~WRNING BULLETIN. NO .4\? 29th SEPTEMBER 1939. EMPIRE ANNOUNCEMENT. THE AGA Klil\N TO HIS "BROTHERS" The following message has been issued by His Highness the Aga Khan to his followers:­ "To n.11 my brothers in India and other British Dominions: "To-day a cruel war has been imposed, and it is our duty to co-operate with heart and soul :Cor the success of His Majesty the King-Emperor. Such a sincere and complete co-operation will be also the best service to Islam. "I beg my brothers in Islam to realise alike our secular duty and ouT best way of serving Moslem interests is by completely loyal co-operat ion with His M·a jesty' s Govet>nment. Both my grown-up son and myself have placed all our personal services at the Viceroy's disposal." MINISTRY OF SUPPLY ANNOUNCEMENT. "Barter11 Cotton From America For Ministry of Supply Reserves First deliveries of the 11 bai>ter" cotton under the agreement whereby Britain is to exchange an equivalent value of rubber for cotton are expected from th3 United States shortly. Altogether 600,000 bales of cotton are to come to this country under the agreement. The cotton will be one item in the vast reserve stores of materials which the P·:inistry of Supply is accumulating at special "key" pvints throughout the country. Storage of these materia ls is itself a task of considerable magnitude. It involves not only the 'handling, but accounting, inspection and safeguarding of the materit.<.ls under conditions which make them instantly available for use as demands arise. Large quantitieo of cotton are required for Army, Navy and Air Force equipment in addition to supplies for civilian purposes. END OF A U~BOAT R.A.F. Pilot Bombs Trail of 011. The following story of the end of n U-Bont is extracted from the log of the pilot of a Royal Air Force reconnaissance aircraft on Atlantic patrol. He says: ".A very fine trail of oil was observed coming to the surface in e. series of bubbly patches. The trail led due north. 0 Sea markers were dropped and the oil was seen to be moving slowly ahead of this point at two knots. 11 Af'ter 15 minutes of careful observation, bombs were dro:tro.ecl ·-··­slightly ahead of and across the foremost oil patch. 11 In the centre of e. group of white cireles made by the bombs, a great quantity of oil suddenly gushed to the .surface. The oil then thinned out. Soon, a much wider trail of oil began to move slowly forward --now at about only one knot. 11A second attack was made along the oil trail and slightly ahead of it. 11In the centre of the new white patches of foam created by explosions, oil again gushed up --this time for thirty minutes. "No further r.1ovement of any sort was seen. 11 MINISTRY OF HEALTH NATIONJiL REGISTRATION National Registration takes plnce to-night (Friday) Millions of householders sitting with their schedules in front of them will get advice straight from the loudspeaker this evening, when the Registrcr-Genero.l for Engl and and Wales (Sir Sylvnnus Vivinn) is to broo.dcnst hints and tips on hov1 to fill up the forms. He will speak at 6-30 and the talk is to be repeat~d at 10-30. Some householders have not yet got their schedules. This is probably because the enumerator has made severQl calls and failed to find anyone at home. It is essential to make a N2tionnl Registration return-your food ration book depends on it. If you have been missed you must take steps to get a schedule. There are two ways:­ ( 1) Co.tch the enumerator o.s he goes on his rounds within the next few days collecting the schedules. He will give you a schedule and help you to fill it up there and then. Or you may (2) Cnll to-day at the local National Registration Office (usually the council offices) ask for a blank schedule, and get it filled up before the enumerator comes round. BUT you or some responsible member of the household MUST hand the completed form to the enumerator personally. Two important points concerned with Food Rationing plans have to be borne in mind in filling up the return. People who constantly trnvol about tho country on their ordinary occupation will be 2ble to get a specinl ration book which will not tie them to pe.rticular traders. Should you consider that your occupation entitles you to make this clo.1m, the word "Travellingtt should be added and underlined after your atatement of occupation. Then at a later stage a special applicntion form will be sent to you. The second point concerned with Food Rationing is that a special ration book will be necessary for a seaman serving on weekly articles or a fisherman who in the ordinary way spendsseveral dnys at a time at sea . In this case after putting your occupation add and underline, "Weekly Articles" And this warning applies to everyone-----within the next few weeks all r ation books will be posted to the address where the return was made . If in the meantime you remove, you must make nrrangements--­either privately or through the Post Office re-direction scheme-­to have it forwarded to you. Tomorrow or within the next few days the enllii1crntor who left your schedule will be calling back. On collecting the return he will write and issue idemtity cards for everyone included in it. Again the public is asked to co-operate, by arranging if possible for the head of the household or some responsible member to be at home, or by telling a neighbour when some one will be at home. If the entire household should remove before the enumerator has called back, they must take the cmnpleted return with them and present it at the Registration Office in their new district. ISSUED THROUGH TH:C MINISTRY OF INli10RMATION 29thSeutember 1939 ~th September" 19~. From the War Office., BAJ:?.Q-ES OF RA~.K: lN TljE~'-1'.-~~ COURTESY SALUTES TO BE GIVEN TO ARMY OFFICERS .Members of the Ao'roSo are required. to salute their own officers when in uniform, but salutes given to regulo.r or terri­torial inspecting officers in uniform or to officers of the unit to which the company is at.t o. checl 9 are a courtesy and cannot be enforcedo Officers and members of the Ao To So rank with officers and men of the Army as folJ.ows:­ Chief Controller o • • Q (J G ~!io. j or-Genera1 Senior Controller •. u 0 " Br·igadier Controller Colonel Chief Cormnandant ••. Lieut.-Colonel Senior Commandant Company Com.~ander Junior ComrnanCi.er ". o • ... Major Co.ptain l ,ieutenant Company Assistunt Senior Leader 2nd I,ieutenant Warrant Officer II Section Leader Sergeant Sub-Leader Corporal Volunteer Pl'ivate Badges of rank 2.r•e : Controller •• , Laurel wreath and 2 stars Chief Cormnandant •. • Laur el wreath and 1 star Senior Commandant . o Laurel wreath Company Commander· 3 stars Junior Commander • " 2 stars Company Assi stant :. star 0 • (1 0 • , Senior Leader Laurel wreath on both forearms 0 • 0 Section Leader j chevr•ons • 0 • Sub-Lead.er 2: chevrons c •• The badges of Chief Controller and Senior Controller will be notified latero All ranks of the A.ToS,vd l l observe the customs of the Service in respect of the assoc:i.ation of officers, NeC.e. s and other ranks; and the use of Offi.cers 9 messes, Sergeants' messes or institutes by the A.Tc So may be permitted by the courtesy of the C.Oo of the unit conc8r ned. Leave may be gr ::intGd in case of urgent private affairs, such as the return of the husband of a!l officer or member of the A.T.S. on leave or wounded o -2 ­ EMPI HE .ANNOUNCEMENT. TR.ACTOHS __IN NORTHERN IREL.iµJp-!. The Ministry of .Agriculture in Northern Ireland, has taken steps to ensure that a large number of tractors shall be made availableo They will not ·be distributed direct, but sold to farmers in the ordinary way, and intending purchasers should place orders through an agent" It 5.s ::.1.ot y0t ..possloleto say \lYhen tractors will be deliveredo The Ministry intend to impose co ditions requiring buyers of tractors to plough, cultivate and cut with a self-binder a minimum acreage of grain cr ops at fixed charges; and in the sale of the tractors 9 special preference will be given to purchasers living in districts where tractors are most needed, or to those who would be prepared to work their tractors in such districts. Farmers may be assisted in the purchase of tractors and tractor implements by loans from the Government. o 0 o C ~ 0 0 0 G ~ O • ~ • 0 0 GR0171NG fOOD IN ULSTER Sir Basil Broo:-.:Ce, the Minister of .Agriculture in Northern Ireland proposes to make a tour of the province and to address each County Committee o:f .At;;1·iculture on the Government's plans to increase food productior.. "In Northern Ireland" thG C:overnment states "ten County Committees of .Agnicultu.re arc working in closr; co>;operation in all the various schemes for mai:r1taining and augmenting the co1ll!Iltry' s food resources, and it is to them that the Minister looks for help and advice. 11 The Minister vvill begin his visits to-day, September 30th. by meeting the County I,ondonderry Cornrnittee., • ~ • 0 • 0 0 0 • • • ~ • • • • ~ FROM THE EINISTRY O}' SUPPLY• ..._ .._____ -·---·-·----­ The Minis·, El .~:> o:f Sup;,Jly received a Deputation from the Paper Makers' ..Assoc~ation t·~day (.B1riday, 29th. September. ) The Deputat~o:r: which was in~roduced by Mr• .A.C. Reed, M.P., brought t o the Minister's attention the present difficulties with which the Trade is faced with regard to the price of raw materials. ,...I .' ' 3 BOA.RD OF' EJ2.UC_ATION ANNOUNCEMENT School Children in Evacuation Areas. In a circular issued to Local Education Authorities to-dav The Doard of Education exDresses seI•ious a,.:rnrehension at the p~ssibility of any general r~turn of children-lo evacuation areas. It cannot be assumed, adds the Cir•cular, that the present conditions of safety in those areas will continue, and the Board hope that Authorities , through their teachers and otherwise, will adopt every means in their power to discourage the return of evacuated children to their homes. In making suggestions for the education of chile_l"en in evacuation areas the Board states that the prolJlem would not have arisen had parents availed themselves to the fullest extent of the Government's evacuation scheme, adding that the position had been made more acute by the action of some ~;arents in bringing back their children. The Board recognises ho1ever, that these children should not be deprived of education and its allied services. no suggestion put forward by the Board can be taken as authorising the opening of schools for ordinary instruction. Certain Authorities have already begun 1 in a tentative way, to organise a system of visjts by teachers to the homes of the children. 1rhis method has the advantage of allowing the contact bet\"1een teacher and child to be continued without involving the assembly of more than small gi-•oups. Ex~erience will doubtless suggest how the 09portunities of home visiting can most profite.bly be used. In some cases no doubt some degree of formal instruction may b e nossible in, or in the vicinity of, the children's homes, At the least it rna~r be }")racticable to set the children lessons and to distribute books nnd other materials. In the case of elementary school children, the attention of the teachers will naturally be directed, in the first instance, mainly to the older children. The Board would see no objection to the use of the school prei:1ises as the headquarters of activities of this kind to the extent of allowing the children to visit their schools in small groups in order to collect books and to receive their tasks. The importance of maintaining t he health and cleanliness of the children is no less than that of securing for them some measure of education. Schools and school clinics may therefore be opened for the purpose of providing medical inspection and treatment for small groups of childreno The Board hope that Authorities v!ill do their utmost to secure the services of such medical and nursing staffs as are needed to continue these services. 4 ­ Games and necrcation . It is evident that much can be done for the children who remain ~Y organising games, walks and recreational activities of various ldncls. The I:oarc1 hope that arrangements will be made :for teachers~ r.ri th the assistance of helpers, to unO..ertalce these activities sulJject, ah~rays, to the oveP-riding condition that children are not massed in large numbers . in order to engage in them. These activities should be carried out in open spaces, as far as conditions will a1lovr, but not in school playgrounds where the danger of air raids would be intensified by the :hardness of the surface and the possibilit~r of the collapse of the adjoining school buildings. The adoption of the expedients suggested in the preceding paragraphs need not, in the Board's view, entail more than a very limited measure of air raid protection at the schools, since the risks involved for the children nill be no greater than if they remained at home or were allowed to play in the streets. If38UED TH2 0UGH THE MINISTRY OP Il'Ei10.'..1I\"'1ATION. Release 6,45 Pomo Fridayo MINISTRY OF HEALTH, NATI ONJ~Q-ISTRA"TI ONo The Registrar-General for England and Wales (Sir Sylvanus Vivian) broadcasting tonight (Friday) on the National Registration said:­ Tonight is National Registration Night, the appointed time for the returns to be made for the National Register. The vast majority of householders are now preparing to fill up their schedules; and I am hoping to be able to help you by the following i nformation and advice upon various points as to the return itGelf and the steps which you ought to take in both your own and the Naticnal Inttrest. It may be wise for you to have a pc;ncil and paper handy in case you want to make a note of any point which sp6cially conc6rns you. If by tonight you have not recbived a schedule, eithbr owing to some rarb ac;:;ident or bc.caus6 the Emumerator has-btitm quite unable to find anyone at home to receive it9 you should get busy yourself. Thb bnumerqtor has probably done his best to find you. I have had reports of cases where thb enu.merator has called eight times without suc·.;ess. He can hardly do more; and as your Ration Book depends upon yonr return you should t e.ke the following action. RE;member that the enumerator will be making his collt::ction rounds in the next few days~ look out for him and get into touch with him. He will carry spare; schedules with him; and he can provide one and help you to fill it up on the spot. If you live in a scattered rural aroa9 leave word with one of your nearest neighbours who has re'.?.tived a schedule, or telephone the National Registration Office. 16t/39 lo Or you can go early tomorrow morning to the National Registration Office and ask for a blank scht;dUlt. to fill up before the cnurncrator comc-.s al ong o.o his colle;ction rounds. All tht:. same you or som1;:; responsible member of the houst-hold must make contact with th6 enumerator and deliver the s chedul0 to him in pbrsono Th€. blank schedule will have to be numbered and entered up by the enumerator; and it must bo handtd in through him. It ~annot b~ postbd or returned to tho National Rsgistration Office dirc;ct. As to the filling up of thb schedulc9 I don't believe that this should give you any difficulty. All you householders havo coped splt;ndidly in the past with the far more difficult Census Echedules 9 and this schedule is by comparison very simple. The instructions on the schedule tell you who ought to be included. But there is one point which has been the subject of enquiry 9 namely9 the case of serving officers and men in the Armed Forc6s who happt:.n to pass this night on private premises. Well 9 th& rule is that no serving officer or man in the Armed Forces is to be included unless he is on leave. If he is not on leave -for cxamplc 9 if he is billeted on private prt:miscs or even if he is sleeping at home -he must not be included in the schedule. But serving officers and. men omitt6d from the schedule .o eed not on that ac~ount have any anxi6ty ab out their rationing arrangements. Thcs6 will be provided for by the Service authorities. Now as to thb gP.est ions in th6 schedule;. First as to date of b irth. Practically bVt:ryone lrnows one's birthdo.y or the birthday of ont: ' e childri:,n. ThE:n as to the _yea:\'..: of birth. Most people. know t116 year i n which th t-y were born. But if you art; once; of thos c who arE< not ve ry certain about :Lt, 2. you must know your age~; and ht.rt; is a Gimpl6 rul6 for converting your ag6 in to your hirth yf!aro Consider how old you will b0 at thE:' end of this y0n1~ 9 and then subtract that age from 19390 For 0xamplc? if you are. no•.v 35 and will still be 35 a t ths t:ind of tl16 yc-;ar 9 subtrac.t 35 from 19390 Tht.s rC;sult 9 19049 will be your corrt:..ct birth yeo..ro :Lf you ar1:; now 35 but ·wil l be 36 by the Gnd of tht;; yt:a.r 9 subtr;::1.ct 36 fror:i 19390 'rhe r6SUlt 1903, Will b~ your ~orrt;Ct birth ybar in th~ t caS6o 9 Don ' t be coy about cnt~rinB your dat~ of birtho Vb must have i t and if it is omittc-d or not coi:i.plc.t(:;ly statce_ you may have ::;onsidcrablb delay i n gE;tting your food ration bool~. As to evo.cu2tcd school child_r bn lo6_ged VJi th a rwuschold.cr in a rc.ce.:ptio n area 9 school tc,acht:rs accompci.nying evacuat0d childr.:-n hav0 bc6n instruetE:d to Sf:;e t hat t he hous t;holder Vvith whom a child ic loC_ged is inform(:;cl of t[1e child' s date of birth for 0ntry in ths schcclulb o Nort as to occupation.. You 'iJill find much 'J_r.:6ful instruction ab out thi s in the s-:::h6U.ulto 'i'ht: first main consideration is -don ' t bt;. vaguc o StvL1Y thc: exa.mplE.s ancl note tht=-J kind of full and pr6ci31_;; statcm0nt vrhi:.:h is nt:-.:d.bd. In th0 C8.3t.; of o.n industrial o~cupation7 if your job goE;S by a technical namtJ in thl,.; works or f a ctory or wart:hous-.::. 9 USt; that name. If just at pr1.;.'.".:t;;Dt you happton not to be er..gagt.d in your lIBua::;_ and. r·egular occupat i on but e.rt-worki ng temporarily upon somb other lci nd of 1.7orlc9 G.o not ente;r the t empori=::ry work but 0nter your usual and ordi .oci.ry occupat ion 9 trad09 business or calling 9 uvtn i f f or tht: prc;sE;nt you are doing c ome;thi ng E.lse;. Whnt Wf;;; want to know i s your regulnr normal job. If you are at pr eGl::int out of work or t6mporarily incapacitated, you need not so.y soo But i f you ar' .... r1... tir t.d or pt-rmanently incapaci tat1;.,d? s tate:, the normnl oc cupc:,t i on \7hich you U3t;;d to foll m7 and add th t: vvord 11 Rc.tir1.;d". 3. That is how the occupation colwnn must be filled up. There are some people, however 9 who have had to abandon one oc ~upation altogether and have t aken t o another permanently. Now the l ater occupation is the one which must be returned in the schedule. But a str ong desir e has b een expressed that such men or women should have an O]l_)or·tuni ty of offering their 8ervices for the benefit of their country in the earlier occupation, provided, of course, that they are still able to practise it and were not obliged to give it up for reasons of health or i ncapacity. We have arranged to sa tisfy this demand and to provide for a supplementary optional return of a previous oc 2:upation. The arrangemE::nt in England and Wales is this. The return on the ordinary schedule must be made on the lines which I have described. But if you wish to make this supplementary return, go to the J.Tati onal ~{ .::;gi stration Office and ask for postcard Form N. R. Z. N. R. f or National Registration; Z the last lettt:.r of th:::. alphabet. Form N.R. z. The f orm contains full particulars. I t has only to be filled up and posted. But you must not fill it up until you have received your Identity Card, be~ause you have to enter in it your Identity numbt-,r. When thE:: compl(:;'ted postcard form is rtceived by my department through the post 9 the supplementary return will be rt:c:orded in the National Register in adclition to tht; return upon tht ordinary schedule. Before leaving the subject of oc~upation9 there are two points which I am asked to mention by the Ministry of Food. Tht. fi rst is this. Pbrsons following an occupation which keeps them co,rntantly trave;lling nbout the country9 such as commercial trnvellers9 travelling inspectors 9 private nurscs9 touri ng variety artists, lorry drivers who art; urw.blE: to retu::."'n >.iomt: nt night and E:mploy6c-s upon cahal or river boatc will be abl6 to obtain a special Petion Book which doE:s not requi re them to b~ tit.;d t o pa~ticular r0tailerH in a par-ti~~lar l ocaJ.:'..ty. If you r egard. your occupation as one which qualifies you to claim this special Ration Book9 write and unclerline the word "Travelling 11 after the; s tatt.;ment of your c,c:.c:upationo If you do this you will receive a form cf application upon whic;h you can malrn your claim to the special Ra tion Boolt mer'=-f ul1yo 1rhe other point is tl1is" If you ar.:.: a GE:aman serving on w0tiltly articles or & fisherman who 12 normally at sc:a for seve;ral days at a time 9 you also will r:::.-q uir c a spccial typb of Ration Book. If you fall within this de;scription 9 add and undisrline the; vvorci.s 0Weekly articlts11 afte;r y our state;mt;nt of' your oc~upation in tlle scnedule. Now tomo1'row and on the days following th~~ entunt;rator who delive;red your sch6dUlb will be calling again t o collbct it and to i2SU6 I·:;_,~ntity Cards for your housc.:hold. I must repeat what the f..Hniste:r of Ht:al th said lately o. s to giving th6 enumerator a hblping hand.~ Arrange for him to find you or some r0sponsiol8 mt:mber of y0ur ho\.:"•3eholci at homis. If your houst: is empty all day 9 lt:&v1:.: rwrd -vi.r:Lth nc-ighbours to say v7hen the enumerator can find somt:ont at homc:o You can judgs-f'ro:n what I have said befor0 how diff ic;ult e;numcrators nay find it to ::ollect your S2:hcduleo \'!hen t h6 ci1 umt; rator cells 9 ask him in and let him do his ·writing at a C.t.osk or tao le. You ".Tant yom~ ldentity Cards propsrly writt0n and you can hardly expect him to writ~ th(:;m prope.rly on tcH_; ential foodstuffs. EMPIR~ Al\fNOUi'JCEViENT Vi:~SGAGJ~ FEOLI IIIS ffIGmrn:js TlL~ iJB~~IIm OF B_~HRAiiI ~'0 -------· HIS Lli\J-7~GTY' s-Gov-.::;n1:r; :~j_fT. The following message has been addressed by His Highness the Sheikh of Bahrain to His Llajesty' s Government: ­ "For nearly a century and a h3.lf the Khali:fa Sheikhs of Bahrain have been on terms of friendship with the British Government. Gre&t Britain has protected Bahrain and has ensured its prosperity by guarding trade and maintaining the peace of the Persian Gulf. We are grateful to Great Britian. Our s;ympathies in this war which is now being waged against the evil forces of Nazism are with Great Britain. If we possessed an army we would offer it to the British Govermnent 9 but we hnve no army. As a sign of our sympathy we wish to give £30 9000 to the British Government towards the costs of the war. de hope that the British GovePmnent i:-vill accept this gift as a small token of our admiration and esteem." His Majesty's Government have conveyed to His Highness their cordial thanks for his expression of friendship, which they heartily reciprocate, and for his generous gift. M I N I S T R Y 0 F A..GX?.ICUI,TFJ.E ANN UUNCEMENT. -~--·-·...-·--·---·->--·-·-·-.....-.·----- _______ , ..___ ·------~---'-------··-- ·-------- ---·­ · Farmers and their Landlords. _ ... _,,.,. _.____ _,,,_._.. .. ·------·--_ ...,.______ -­ ~ ~·­ On the 4th Septern.1H=.n·, the 1Ji j_ni~3ter of A&;ricul ture and Fisheries b:.:oadcast an alJ:~iEeJ_ tc fs!T11C.i'.'S to plough up at least 10% of their grassland without wait:LT!g fop any d j_}'··ect:Lons from the County War Agricultural :;::;xecutive Ccrnmi.ttees, •vho have been f.:ntrusted with certain powers under the Defence Regulatirns for increasing home food production in the present national emer gency, In order to r emove any misapp~ehension regarding the position as between landlord o.nd tenant in connection with the ploughing up carnpaign 1 the W'.inister desires to explain that ploughing up Orders will be issued by county War Agr icultural Executive Cornmi ttees in due course in res:pect of all t:rassl and voluntarily ploughed up after the cutbreak of t he we.r, (September 3r·d) in response to his appeal, and copies will be served on both l andlord and ten8.nt. These Orders will have the effect of overriding the terms oi' t :1e f &1~riie:r·,-3·--ten8~ncy-agr eemei1t -ariCI -wI1I·-exempth1rii-·1'romthe necessltyof-c-Staii13~ng--tfie-,Lind...:-owner"Ts--·consent or cf complying wi th any"cOD a~ I"tTor\s "Impose~f-by--{ he"1ana.-0vmer-Tn"-t hetenancy"agreement citherwfs8;l"i1~­reg8:ra. _to_such .ploughing up.. .-_______.,..._ .._____ ·~­-------~------·.._. ____ or Ne farmer should delay ploughing up pending the receipt of an Order from the Committee. No. M.A. F. 43 M.. I.12 Issued through the Ministry of Informa tion ------· --------·--·-----·------------------­ 29th September, 1939. This little Frc:nch :::r·ovincL~l tor.Tl iG ,3Gttin~~ used to socinz British troo9s. En.=;lish:~en o.re c1.s cor:u'.'.1on ;-s :t.'rcncJ:1;:1en in the streets -but nobody tu.r:.::i.s to s t nrc. h lorry-land of troo~s r~ttlcs throu·~ the mcin s~uGre. The men e.rc sine;in,3 ;iPnck-· up ~rour Troubles1' -not shoutinc it to keep th&ir spirits u~,) 9 but n:~)po.rently just for the pleo.sure of singing. The French say this cheerful confidence imyresses them much more than the fro.ntic enthus insrn of 1911-J.• The townspeo:-Qle ho.ve r;ot o.ccustorned to having their theatre turned into o.n ordn2nce sup'..JlY de11ot. A serc;eant-Me.jor sits in the box office. Neatly-rolled mattresses and equipment are piled alone; the walls of the foyers. At the stage door the Town Major has his office. V/orking in close conjunction with the M27or of the .:?lace~ he settles all billeting questions. In a ~ost office~ aloncside th~ row of French tele~hone girls, sit three British soldiers9 operntin,'3 British /\.rrny switch­boards brought f r·om Enz::!..and o.nd er0cted here. They have all hnd expePience in the International Telephone Exchange in Lt0ndon and are perfectly bilingual. They S])end as much of their time t alkinc; J?rench cm Enc;lish. The French civilians are gettins used to the sound of British motor horns. At first the sudden incrense of motor traffic eauinned with unfamiliar horns was ai)t to be confusing, but now animo.is as well as people react with sur1n1 isine; ac:ility. The French are full o:f o.dmiration for the way in which the British drivers have cho.n~ed over to c'..rivine on t he ri2;ht. All dis~atch ri ders have on their petrol tanks a large coloured chnrt, so that they can see at a second's notice what a French traffic signal ~Jeans. H_OT FOR BROADCAST ON RADIO OR ON Cl,UB TAPES BEFORE 8 a.m, SATURDAY. BR~'J;'ISH AR!JlY Is G. p ~ 0. MAIL 11 LIKE NON-STOP CHIGSTll~t.\.S RUSW1 BY 11Ji:YE-WITNESS" s mt.3i'VHBRI ; IN FRANCIi . The British Army's 11G~PoO.,n in France consistsof two small rooms on the groun0. floor of a building hereo Sooner or later every letter written by mothers 9 v1i ves and sv:eet:-nearts in England to their menfolk in France is emptied on to the stone floor of these rooms. From davm t o dusk the staff of the post office are hard at work. sortillG, dis tributing, des:~"la tching, and collecting Every one of them is a post-office worker in civil life 9 and does his job with professional sldll. But most of them ac:'.mit they have not often had to worl\: so hard. 11 It is like a non-stop Christmas rush," they say. J.Dvery morning many saeks of mail a!"'rive for distribution to thetroops. Most of it is already sorted into the different units~ but that does not mean there is nothing for the workers here to do. There are always piles of letters Hrongly or incufficiently au.dressed. Plent;sr of stuff has not been sorted o. t a ll. Some of the men sit fl"L}J)_)j.ng letters v.ri th the skill born of long practice into the green canvas collai"lsible piceon-holes which have been set up a long one walL Others deal with the outgoing mail for England. This usually totals about fifty sacks a day. The surplus of incoming over outgoing is accounted. for by the parcels. All this has to be sorted roug.11.ly into British postal areas. The staff is managing t o keep abreast of its business, but soon it will have to be enlarged. The first difficulties have been overcome , and things are going s o smoothly that the Post Office chiefs here reckon it is possible for th e troops to write home and receive an answer v7i thin seven or eight days. One of the chief time-con-suming factors i s the necessity for checldng up wrongly addressed. l etters. Every evening 9 when all ordinary routine business is finished 9 the bare wooden table is always still Iiled high with v;-hat are called "shabs;'. This vrnr d for wrongly addressed letters is ap~9arently corm!1on in Post . Office circles s but none of the experts here could eJq)l <::t in t o me its cl..eri vation. If all attemnts at trac;i nG the add.ressee f ail, the letter is lJUt in a special card index in the hope that a clue9 or perhaps the-man hir11self, wi 11 turn up so oner or later. -2­ The parcel section has overflowed to an upper floor of the barracks. Here the procedure is the same, but it takes up more room. The workers report that all has gone smoothly so far. V/hen I visited them only two parcels were giving any trouble. One was a very large musical instrument, and the other a mysterious package which could not be identified but was suspected of .containing kippers. Occasionally a badly done-up parcel would suddenly collapse and spill forth cigarettes, tins of sardines, or chocolates. But the parcel­workers, with p~tience and skill, always managed to put it together again, · All through the day order:1..ies ar rive at this "Post Office" from outlying units. They bring with them the mail for England and the letters which were sent to them wrongly the day before. Then they are [~iven their ss.ckful of newly arrived mail, and they set off home, where their arrival is frequently the brightest spot of the d2y for the TroopG. ISr3UED THROUGH THE 1IINISTHY OF INFO-::-tMATION. NO. 14 29/9/39 MINISTRY OF FOOD ANNOUNCEMENT The Ministry of Food have made an Order to-day fixing the maximum prices to be charged to the farmer for a wide range of animal feeding stuffs. These prices are approximately those ruling immediately before the outbreak of war. This should enable farmers to produce and sell livestock products at current prices. Recently, the world price of fe~ding stuffs has been higher than the maximum price in this country as prescribed by the Ministry of Food, and t here has been some indication that Farmers have been expecting that the yresent prices of fat stock would be increased accordingly. The Order made to-day, pegging the prices of feeding stuffs, makes it unnecessary at present to revise the prevailing maxirrmm prices of fat stock. I.&SUED THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION No. 15 -29/9/39. MINISTRY OF FOOD ANNOUNCEMENT MARKETING OF LIVESTOCK In connection VJi th the Ministry of Food's scheme for the marketing of livestock, which is in preparation, particulars have been published in some districts of the markets tc> which livestock froin specified parishes have been allocated• These arrangements are only provisional. .Any farmer who wishes to sell livestock at a specified market other than that allocated to his parish will be free to do soo He must~ however, first inform the auctioneer in charge of the market which he selects that it is his intention to use that market as his collecting centre until further notice. ISSUED THROUGH THE MINIS'l'RY OF INJ?ORivlA'l' ION AIH MINISTRY ANNOUNCJ£M:GNT. On the 29th September units of the Royal Air Force carried out attacks on ships of the German Fleet in the Heligoland Bight. In spite of formidable anti-aircraft fire the attaclts were pressed home at a low altitude. Some of our aircraft have not yet returned. ISSUED THROUGH THE Mli\TISTRY OF INFORMATION NO. 17 2919/39 FOR:CIGN OFFICL ANiWUNCJ~l.1IBHT. Madane Pilsudska 9 i;;ridow of Marshal Pilsudski 9 arrived with her two daughters in England to-day. ISSUED '.i:'HROUGH TIU~ BIHI STRY OF I NFORL::ATI ON. No.18 -29/9/39. .ADMIRALTY AHNOUNCl~IViENT The Secretary of the Admiralty makes the following announcement:­ ROYAL NAVY. INCLUDING ROYAL MARINLS. Misdirection of men's private letters, etc. All letters addressed to naval ratings or Royal marines and all enquiries concerning them should invariably give the man's rating, official number and port divis ion, in addition to his name. If this is not done, it may be impracticable to deliver the letter or deal with the enquiry. Letters for naval ratings or Royal marines should not be sent to the Admiralty, but should be addressed to the ship in which the man is serving if this is known, c/o the General Post Office, London. If the ship in which the man is serving is not known, letters should be addressed c/o the Commodore, R.N. Barracks, or in the case of a Hoyal marine, the Conunandant, R.M.Barracks, at the man's port division. Further, letters enquiring as to the health and whereabouts, etc~ of naval ratings or Royal Marines, and also enquiries as to delay in receipt of letters, should not be addressed to the Admiralty, but tc the Commanding Officer of the ship or e.stablish­ment in which the man is serving. If the ship in which the man is serving is not known, such letters should be addressed to the Commodore, RoN.Barracks, or for a Royal Marine, the Commandant, R.M.Barracks, of the port divisi on to which the man belongs. Similarly, personal calls at the Admiralty should be avoided. It must be pointed out that His Majesty's Ships are liable, especially in war, to be sent to any part of the world, and that in these circumstances, considerable postal delays are un­avoidable. ISSUED THROUGH THE MINSITRY OF INFOHMATION NO. 19 29/9/39 ADMIRALTY .ANNOUNCEMENT "The Navy reg_uires a limited number of Laboratory Assistants not over 25 year s of age 7 and Operating Theatre Assistants not over 30; vace.ncies also exist for a number of g_ualified tailorff in the Royal Marines, for the period of the present emergency. Candidates should present them­selves at a Combined Recruiting Centre, address of which may be obtained at any Labour Exchange." Issued through the Ministry of Information No. 20 -29/9/39. HOk:.~ OPFIC_:_; AElTUUNCJ]:.mnT . (B'or Morning Papers only. Not t o be publis hed or broadcast until So.turci.ay morning, Sept. 30.) The Cinernatograph Exhibitors Association has been informed that the Home Secretary i s preparect to agree that the area in Central London within which the opening of Cinemas after six p.m. is prohibited should be smaller than the existing area. The result of this alteration i s that the following cinemas will f all outside the special area: ­ The Marble Arch Pavilion and the Regal 9 Marble Arch; The Polytechnic 9 Regent Street; The Studio Oxford Street 9 and the Academy? Oxford Street; 9 The Dominion, M3.jestic and Carlton9 Tottenham Court Road; The Stoll, Kingsway; The Metropol e 9 Victoria; and The New Victoria, Vauxhall Bridge Road; The Biograph, Victoria; The Berkeley, Berkeley Street; and The Curzon, Curzon Street. Effect will be given to this arrangement by a revj_ r:..,ed Ord.er redefining the area of Central London. I SSUED THROUGH THE l\~HHSTRY OP I HFORJ!IA'rI ON. No.21-29/9/3.2 ~I t • ADMIRALTY ANNOUNCEMENT. FLASH. With regard to an American broadcast to-night concerning damage to a British Warship, the Acl.lniralty once more state that no British Warship has been sunk or hit by any aeri'al attaclc. ISSUE.D THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. No.23 -29/9/39.