6/4/40 -No. 14 FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNI0UE (I-TORNING) '.rhe following official cornmun1que was issued this morning from French Headquarters:­ NOTHING TO REPORT , ---oOo--­ 6/4/40 No. 2, §INKING OF TID~ DI.AJl'IANTIS The following is issued by Naval Affairs for such use as the Press may like to make of it. The German propaganoaorganisation seems to be getting very harc1 u:p for stories of the good behaviour of U-boat captain!! ­and this at a time when Germany realises that her propaganda must do something to counteract the almost universal horror aroused by her inhuman method.3 of warfareo On April 4th; 1940, D,N.B., the official German nevrs agency, disseminated a story of the very considerate actions of the U-boat which sank the Greek st;eamer DIAM.ANTIS. This story was put-out in the form of an interview with the. cap.ta.in o! tbe · · tf-f><>at..... and it was made to look like a. new story. Tt was---re­peat.od by Z00sen in German t.o America on the s-rune day.. In actual fact~ ho·wever, the DIAM.ANTIS was sunk on October 3rd, 1939 -six months ago -by a U-boat commanded_ by Kapitan-Leutnant Lotto The story now put out as nevvs by D.N.B •. and the German radio must have been told soon after that episode, for Kapitan­Leutnant Lott has been a prisoner of war in England since N·ovember 27th, 1939 -a fact of which the German Government was officially notified on December 11th, 1939. It is understandable that German propaganda should be instructed to try to counteract the world-wide indignation caused by the sinking by u~boats of 10 ships in the last ten days of March -particularly since 9 of these ships were neutrals s ailing independently and only one 11vas given any warning of attack. The only material available to Dr. Goebbels are the fevv cases in the early days 0f the war vrhen U-boat commanders paid some little respect to the dictates of l aw and huraanityo NAVAL AFF/ T RS, 6.4.40. No •. 3 GMW2 COI'!l'ROL OF CHROMJ!:, NiAGNESITE AND WOLJ:'R.111/J,. The Minister of Supply has made the Central of Chrome, :Magm>site and Wolfram (No.l) Order. The Order covers chromium, and chromium compounds, de::fined as including any chemical compound of chromium and ore concentrates or residues containing chromium; "magnesite", defined as including natural or manufactured magnesium oxides, hydroxides or carbonates and dolomite and any mixtures of any of the foregoing, with or without water, and "wolfram", defined as including wolframite, schcelite and any other ore concentrate or residue containing tungsten. Under the Order the sale and purchase of these materials, wherever situated, will be regulated by a licensing scheme, but a direction issued at the same time under the Order 1'xempts from the licensing provisions everything except chrome ore and concentrates, magnesite costing lGss than £25 per ton delivered at consumers' works, and w,..,lfram. Power is also tak6n to r~quire anyone concerned in the handling or treatment of any of the materials referred t~ in the first paragraph to keep books and records and to produce them for inspection upon demand, and to furnish estimates, returns and other information as may be required. Mr. N. Isaacs, of the Perro-Alloys section of the Iron and Steel Control, will act as Adviser to the new Control on wolfram, The Order comes into force on the 15th April, except as regards "wolfram", for which it, comes into force on the 8th April, on which data wolfram is removed from the ambit of the Iron and Ste~l Orders by the Iron and Steel (No.8} Order. Enquiries in regard to wolfram should be addressed to th~ Iron and Steel Control, Steel House, Tothill Street, London, S.W.l, and for other products to the Chrome Ore, Magnesit8 and Wolfram Control, Broadway Court, Broadway, London, S. W. l. Copies of the Order may be obtained from H.M. Stationery Office or through any bookseller. Wlinistry cf Supply, The Adelphi, W.C.2. 6th April, 1940._ 6/4/40. -No. 5· '· THE OANADI.AU RED CROSS. Scope of a Great Endeavour. In the grounds of: Lord Astor's seat at Cliveden a great Canadian hospital is nov;r in coux'se of erection. Equipped with 600 beds and all the departments requisite for one of the most u:')-to-date institutions in the world, it conf'orms to the Viar Office recommendations for military hospitals.Eight.Y-eight nurses will shortly be a.rriv1ng to 11take over" at the hospital, the first section of which it is h61ed will be open in May,. Attached will be a Research Laboratory under the supervisionof' Sir Frederick Banting, vvhose ner11e will be always associated with insulin,. Tl1e provision of fum!.s for this hospital is but one of the manifold activities of the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Overseas Headqunrters of which, situated in Berkeley Square, London, have exp&nc1ed rer11arkably. Presiding over the Advisory Council of this Overseas Headquarters is the Rt. IIon. R.B. Bennett, Dr~ Routley, Canada's Red Cross Commissioner, with Colonel Nasmith, an e,X:'._)ert on nutrition, and Major C.A. Scott, an Assistant Commissioner, is shortly coming to London, to add new functions to the Red Cross Organisation. Already this Headquarters has organised an Ini'o.rr.a.ation and Research Bureau, and arranger11ents have been made for keeping of all recoricls regarding casuo.l ties among Canad.ian soldiers. The comfor-ts ·dep[a"tment of the Canadian Red Cross is well stocked: some 800 cases of hospital supplies and knitted comf'orts have so far reached Great Britain ~rom Canada. In addition, this organisation has granted £3,300 to the Polish Relief Fwid for an arnbulance unit to work with the Po.l.i.sh forces in France, and other donations incJ.ude £4,800 for the Beaver Club, £20.,000 to the Havy and Merchant Service, £20 1 000 underwritten for the British Red Cross, and £11 500 for the Scottish branch of the Canadian Red Cross -this last to ~vex expenditures incurred by that organisation in caring for the con1fort of the Canadian survivors of the Athenia. The Canadian Red Cross is a gr8at endeavour which is resolved to be equal to any call that may be made upon .1 t .• DOMINION AND COLONIAL AF:;:'AIRS +++++++++.+ 6.4.40. No.i. IS_~-~ NOT FO...-L :d.iBLIC~\.TION .8.2~: '0.::-:.8 liONDAY the 8th A~: ..:JL 1940. -----------------:.=.1...--···-···---·--___::.J.____ F.t:ESS NOT ICE. ------· -­ The lviinister of Su1xply has n;ade the Control of Iron and Steel (No~B) Order, (S.H.& 0. 1940, No.496) which comes into fo:rce on the 8th April, 1940, superseding the Control of Iron and Steel (No. 6) Ord.er, made on the 29th January, 19·10. Under the yJrovisions hitherto in force certain classes of ~urchasers were exempted from the licence re,1uirernent when purchasing steel for specified pur)oses but in future, for the products included within the new distribution scheme, this exemption will be limited to pu:cchases covered by a symbol and contract or reference nur.t'lber the use of which is authorised by the appro1n'ie.te Depa rtment. Although the Order comes into force on the 8th April, 1940, the operation of the Direction in connection with this Scheme is yostponed in ·the case of future orders for steel ~roducts covered by the Scheme until Londay, the 29th April, 1940, and, in the cas e of old orders for such products, until the 31st Iviay , 1940l so as to ;::,ive time for the allotment throu0h t he various channels of the symbols, contract or 1·efe:cence numbers and delivery .:,;er-iods. Attention i s called to the f .:\ct that under the new Direction all licences i"or steel products covered by the Scb.eme heretof-ore issued to .3tockholding Merchants a re revoked. These should, therefore') be returned forthwith to the Iron and .Steel Control. Arrangements ha ve been made for the i rnmediate replacement of these licences by new lj_cences. All other existing licences remain in operation subject to the provisions of the new distribution scheme. Licences and exem1;tion f·ram licences for materials n-ot covered by the scheme will continue as h eretofore. Increases in maxiraum prices have been fixed for certain mo:ce hi:;hly finished ~Jroducts, notably Crown Iron, Colliery Arches and Accessories, Galvanised Jheets, Tubes and :.i -pes , certain types o:f \;ire and \iire ~:;roducts, :::;teel Cc-1stinJ;o, and .flc.•ilway Coil a.nd Lan1inated S=.)rint, s. Copies of the Order may be obtained from H.h1. Stationery Office o:r i'rom any Bookselle:r. 1 ;;.ini stry of Supply, r_r11e Adelphi~ \i . C. 2 . _~_•._4...........4.._0_ __,,_.__N.£~..L. ~INISTRY QF LABOUR AND NATION.AL SERVICE. R~istration· under the National Service (Armed ForoeeJ Act,1939. The Ministry of Labour and Natioral Service announces:­ The provisional figures of those who registered today, Saturday, April 6th, 1940 at· the Local Office of the Ministry 6f Labour and National Service were:­ England. ............... , ... . 267,f}!J,7 Scotl~d.. ,., .............. . 31,416 Wales•••....•................ 15,467 Total. . '• ................... . 314,430 Of these, the numbers provisionally registered ae conscientious objectors were:-England ' . .......;...... _. . ..... . 3,662 scotlanrd. .............~ ..... . 469 Vt/ales. . .....•.•••.•••.••••••. 300 To±tal. ! :•••• .•••• ., ••••••• . • •••• 4,431 representing 1.41 pe~ cent of the total registered. The men requ~red to register were those who (a) reached the age of 20 between 10th March, 1940 and 6th April, 1940 (both dates inclusive) and (b) men who reached 'the age of 25 during 1939. The figures do not include· (a) those who, because of the difitance of their homes from the Local Office, will be registering by post, (b) seamen and fisher:rrlen who may have registered at Mercantile Marine Offices and (c) persons unavoidably prevented from registering owing, for exam~le, to sickness or being at sea, -2 ­ There has been a further decrease in the :pro~ortion registering as conscientious obj ectors, as has be~n the case on every registration dny since the fi r st registration under the Armed Forces Act. This is the lowest percentage of conscientious objectors since compulsory recruitment started. Reports from all the divisions of the Ministry of Labour and National Service show that the registration was effected without difficulty. MINISTRY OF LABOUR Al\'TI NA'l'IONAl· m''RVICE. ~ ·~·-·-·-·--·---·-­ ' 6 .• 4.40 No 8 corviMUNIQUE ON VISIT OF FR8NCH MINISTER OF BLOCKADE TO LONDON M. Georges Monnet , the French Minister of Blockade and Mr. Ronald Cross, Minister of Economic Warfare, held meetings together in London yesterday and this morning. They reviewed all the more important outstandin;:_, ques tions affectin3· the work of their two Ministries. The discussions showed complete agreement and the common determination of the two Governments to develop Allied Co-operation in all spheres of economic warfare. MI NI STRY OF ECONOMIC WARFARE ~1INI.§..TRY . QF..J.'QQ]) ANN...QQNCEMENT. PRIC:g;JL.9F. JJ.'IPOI~TED EGGS. Fresh eggs from Eire and Near European countries will be cheaper on Monday, 8th April, as the result of an Order made by the Minister of Food0 The new maximum prices will be as follows:­ Sale by an Sale by Sale by Importer Wholesale Rtail (per 120 eggs) (per 120 eggs) (per 12 eggs) s. d. s. a.. Category II -Eire Fresh E~gs (a) Minimum Weight 15 lbo per 120 eggs 160 0 170 0 2. 0 (b) Minimum Weight 12 lb per 120 eggs 14~ 9 1. 9 Category III -N·ear European Fresh Eggs (a) Minimum Weight 15 lb. per 120 eggs 13 9 1. 9 (b) Minimum 1iif eight 12 lbo per 120 eggs 11~ 6 12. 6 1, 6 The maximum prices prescribed for Categories IV and V rernain uncha:ngedo 6.4s40 No 10. MINISTRY OF HEALTH CIVIL NURSING R'~SERVE More Members Wanted Miss Florence Horsbrugh, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, presides over the first meetinz of the Civil Nursing Reserve Advisory Council This Advisory Council was formea. last mor:th as 1Jart of a reorganis tion of the Civil Nursing Reserve under which the Headquarters organisation was incorporated in the Minis t ry of Healtho Miss Horsbrugh, who vms accompanied by her Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr. Samuel Storey, M.P., emphasised the important part which the Civil Nursing Reserve must play in ·the civil de:e'·ence services of the country, and said that, in spite of the progressYfhich had been achieved so far, more members were still needed, and particularly more trained nurse members who would be willing to go anywhere in the country. The Acl.visory Council discussed several points on which the Minister had desired advice, and appointed a Sub-Committee to go into the whole question of arranging refresher courses for members of the Reserve who had already taken their training. The object of the Civil Nursing Reserve i s to provide a reserve of trained personnel which can be drawn on to meet the extra requirements of hospitals and first-aid posts, and. of reception areas under the Government Evacuation Scheme. Intending members should apply to the Secretary, Ministry of Health (Civil Nursing Reserve) Romney House, Marsharn Street, London, S.W.l. The members of the Advisory Council are Mrs. St. John Atkinson, representing the Order of St. John: Sir Comyns Berkeley, representing the Central Midwives Board; Miss Mary Cochrane, representing the National Council of Nurses; Miss D.S. Goode, representing the Royal College of Nursing. Miss Helen Dey, representing the Asso~~~tion of Hospital Matrt~d; Dr. Daley, representing the London County Council; Dr. Ferguson, representing the Society of Medical Officers of Health; Mr. WoH. Harper, representing the British Hospitals Association; Mr. E. 'ii . Cernlyn Jones, representing the . CountJ Councils Association; Dame Beryl Oliver representing the British Red Cross Society; the Dowager Marchioness of Reading, . representing Women's Voluntary Services; Miss D.M. Smith, representing the General Nursing Counci1; Alc1.erman W. E. Wilfordll representing the Association of Municipal Corporations: Miss Wilmshurst, representing the Queen's Institute of District Nursing. MINISTRY OF HEALTH WHITEHALL, S.W.1. 6/4/40. -No, 11. PRESS NOTICE The Admirulty dcpj_ro to or:w; the D.ttcntion to nll those who are offici::.ll;y recorded ::',s r.Gxt-of-kin of' Royul Navy and Royal Marine }'.)ersonnel to the importance of notifying at once any change in their address. There have been many such changes of address in recent months ov1ing to evacuation and other causes, and the task of notifying next-of-kin of casualties and of cases of sickness or dangerous illness has, on several occasions, been subject to delay owing to the faet that changes of address have not been notified. Such changes should be notified as follov.is :­ R.N. o.nc1. .:(, !,l. Officers -to The Secretary of the Admiralty, (C.W.Branch). R.N. and R.M. ratings and ranks -to The Commodore of the Depot to which the rating is attached. If in doubt as to the Depot to which a rating belongs, notification should be made to the Admiralty (Naval Branch) stating the rating's full name, official nurnber and last known ship. Officers and men on a T.124 agreement -to The Registrar. General of Shipping and Seamen, Tower Hill, London, E.c.3. SUah changes should also be notified to the Post Office Authorities concerned.• +++++++++ ALLIED AI R MIIUST~RS KWHAJ'WE GRL}~TINGS . ----·----­ One of the first acts of the newly-appointed Secretary of State for Air, Sir Samuel Hoare, when he took over his duties at the Air Ministry yesterday morning was to send the following telegram to the French Air Minister (Monsieur Laurent-Eynac): ­ "Having returned to the British Air Ministry9 I hasten to send Your ~xcellency my best wishes for the success of your great work and to say how glad I am once ~gain to be associated with a former colleague in the field of aviation, " The following reply has now been received from the French Air Minister: ­ "I am very touched by your telegram, and happy to have been able to see you again recently in London. I send you my most cordial congratulations with mybest wishes. I am glad to see in our long collabora­tion of the past and in our friendship, a token of perfect understanding in the service of the common cause." AI R AFFAIRS. The ".Jar Of':f.'ice, London, S. vf.1• 6th April, 1940. The following is the latest list of Ge~nan Prisoners of War:­ ~ Christian Names Surname ·~/here from Feldwebel Ernst Emil Karl BRBIL~R Goldenau 25 Ma schinengef'reiter Matrosengef'reiter Masch. Obergefreiter Karl Anton Max VOSSHAGE :SNGLISH K1.HN Gildesheim Opr.:ieln Nurnberg 20 20 20 No. 14 BIGGER ALLOWANCES FOR AIRMEN. The Air Ministry announces ­A revised scale of allowances for children of airmen of the Royal Air Force came into operation yesterday. The new scale of allowances is as follows:­ 6/-a week for one child. 10/-a week for two children 12/-a week for three children 3/-a week extra for each additional childo All additional payments due under the revised scale will be made automatically. Application by the airmen concerned or their wives is not necessaryo AIR AFFAIRS. +++++++++++++ Ro A. :IG_..E!-~P'.~ -~gp.PP]~.P_JN C_O_Q..~EIT (Not to be g_uotee. as an Air Ministry .Announcern.ent) Trapped under water in a rapidly sinking Spitfire, a pilot of +,he R. A. F. Fighter Corrnnand. found that his parachute had janli·aed in the liding roof of the cockpit, After three days in hospital 9 he has told the story of his escape. On Wednesday ~he attacked a He:inkel over the North Sea, 12 miles from the Yorkshire Coasto When he haa_ watched the Heinkel crash on the water, and had seen the crev7 bei.ng picked up by a trawler, the fighter pilot, a flight-lieutenant? reported by radio telephone that his ovm air­craft was on fireo Here is his account of vvhat ha-~)pEmed next~­ 11 \:Vhen about lL~ ft off the Yvater, I reported to the ·f)a trol that I i,vas lanc1ing. "I stalled on the wo.ter at 65 miles per hour with a loud crash. The aircraft immediately dug its nose in and came to a vertical position, tail up, and sank immediatelyo I think the touch-a.own anct sinking were simultaneous. "My next clear recol lee !:;:ion is ·L.hat I was belovv the surface and. that everything appeared greeno 11 I undid my har~1.ess anO. begun to get clearo 11 The aircPaft was s inking rupid1yy and when I was almost clear9 my parachute got uncter the slidii1.g roofo I then got partly back into the cockpit and out again 9 and finally got clear and tried to swim to the SUl"'face. 11 The tail plane i)assed. just in front of my face, the pressure was very great? and the green light hac1 cho.nged to black& "By the time I broke suPface , DY lungs had reached. just about the limit. I then undid my parachute and. trod water but hacl.. great difficulty in keeping up. There appeared to be rollers at regular intervals, about five to six feet high~ I triec1 to remove my helmet 9 but went under each time I triedo ;ir then tried to put. more air into my life jacket, but found this impossible as I v.ras definj. tely i,,1inc1ec1o ; 1Finally I got a gliDpse of a. traYvler coming 9 a·Lrn.,oximately9 in my direction. 11 I continued to tread v1at er s and wj. th slight help fpom m~r life-j ~ket kei)t u:p about 5 to 10 mim.:tes 5 c1urj ng \71lich time I found the weight of my clothing increasing r a:pidlyo 11 I released my para0hute and j_jJlJi1edtately realiseci. that it was giving me considerable buoyancy so I held it irvi.t h my left hand... It did not begin to submerge for several minu-~es 9 \7hen it gradually sank to waist level. "The travfler arrived alo:ngsi0.c 9 and I was handed a boathook" ++·+·!-++++~t- AIR AFFAIRS. NEW SECRETARY OF STATE :B10R AIR VISITS AIR J~o:rw:rr; UNITS. -·---'"------------·-~-~----­ Sir Samuel Hoare 9 Secretary of State fo:t' Air, at the Air Ministry this morning received officers of the Dominion Air Forces who repres~nt their respective forces in London. Subsequently the Secretary of State visited a number of Royal Air Force stations in the VI.Cinity of .London, including command headquarters in the district. At one station he had an informal talk with personnel of the Squadron of which he is Honorary Air Commodore. AIR APFAIRS. No. l]. FR.J""JNCH OFFICIAL COMMUNI(}UE. { EV]?FING) · The following was is,::med this evening from French G.H.Q:­ A QUIET DAY. +++++++++++