mucl1 vaunted con.dition of German rnorale 9 and our own R~Aol<,o has clearly shown that we can and will avenge ii·arnediately and in full i:1easure ettacl.rn upon the civil populationo -2 ­ At any rate this 7 months' respite from aerinl attack on land has giver'l. us time greatly to increase our def'er~s ive forces and develop our own striking power; and if, as I believe, Nazi bombers would have had a warm reception last Septemberp they will certainly get a much hotter one nowo From the military point of view it may seem to some of you that we have made little progress. The agressor is still in possession of his ill-gotten gains; and in particular the acceptance by Finland of the Russian peace terms has been regarded in some quarters as a serious setback. But tragic as it is to see another small heroic nation the victim of an agressor, it is easy to exaggerate the purely military effect on the allied cause. Certainly the Finns have not fought in vain, They have shown u.p the weakness of the Red Army and that '.Lesson will not be lost. Neutraln can draw another important deduction from recent events in Scand~D'17ic.Q Now that Finland has lost her Island of Hango, her l'.1anne:;.~heim L:.ne and other important defensive positions the other Scandinavian Powers find the Russian mena~e at their very doors, The real fa.ct is that it is not possible for any nation to adopt an attitude of indifference to the outcome of the present war. That the allies should defeat the aGgressors is a matter of life and death to every country whi~h values its political or economic liberty. So far the Royal Navy has borne the brunt of the battles and for the Navy Mr. Shakespeare can speak with first hand and expert knowledge. I am going to do no more than remind you that we have .literally swept German commerce from the seas. Our other Navy, the merchant marine, continues to brave the perils of the submarine, the magnetic mine and aerial attack by machine gun or by bomb to bring to our shores from all over the world the material element of our existence and the things we need for winning the war. -3 ­ The destruction of the "G::."'af .,:;pee11 , and the rescue of'. our prisoners from the "Altmark' are e:qJloit s ;;;.rhich stirred the blooc1 of every one of us. But we must not forzet the ceaseless vigil by day and night in colc and tempest, vvhich is the daily work of the Navy and its myriac'l auxiliaries . The Royal Air Force has alreaa.y shown its mettle, and we can look forward to a steadily increasing supply of the most moder·n machines and, what is even n1ore i mportant, dauntless and expert pilots. In this aspect of our war effort the Dominions are playine; a. particularly notable }Jart, So far the British Expeditionary Por ee has been faced with conditions vastly different from those of 1914; mud and boredom have been their worst enemies . But c.uring these 7 months · the numbers of our ar,.1ies in r.1rance continue to grow and the military value of the positions they hold to be steadily improved by their own shili and hara work. It would, however, be a very great mistake to assume that things are lixely to remain 11alJ. quiet on the Western Pront". The hare.ships anc" privations to which the German people have been subjected since the war began ma.xe it unlikely that they will submit to another winter· without a determined effort to srt, is making its contribution to our war effort. One of our main concerns is the Ports. Through our Seaports we ~raw the very means of existence. Cut off from the sea and the sea ways to other lands , t he life of the nation would be strangler:1 n 1he war haa create( special problems for the Ports. The convoy system means that, instead of ships coming into the port one by one, a la1"ge number arrive toe;ether, with a 11 the difficulties that arise frow ;3uc~d.en bur,sts of work; and those ships may be usinE Ports othe:c than those to which they would normally be sent . Leng bef'ore the war v::e made plans for dealing with these unusual conditions. Port if;1i1ere;enc;v Cornmi ttees, consistin,:_~ of men who knew all about the mana_::;e.• wnt of the particular Port, representatives of Labour, ana of use~s o~ the Port are no~ workin~~ with wi de power3 ~iven to them by the Goverr.ment to make sure that the cargoes of vessels are cJeared as quickly as possible and to prevent the q_uayside ane_ sheds being blocked with masses of waiting 2oods. Every day los t in waiting for a berth, or waiting to unload cargo means one da~; · less for the eff'ective use of the ship. Our n~xt task i s to prevent congestion on the l and side of the Port -on the railways, on the roads and on the canals which are taking the goods to other places for manufacture~ distribution and consumption; congestion and delays behinc a Fort soon react on the Port itseli·" For this reason there is the most intimate a.ay to day contact between the Port Con-L.~1i ttee and local officers representin~ the different kinas o~ inlan~ t ransport. -5 ­ In recent years the roa~ transport industry has been growing apace and a considerable part of the activities of the Ministry of Transport wan, befo:!"'e the war, devoted to the improvement of our road systen to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing fleets of lorries, motor coaches and pr•ivate cars . The result had been a decrease in railway traf:t'ic which was giving the Government considerable concern. There is, however, one fundamental difference between road and rail which assumes in war-time enormous i mportance. The railways run on coal produced from our own mine~ whilst road transport requir•es liquid fuel which has to be imported from overseas and to a great extent paid for in foreign currency. You will all appreciate the need for the limitation of our civiltan consumption of liquid fuel. Petrol is to our gigantic mechanised forces what shells are to guns . Without it they are just lifeless monsters cumbering the g:cound . Some of you will remember the grim results of the short2.ge of shells in the last war. Even graver in this one would be the consequences of a shortage of liquirl fuel. It is vital that we should have adequate stocks to meet all war enIBrgencies. We have had, therefore, to 1imit the amount of imported fuel available for civilian use. The object of our fuel rationing scheme iB to secure that the fuel available is made to carry not merely t he maximum tonnage of goods but the maximum tonnage of those particular goods ~1ich either can only be carried by road transport o~ w~ich, in the interest of the national war effort are better c&rried that way. I do not believe that that objective is open to challenge; but if at any time I and my advisers can be convinced that it can be more successfully achieved by any other means than the present system of making the actual work to be oone the test for allocating supplementary rations, I shall certainly be glad not only to consider it but to adopt it. -6 ­I have considerable sympathy for the roac" haulage industry which in present circumstances finda itself, owin~ to the rationing of petr·o1 ~ unable to carry all the . goods which are being offered -one might even say pressed upon it. I t i 3 for t hi s reason that I attach particular i mportance to t he e:i::~·orts now being made in a nwnber of directions t o make ava:Llo.ble as a corn.uiercial proposition to the road haulage industry var:Lous alternative home produced fuels which are not subject to r ationing. The increased traffic due to our war effort has of necessity fallen principally upon the railways. The evacuation scheme and the transport of our Expeditionary Force to France ­ both carried out without a hitch -were concrete achievements for which the railways coulc an(I did receive credit. Do not forget that our Forces over seas are constantly increasing and that internal traff ic due to the production of all the things our fighting forces need continues to rise; and when therefore you find that passengeY services and amenities are necessarily restricted ci.o not blame the unfortunate railway companies; do not even blame me because I am bound to put first things first. The Government as you know has ta.ken control of the railways through the Minister of Transport; but I can assure you that we have not put in Civil Servants to run them. We leave the day to day working to the men whose ordinary job it is to do so and simply retain, as we obviously must 9 the fin&l say in matters of general policy. I should like to pay a tribute to the magnificent work of managements, staffs and emplo~ees both on the railways and in the road transport industry. They are making an invaluable contribution to the winning of the war. The growth of the roa0 transport industry in the years immediately before the war inevitably resulted in some loss of traffic to the canals. I am at present consic'lering what can be done to help them to play a larger part, as I am sure they can, -7 ­ in the internal transport of :oods where speed is not an essential fact. The Minister of Transport has also responsibilities in regard to electricity; and here again the l lectricity Commissioners are organised for war. ~rhey have oonsideracle reserves of stand--by plant ana. machinery, housed. at convenient focal points, ready to ~ke over duty at any important centre of power supply which might be damaged by enemy action. In addition the supply undertakings themselves have taken a number of practical measures to confine any damage which may occur within as narrow limits as possible. Like the ports, the railways and road transport , electricity is organised to carry on. I should like to say a few words on road. accidents, the most human anc1 most distressing porblem with vihich the binister of Transport has to deal. Just as we are out to prevent the uneconomical use of transport so vve want to stop the waste of, human life on the roads, Before the war we had our casualty lists at home, and with the imposition of the black-out those casualty lists were tragically increased . 'rhe J YiC; 1J1'0::-s ·~~-r:10nths were September' and December. In September peopJ.e !1ad not accustomed themselves to the new conditions. Twice as many people were killed as in Se:!.)tember 1938. In December vv-i th its longer nights and heavier traffic nearly 1200 people were killed on the roads, almost as many as lost their lives by the sinking of B.M.8. Courageous. 'Ehe 1-=-•overnment decided to irnpos e a speed limit of' 20 m.p. h o f'or vehicles travellinb in built-up areas at night 9 a.nd to undertake propaganda compaiEn th.rough the Ministry of' Information, which, I believe, has done much to make road users ·-and practically pedestrians -more conscious of the special dangers of the black··-out . I am glad to say that last month the tide has turnsdo In each of the first five months of the war the nurnbers of people killed on the roads were on an average 60 per cent higher than in the corresp::mc'I ing months of 1938/9. In ::'.t'ebruary the numbers so far -8 ­ f:rom Ghowing any increase were substantially below that for February 1939. I am hopeful that this improvement will be maintaJned; but in war as in peace the main cause of accidents is the human factor and the only sovereign cure greater care and unselfishness on the part of all who use the roads. 29/3/40 -No.19. FOR PRESS AND BHOADCAST. The Home Office announces that Mr. G. E'.hmhirst Duckering, O.B.E., Director of the Government Wool Disinfecting Station, Love Lane 9 Liverpool, retires from the public service at the end of March and that Captain V,D. Nopps, O.B.E., R.N., (retired) has been appointed to succeed him as Director of the Station. HOME OFFICE. 29/3L'.40 -No.20. BOARD OP TRADE ANNOUNCEliEHT. ~xemQtion f'rom Key Industry Duty. 'rhe Tree.sury have made an Order under Section 10(5) of the Finance Act, 1926, continuing the exemption from Key Industry duty of the articles specified below until 30th June, 1940. Copies of the Treasury Order, which is entitled the Safeguarding of Industries (Exemption) No.5 Order, 1940, may be obtained from H.M. Stationery Uffice. Synthetic organic chemicals, analytical reagents, other fine chemicals and chemicals manufactured by fermentation processes, the following:­ Barbi tone (Veronal; Malonal; ivialourea; acid diethyl-barbituric; diethylrnalonylurea; Hypnogen; Deba). G l;:,rcol ethers. BOARD UF TRADE, 29th March, 1940. ~MP~E_YOUTH SUNDAY. The Hon. Vincent Massey's Address in Westminster Abbeyo The pr oblem of youth is in time of war more than eveY.' acute, but fm:tunately for the Empire a movement already exists to ensure that in this crucial pe~iod the andho~ages hold. In May, 1937, a special effort was made to associate the Youth of the Empire with the Coronation of the King and (~ueen. At that time there was a great rally of Empire Youth at Albert Hali, attended by 10,000 representatives from all parts of the Empire: this was followed by services in Vfestminster Abbey and Westminste:t' Cathedral. In the following years, simil~r services were held not only in Great Britain but also throughout the Empire. This year• 9 when the Youth of the Empire is knit together more consciously and more purposefully than ever before, it has been arranged 9 with the strong support of the Dominion Authorities in London9 that I1Iay 5 should be olJserved as Empire Youth Sunday. Services have ·oeen arranged fop that day in V/estminster A~Jbey where 9 the Hon.. Vincent Massey 9 High Commissioner fOJ' Canada, will deliver an addres~. This service will be broadcast to Great Britain and throughout the Empire. It is hoped that simultaneously a service for Roman Catholic youth will be held in \'/estminster Cathedral at which the preacher will be His Eminence Cardina l HinsJ.ey. Services are also being arranged for May 5 throughout the Dominions and Colonies" In this way, and at this critical time, it is hoped to strengthen the spil"'it and purpose of Empire Youth 9 While the organisers of this Movement concentrate· upon its spiritual aspects 9 other important schemes are not to be overlooked. It is planned to establish9 in the Metropolis of the Empire 9 a Youth City 9 to e. ccommodate primarily students of Secondary School age. Paris 9 with its Cite de l 1Universite9 has shown an example in this regard. In this Empire Youth City facilities are envisaged for the comprehensive development of youth 9 whether from the Mother Country or from the Overseas Empire, alike fPom the cultural a:nd the physical points of view. The City~ or Centre, would thus provide in London a "home" not only for the youth QJf Great BI'itain which could not proceed to a University but also for Empire youth overseasQ Thj.s Empire Youth Movement is no meJ'.'e dream on paper. It has impressive support from representatives of all creeds and of all shades of politicaJ. opinion vrithin the Empire 9 and already it has done much in the way of m9.king students from Great Britain known to the Empire a:ad vice versa. Canada has lJeen especially active, by means. of invitations to the Dominion and by sending students to the Mother Country, in fostering a sense of the unity of Empire Youth ~ during the past yeaj'.' several Canadian schoolboys and schoolgirls have visited Great :s,'.'itain ana. British schoolboys from Home have visited Canada. These tours 9 s·:~pplemented by exchange of teachers 9 invitations to lectm'.'ePs 9 a:nd so on 9 have proved imme nsely successfuL But the irmnediate aim is to deepen and fortify the spiritual awareness of Ernph·e Youth ; and the services on May 5 may well be a landmaI'k in the history of the M'.ovement. All the plans 9 howe7eI' 9 whether immediate or more distant 9 con­cerning this Movement 9 revolve round the ideal of making the British Empire a more potent factor in world affairs than it has previously "been. In the Peconst.r.uction of the world after the prcisent war' has been won the Empire has a role to p1ay of the gl'.'eatest magnitude. That role wiil be plaved large1y by the youth of today, which1 adhePitig tenaciously and uni tedl.;v~ to the caTtse of f reedom and of peace 9 may we1.L become a force such as has never before been seen. 29/3/40: No. 22. PRESS NOTICE. Bonus Payable to Workpeople in Admiralty Establishments at Hoip~ Increases!_ The rates of bonus (Admiralty Industrial Bonus) payable to adult male workpeople in Adn1iralty Establishrnents at Home are to be increased as indicated below. The increased rates will take effect from the i9th February, 1940, in H.M. Doclcyards and other Establishments wtlere the Dockyard system of ya~~aent is applied. 2. In establishments situated outside the r.onCJ.on area the standard rate of bonus and the rate of bonus for Yardcraft men will be increased as follows:- Presen~ weekly Revised weekly rafe:.c;:.~~··1on·~KJ . , rate of' bonus. s. d. s. d. Standard rate • • • • • • . • • • • • • • •• • • • 22. o. 27. o. Rate for seven-day men ••. .••• • • • 250 8. 31. 6. Rates for Yardcraft men (otherthan salaried grades) •••••• . . . 22. 9. 27. 5. 3. The bonus of the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workmen in the London area will be increased as belovv :­ Present weekly Revised weekly rate of bonus rate of bonus. s. d. s. d. Skilled men in London area ••••• 24. o. 29. o. Skilled men in London Area (7 day) 28. Oo 33. 10. Semi-skilled and unskilled men in L§ndon area 23. o. 28. o. Semi-skilled and unskilled men in London area(? day) 26.10. 32. 80 Yardcraft men in London area (other than salaried grades) 23.11.. 28. 7. The seven-day men referred to above are those men who normally receive seven-sixths of the bonus for six clay men. 4. The increases as shown · in paragraph 2 above are also to be made in the Home Yard bonus received by Workmen (including Storehousemen and Laboratorymen) serving under agreement at H.M. Naval Establishments abroad. 5. The inclusive weekly rates of pay of the ratings of the Cable Ships "Lasso" and "I(ilmun" and the 11 civilianir Home YaPd rates of pay of members of the crews of Boom Defence Vessels are to be increased by 4s. 8.d. a week as for Yard Craft employees• .6. The consolidated wages of any other employee 0 1" class of employee are not to be increased in consequence of this Order unless such wages are definitely recognised as havin~ a direct "Basic rate plus bonus" basis ana. authority exists for varying such wages according to fluctuations in the rate of the Admiralty Industrial Bonus. Reports should be forwarded to the Admiralty (I,abour Branch) giving particulars of the grades or individuals whose consolidated ·wages are increased under this paragraph. 7. No increases in bonus or inclusive rates of pay, other than as provided above, are to be made on the authorit;y of the instructions in this Ordero Any doubtful case should be submitted to the A&niralty for directions. 8. The/ -2 ­ 8. The bonus rates for apprentices in H.M. Dockyards, etc., at home are to be increased as from the same date as follovrs :­ :Present rate Revisec1 rate So C:h .. s. o.. 1st year apprentice • e o .... ••• • e eo e ' 7. 6. 8. 6' 2nd year apprentice • • • ••• •• • • 8. 6. 9. 6: 3rd year apprentice • • • ".. 11. 6. 13. 6. 0 • • • 0 • • 0 0 • .,. • 0 4th jrear apprentice . . . . .. • 13. 6. 15. 6. • o e 5th jrear apprentice . . . ... . . . 0 15. o. 17. 6, The corresponding rates or bonus payable to junior apJ..Jrentic·es, yard boys, yardcraft boys, etc., in the establishments at home are to be increased to the same extentc No variation in the re.te of bonus of juvenile employees is to be made save as specifically providea_ in this paragraph., Any case of doubt should be subrni tted to the Aoxairalty ror directions. 9. Arnended superannuation forms should be forwarded t~' the Admiralty in respect of workpeople affected by this Order who retired on or after the operative date of the bonus increase and particulars of whose superannuation, etc., awards have ali->eac1~r been notified. to establishments. It will not, however, be necessar~.r to forward amended forms in respect of other workpeople retiring on or after the nperative date (ieeo those in respect of whom super­annuation, etc,, awards have not been notified to establishments) as the forms already received 1.;ill be amended at the AdII1iralty. +++++++++++ ADMIRALTY. 29/3/l+O -No_!.g,2. LIBEL ON BRITISH PILOTS (Not to be quoted as an Air Ministry Announcement.) On enquiry at the Air Ministry this evening it was confirmed that there is no truth whatever in German reports that British pilots have been questioned by cour~']martiaJ.o for having made false report~ of alleged successes. No such court martial has ever taken place. Official r eports of air pperations are issued only by the Air ~inistry or from Headquarters B.A.F. 9 and no claim is included in any such r eport until the evidence has been fully examined and the claim authenticated. The best answer to these absurC. stories 9 so c.haracteristic of German propaganda 9 is that the t wo officers whose names have been mentioned as having been court martialled were employed on ground duties and at no time since the outbreak of wa.s had either of them t aken part in active operations against the enemy. AIR AFFAIRS. ----.--~· No. 24 -29/3/40. OFFICIAL ADMIRALTY COMMUNIQUE Enemy aircraft have again attempted to attack our convoys in the North Sea tonight Friday. !n the first case the attack was by a single aireraft, and in the second case, while the nurnber of aircraft is not lmown, only two bombs were dropped both of which fell harmlessly in the sea. In both cases the enemy were driven off without doing any damage. +++++++