23/10/39 THE POLLO'.~rnm COl :~ :UNP~U~ ··:AS ISSUED BY li'RENCH G. H. Q,. THIS UORNING:­ The night was g_uiet on the front as a whole. FROU FOREIGN AFFAIRS. :CHPIR~. .!?~:.C'~ION I NDI AIT TDJ-'E})HON:S.: SERVIC:=:. Telephones of the hancl. r.11.icro:;hone type 9 designed to suit Indian conditions 5 are now being Droduced regularly for the first tirne in India by the Government Telegraph \forkshoi-:>s in Alipore. The Post and 'Telegraphs Department intends also to manufacture almost all components used in tel<~!hones including the moulded 9 bakelite parts. These workshops r11ac1.c a noC.est begin:ning ~-.ri th repairs as long ago as 1854~ but nov-r 11;i th nodern plants and machinery and 1400 rrnrkmen trained in tool and gauge manufacture 9 they can r,1eet the entire needs of the De)artDent throughout India for line-construction stores with the exception of u ires au~ insulator~ The i;1anufacture of lli ._,ll-s:)eecl telec;rai)l'l apparatus was started in 1920 and. four years a;;o the ....-:orlrnho;:;s lmd.ertool~ the manufacture of switch-boards, commuta tors o.ncl otLer roquisites and also the repair of wireless a~paratus. ?JllOj.,2_9____-___ No. 3. Australia, the first :Cngli sh-S})eaking comrnuni ty to introduce universal military training, is calling up in January between 15,000 and 20,000 militia men in the 21­age group. The scheme of cor;1pulsory training wa s actually brought into operation in 1911 by the Fisher \Labour) Government. Youths in Australia~ from the age of 12 until 26, were made liable to serve successively as junior cadets (12 to 14 years), senior cadets (14 to 18 years), and as citizen soldiers. They entered the militia c.t 13 and served until 25, then passed into the reserve for twelve month~, Except in the last year of his service, the trainee went into camp for 17 do.ys if in the naval forces$ the artillery and engineer arms, or for 8 days if in other branches of service. In addition, there was 8 days home training for all arms. The total service was thus 25 a_ays for specialist corps, and 16 days for others. Boys who had :.'el igious or other scru:ples about bearing arms were allotteJ. to non-·cm~ibei.tant dutieso The systen '>itt:.s reoY.'g3nized ::i.n 1922, when the Citizen Forces were re-'.11ode~led 01~ the lines of the Ao I. F. Junior cadet training was droppe~ and senior cadets served ·only for one year. The term of service of the Citizen Forces was reduced to three years~ and the tl"aining period in each vms restricted to 12 days --S da;rs :Ln camp and L~ for home training. In 1929 all c01npulsory obligations were suspended by the Scullin (Labour) Government, und the forces reconstituted on a vol unt ary basis.. The Divisional Organization was retained, but the peace nucleus was reduced from 48,000 Citi~en Forces and lC,OCJ Senior Cadets t o 35,000 Militia Forces and 7,000 Senior Cadets. This nucleus of t.he Militia was further reduced in 1931 to 30,000 but raised ~gain to 35,000 i~ 193G, the strength of the Senior Cadets remaining at 7,000c In December 1938 the Government decid.,:;c to incr•ease the :iilitia ·L;o 80, 000 and full strength hr.cl been attained at the time v-mr broke out. The legal posi tion at the time of the .recent calling up announcement r.ras t!1at the compulsory ooligations were still on the Statute Bool~" They had not been r e::,)ealed, but merely suspended. 23/10/39 -NO. ~ AIR MINISTRY AFHOUJ'JCBrIENT Jn air raid ~arning has been given in the Firth of Forth area. AIR MINISTRY 23/10/39• . No. 5. BOARD OF TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT. Imnort Licensing. The Import Liccns1ng Department of the Board of Trade announce that as from J!;Ionday, October 23rd, they are prepared to receive applications for licences to import canned crayfish and canned crawfish. Board of' Trade. . 23rd October, 1939. g_)Jl0/39 No. 6. EMPIRE s:ccr.rI ON. --.....---.... MALAYA'S INTEREST I F TUHiillY. The interest with Fhich Balay s have been watching developments in Turkey's relations with Russia and the Allies is shown in the Singapore Malayan vernacular Press, which gives fullest prominence t o the Anglo-Turkish Pact and the speech of' the PPime Minister. Typical are the follmving t Ym extracts f'rorn leading articles in the vernacular Press: "News of the Treaty ho.s sent a title of relief and gladness throughout the r1uslim world in general and Malaya in particular; Turkey has proved worthy of her high prestige in the field of interi1ational diplomacy." And secondly~ "Turkey does not betra::,r her friends." ISSUED THROUGH THI; PH.EGS_.f5UFLA11_ 23t:)0/39 _ NO • ..L._ FROM FOHEIGN AFFAIRS, Reference has been made in :press reports from Angora to the alleged grant of a large loan by Grea~ Britain to Turkey, It is learnt in London that these reports are without authority and that the figures mentioned in them _are incorrect, It is, however·, confirmed, that conversations have taken place between the British, French, and Turkish Governments regarding finar1cial .and. eco:n.ouic assistance for Turkey and that arre.ngements have been and are being made under this heading in the generol spirit of the newly con­cluded treaty. 23/10/39 No. 8, TERRITORIALS IN THE AIR (This article is not to be quoted as an Air Ministry Announcement). The Auxiliary Squadrons in the Royal Air Force are making a great contribution to our success in the air. The officers and men of these Squadrons, like those in the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve, qualified for active service bydevoting their peace-time leisure to training, but whereas the ~.A.F.V.R. constitutes a general pool, the Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons were formed and organised on the same lines ae> the Territorial Army--they are, in fact, the Territorials of the Air, Eaeh Squadrons is identified with some particular locality and goes on . aative service· as a complete unit. Many of them are encountering the enemy in the air over the countries to which they belong. The Prime Minister the other day described the manner in which an Auxiliary Fighter Squadron. hoped to destory German aircraft which attacked military objectives on the Scottish coast. Since· then members of another Auxuiliary Squ.adfl'Dn hove save~ a convey of a large number of merchant ships in the North Sea from what might have been a dl.saster through enemy mines. The personnel of this Squadron who are trained in general reconnaissance work and belong to the Coastal c6mmand of the Royal Air Force, are virtually all men who only seven weeks ago were in cormnercial or agricultural pursuits. On this occasion they were helping to safeguard a valuable convoy in an area believed to be clear of mines, and it was anticipated that if there was any possible danger it would come from aurpiise submarine action. The sea was rough; detection of floating mines in such circumstances is always difficult, even if their I presence in suspected. To detect them when they are not expected is a proo~ of careful and skilled observation. Actually the Auxiliary-aircraft saved the convoy twice, as drifting German mines were observed in two places at an interval of an hour. Each time were found close to and directly in the path of the leading ships. Smoke flares: were dropped as marke~s· within a few -rc:et of the mines-and warnings were flashed by lamp to the convoy. On the f'irst occasion it wns possible for the ships to throw their helms hard over and follow the aircraft on a new cours:e to safety, On the second, howevrer, there was just sufficient time ~or an escorting destroyer to dash across the course of the merchantmen and destroy the mine by machinegun fire. FROM AIR MINISTRY ~3.10~39 AIR MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENT. The air r aid warning given in the Firth of Forth area soon after noon today was due to the approach of unidentified aircraft. The all clear was sounded about half an hour l ater when it was known that no enemy aircraft were in the area. l~ fo1v-.:rr; ho rsc o.:·1;:,e:n ~ gi•eater ~reedcrn of cropping for l and p1ough2d-up u.r1C.er t '1e 22 _pm! aci"e E':l~eine are entr·u.sted to the County \~iar Ag~'.'~C'\.1.ltrn'.'al co,t'D1Ii tteP.8 irl-a c:L1•eulaI' letter just issued to them by t:'.'1e l-Unistry of Agri_eult·tJ.re o 'l'::1e If:in.istry states that it wi l l be pr·:J:D<3reil as a gc::.-ie:r· ~.:il i-•ule 9 trJ ac~ce,::Yt. Corm:iittees ' recom·nendations regoJ."'l:Lnr. the 8.)pr•oval of CPO~Js tc' be so,vn on. ploughed. up gru::rnl and that is o1igi'hle fc.Yc' grant i n resJ;ect of j_ndi victual fa:emer-s . Vflleat, bo:rlc-;y, oats 9 :::ii~:ecl corri, r:re 9 pc<::,s, ber,:: 1B 9 pot aLoes and sugar ;Jeet remain the 8.J/:;i:rcved. c ·::·ops tirn.t i t is most es::ential t o gP of North Irish Horse headed the funeral ::recession of Field-Marshal Earl Roberts in France. During the F1anders carnpaign, Gir Ronal d became a Brigoc1e Fajor in the 36th Ulster Division. In the nev,'ly formed unit to-day, the second in conunEind will be the Earl of :::~rne , anc'.l. Lorcl O'Neill is also among the Officers. I SSUED ~~HROUGH '?Hl~ PRI~SS BTJJ?.KAU. 23.10.39 No.12, EMPIRE AFFAIRS. NEW ZEAL.ANDERS GO TO CAMP BUT NO SLOUCH HATS --YET The New Zealanders who signed up recently in London for service go into camp on Thursday. They will remain a distinct New Zealand unit and will be under a New Zealand Staff Corps officer, Major C.J. Duff, but for administrative purposes they will be attached to a British regiment. About 140 men will go into camn. They will be trained as an anti-tank unit. The intention is that they will be merged into the New Zealand Expeditionary Force when it comes to England. The uniform of the British forces will be worn, drawn from the British ordnance stores. The distinctive New Zealand hat will be missing --at least for the time being. Three young New Zealanders holding overseas Territorial Commissions have been accepted -Lt,J.H.Hall-Kenny, Lt.D.B.Patterson, and Lt.E.Blow. ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU. ~3~d October, 1939. No. 13. M.A.F. 73. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCEM1~NT. Farming in War-Time. Special Leaflets for Farmers. Three special "Growmore11 Leaflets designed to be of value to farmers in war-time have just been produced by the Ministry of Agriculture. They concern~ ­ (A.) Emergency gr ain feeding, for poultry keepers. (Growmore Leaflet No. 2.) (B.) Making the most of potash supplies. (Growmore Leaflet No. 3.) (C.) Rye as a grain crop. (Growmore Leaflet No. 4.) (A) Deals with the substitution of other grains, such as barley, buckwheat and millet , for wheat, maize and oats in case these become short in supply. (B) Shows how there are many ways round the difficulty of a shortage in supplies of potash fertilisers. The farm itself can provide many of them in the shape of dung and liguid manures; crop residues; and potash in the soil that can be liberated by lime or agricultural salt. (C) Describes the cultiV"ation of rye, a crop rather neglected in recent years , but most useful as a feeding stuff. On some soils it is the most productive and the safest grain crop. Particulars of how to feed it to stock are also given. All these leaflets are free on application at the Ministry of Agriculture, 10, Whitehall Place, S.W.1. ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS . BUREAU. 23/10/39 No. 14. BROADCAST: 23rd OCTOB~R. 1939, AT 6.15 p.m. "ACTION STATIONS" BY MISS FLORENCE HORSBRUGH 9 n. P. PARLII11IENTARY s:ccRI:;TARY TO THE l'IIrHSTRY OF HE.AJ,TH. Does it seem to you that it's not months, but years, since the day when we heard that war was declared? It does to me. Two great doors seem to have shut with a resounding bang, dividing us and the world v1e now live in from the world as we knew it in the a.ays of peace. The name of one door, it seems to me 9 is "mobilisation" 9 and the name of the other 9 "evacuation". There came at the start that great turn-round of the population. Everyone was on the move 9 soldiers, sailors, airmen, men, women and children, anc1 we most of us felt we must go '~'here we were wanted. Schemes had been made for those who were to defend us to move at once to their action stations, and for those '."rho were most de­fenceless t·o go to the posts that hacl.. been assigned to them. And so I saw in London the children trooping off to their trains and buses. The first word of command was 11 to move". The second was no less clear -it was "stand by", and it's queer 9 isn't it 9 how much harder it is to be loyal to the second? I believe I have seen evacuation from more separate and di­vergent points of' view perha~Js than almost anyone else, for it has been my job 9 as a junior Minister of the Government -I vvas appointei Parliementary Secretary to the Ministry of Health last July -to go about the country to see ho1:v the scher.1e is working. I have taJked to the officials and billeting officers in the different areas and to teachers and helpers who went with the chilc1ren. More im­portant still I have been talked to by mothers whose children have been evacuated; and by children in their' new homes. And perhaps most important of all 9 I have been talked to by householders v.rho have received them. f.,nd what have I learnt from all the talks I have had? I am not going to try and tell you all I have learnt, hor am I going to speak of the things that have gone right or gone wrong in the post. I want to tell you of what I thinl< about the :present and the future. First, I would like to ~ive a word of praise to the parents who have kept, and are keeping , their children in those places vvhere they have been told it is safer for them to be. I want to say to them: You have done a fine thing both for your' children and the country as a whole. I know you are anxious about your children, even if you are assured they are well ancl. ha~)PY ·where they are. You are missing them, anc". it seems dull and lonel~,r vvith.out them•. But you have realised that to put your feelings first is merely selfishness. You are bearing in rnincl. , aren't you, if you bring them back to crowded areas, if bombs fall~ if buildings are tumbling down -you and I will be firghtenec1_9 but those chi10.ren may be terrifieci. 9 and for the rest of their lives their mental balance may be upset, apart from any bodily harm that may befall then1. I vvonder if the parents who have brought their children baclc realise that? Theirs too will be the responsibility i f raids co1ne and gallant people have to risk their lives or perha~)S lose their-lives in rescuing from burning buildings their chi lc.l.ren who v.rere evacuated and would have been safe had they not got tired of putting up with the difficulties -yes, and the sadness -of this break-up for a time of family life. Ylhat of the householders in the reception areas? A gre at army of men and women have b een ready, for the sake of their country, to give up the cherished principle that an En6lishman's home is his castle. On Se-;}tfaaber the 1st /they 2, they let dovm the dr awbridge and in they came, the stra~gers, big and small. Much will be writt en of this great war-time social experiment. All I vmnt to ·say-OO\·im that there are thousands of homes where it has been made a glorious suqcess. Letters from grateful parents are already r eaching some of them. Those letters should be kept for ever as a pro:of that although in far too many cas·es no. "thank you" hns been said, gratitude and appre~iation has most certainly not been altogether l acking. Many householders, of course, have been sorely triod; some have had their household treasures ruined. "Action stations 11 for them, in homes from which priva?y and real ~ome-life have vanished, have been pretty grim posts to st~ck t?, but if. we can ge~ a little more understanding of each other s points of view, I believe that it will be nossible for them to hold on. W0 here shall spare no effort to see that all avoidable points of quarrel and f r iction are removed. !!be problem has three sides to it. Let us look at each of them -the child's the householders' and the parents'. When the children have settled in and the householder is being a real foster-mother to them surely it only ~psets them if their father and mother come to see them, sometimes almost every week. I have seen s o many of the children, who I know are hap:oy in their ne1c; homes. It wo.s the :parting that to them was such a wrench, and every visit means another parting. That is · why t he heads of boarding school s throughout the country ask parents not to come till half-term or even to wait until it is holiday time. Could not parents try that plan with their evacuated children. It is kinder to the child. I knovt i t might be harder to the mother but whose interest is to come first ?. And the householder comes into this problem too. Perhaps it is only on Sunday that the husband can be in his home and see his wife and his 01pn children, so if the fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles of the children they have taken in and treated as their own, if they all come isn't i t a bit trying? I know of one working man's home where ther e ar e four evacuees, seventeen visitors turnea. up one Sunday and at no weel{-end has there been less than six. In many a hqme the Sundey joint that was meant to last well into the week has vanished at a sitting and not a penny given in payment by the self-invited guest. That is wrong -definitely wrong, You parents 'lPOUldn't tolerate it if others did i t to you. You must.n't do it to others. If a meal has to be eaten, take it with you. :Ft isn't fair to eat others , literally, out of house and home. Picnic plans for evacuation visits must be the order of the day. r feel too that it i s definitely wrong when I hear of parents spending 2s.6d. or 3s.od.. or even more, week after week , in going to see their children and yet expecting other people to provide the children's clothes and boots . Sometimes the~r don't even repay the householder who may be living on a smaller wage than they are for what they paid out for their children's boot-repairin~ hair-' cutting and such like. 0 ' Many, of course, are not like that. Th~re has been generosity on all siaes and help will always be forth-coming for the children of really poor parents. . . . •.••••••••••• /it is It is to those }_)fir~;nts that I would like now to say a word~ I thi;.11: you may be wor>r•ying about \Vhat you ar e going to be asked to pay­for your evacuat ed childreno Let mG make it quite clear that no parents will be asked to pay more than they can afford and in no ~will children be sent home simply because their parents havctoo little money t o help to pay fo~ theme As you probably know, it :;osts the country an average of 9s. Od. per week for each child' s board and lodging uith medical attendance and such-like thinzs that may be neccosary. r:ro hope all those people who can afford 9sc Oc1. r.rill oe willing to Jmy it, but vre have fixed 6so Od., as the gener al stanc1urr~L rate of payment,, That doesn't mean that ever•yone is to be aslrnc!_ t.o IJay as much as 6s o Od., without going into details that ht:.'TI'c; alreac1~,r been announceds let me remi.nd you that, tho smaller the in come ;1 tho ~ jmaller the payment to be made., I have tl'iGd to tell you f~ <.-~' ~:Tty of some of the difficultic s in evacuation as I h we seen t!:1crn bcc:_L-use I think they arc difficultics 'NO cc.1..n get over'" :no_t t:cio g.~:·eat outst nnding f act is this -vre arc at Har -this is a timo of dangcn" n:'1d difficult?(' nnd dentho 1/Ye shall vdn through if e·'J'Gl"y-0110 }?lays h :i.s or her !,)urt o t has been decided in this country~ ns in others, that it is safer-for chjldren to be in the l ess densely :pop1~ '!i.::i.tcd J::ilat.:us and that i t will be ui:'::J.iel" for everyone if they are ther·t..:, whcm air ~c'aids come., For the first tt:ne :Ln h~_si;ory vm womon and tho children have been given "a ction. st.o.ti'.)no11 o Tho man o. ~~ the g1m" ul' in thG shi:h or wo.tching in a -oost of dange1" 9 or Ymiting to ?o o~~r ·::he to·).~ ·-.-re know he won't fail us, he never haso r1c must no-G fa.LL ei·c1h:r'o Mothers and fnthcl's it is l ef t t o you t o decide -.;rh8r e your child.ren arc to be 0 You clr' L' not corn:cicllcd lJy the Government to keep your children in the count:t\Y> you m"G advised to do soft Your's is the r esponsibili ty ·~ romcm1Jor this~ we arc fighting that the boys and girls of today may hnve a bettor world t •) l f!ivc in as the men and vrnmcn ?f tomor::"'ow,, J?o then 1 give t hem the best chnncec Lot t hem Jll ay their Imrt in their country s interest and their own~ l et them stnnd fast a t thei~ "a ction st ations". 23.10.39 No .15. EMPIRS AFFAIRS . -------· UL;JTER' :J OWN AIR. SQUADRON. Apart from its many links with the Royal Air Force, Ulster has its own air sq_uo.dron, affiliated to the City of Belfast; and there has just been an exchange of courtesies between the airmen and the citizens. On behalf of Belfast, the Lord Mayor, Sir Crawf'ord McCullagh, has presented the squadron with an inscribed silver salver. In return Belfast has been offered a squadron crest, which will be Given a place ~f honour in the City Hall. During the exchange of these presents at the head­quarters of the squadron, the Lord Mayor, addressing the 11 W officers ancl. men s s.id: e look upon the squadron as belong­ing to our city, and the cit izens of Ulster know that you will maintain the hichest trnditions of the Royal Air Force when you are called upon t o do your duty." ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS t:~'URF.iAU. 23.10.39 No.16. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. FOR MORNING PAPERS (of 24th October) ONLY. The Secretary of State for the Colonies announces the appointment of Mr. Edw~rd Bradby as Principal of the Royal College, Colombo, Ceylon. Mr. Bradby will take up his duties shortly. (Mr. Bradby graduated with First Class Honours in the Final School of Lit.Hum. o.t Oxford in 1929, and nfter serving as an Assistant Master at the r~erchant Taylors' School from 1930 to 1934, joined the Internntionnl Student Service, being General Secretary in 1937.) ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU. 23/10/39 RFOTECTION OF SANDBAGS A method of protecting sandbags against the effects of da:r~ has been recommended to local authorities by the Ministry Qf Home Securityo It consists of placing a water-proof cover, fOI' exampl:e bj_ tuminous felt, under the top layer of bags, draining the ground at the base so that the pile does not stand in water, and applying either a cr eosite or tar distillate or a .solution of 01,ganic copper salt in creosote to the exposed face of the pile. Local authorities have been advised also to put a kerb at the base of sandbag piles to prevent their being damaged by passing pedestrianso Any holes made in the sandbags through which filling would escape, with a risk of the collapse of the pile, can be repaired with strips of Hessiana The Ministry has drawn their attention also to the danger from erecting revetments too higho As a general ~~le they should not be higher than six to eight feet and never more than ten:.1 feet. MINisrrRY OF SECURITY. 23/10/39 T\"JO U BO/:.TS BO~~rnDD BY R, A, F. Two attacks on U Boats were recently made by R,A.F. aircraft and both are· believed to have been successful. One took place in the North Sea, and the other in the Atlantic, many miles from the aircrafts' bases. }fter both attacks, the pilots remained circling above the places where the submarines disappeared, and nothing more was seen .of the U Boats. The following is the pilot's report of the North Sea attack: "A reconnaissance aircraft sighted and attacked a submarine in position••••.• A salvo of anti-submarine bombs was dropred ahead of the ~eriscope. The submarine dived steeply. 1The air-gunner said definitely that he noticed a second underw8.ter ex:11losion after the ex:c:ilosion of these boubs. The aircraft then turned about, flew over the sul:imarine a second tirne, and dropped a second salvo. "Patches of oil were observed after the first salvo and, more ex.tensively, after the second attack. ''Nothing more was seen of the U.Boat." The pilot of the Atlm1tic patrol aircraft says: "An enemy submar•ine was sighted some distance away. It dived and several heavy bombs were dropped on it; the first is thought to have been a direct hit. "Dark objects BTlpearecl in the rrnter after the attRcl<:, and air-bubbles rose to the surface. 11 A second bombing attack was made as near to the same !?Osition as possible. "Vi e circ1cc1 over the area for sot1e time, but nothing :further was observec1. 11 AIR MINISTRY Issued through the Press &Censorship Bureau ? INVENTORS BUSY WITH Wiill IDEAS Ministry of Supply Scientists' Deal With 300 a Week. Inventors are bringing ideas and plans designed to assist in winning the war to the Ministry of Supply at the rate of 300 a week. A special department at the Ministry staffed by eminent scientists deals vrith the suggestions. The suggestions range from simply written letters, sometimes accanpanied by pictures in coloured chalks, proposing tjle use of body armour, to elaborate schemes, p\lt forward with advanced mathematics and carefully executed drawings, for machines a.nd devices adapted to all kinds of purposes of defence and destruction, attack and supply. Many ideas concern explosives and other chemical matters. Some come from people vvho have no more than elementary text-book knowledge while others are from men and women who have spent a life-t:i.r.ie in work upon a special subject. Ex-Serviceoen who fought in the last War are fertile with suggestions based upon their experiences, German refugees, some of them scientiests of high repute, are also contributing valuable idea.s. Some of the ideas put forward have been previously suggested and developed successfully. It is not always possible to say so owing to the risk of information l eaking through to the enemy. All files, however, are kept and after the war explanations in this respect can be given which cannot be given now. Wirelessly controlled tanks, the use of chain shot against aeroplanes, decoy lighting to deceive aeroplanes attacking at night a.re a few among many ideas which reach the Ministry almost daily. Every sugzcstion is exaiuined. None is turned down because presentation is crude or because in minor respects the idea is open to criticism. Everybody engaged in the work of assessing inventions fully realises that the most unlikely-looking communication may contain, in a crude form, the germ of some important device. In some instances, however, a brief calculation is sufficient to show that the proposal would involve millions of horse-power, or millions of tons of metal to produce a comparatively trifling result. Recently nany people have written to the M~nistry, or have called, to give news of what they believe to be the real secret of Herr Hitler's "secret we0.pon" • The conceptionc include a nonster projectile of incredible proportions which, it is alleged, would wipe out an entire town to a device which, it is also said, would invade the Brltish Isles with a plague of locusts. Men, the Ministry's records show, are uore fertile in invention than women. Ideas are welcomed -and although members of the staff do not especially enjoy reading pencilled conr1unications written on both sides of the paper, they do it. All suggestions which seen to show any promise, even remote, are passed on to a staff of experts in appropriate branches of the fighting Services or of production under the Ministry of Supply. Employees in the Royal Ordnance and Contractors' factories engaged in work for the Ministry of Supply especially are invited to oake suggestions. Ministry of Supply, Press Office, 20/10/39 -No.20 FOREIGN OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT The Prime Minister of Iraq addressed the following telegram last Saturday to the Prime J.,Iinister of Turkey:­ "High policy closely affecting Iraq which was plannedby Great Ataturk and has been successfully carried out by President In3nu ensuring lasting peace and tranquility not only in Near East but in whole world has won the appreciation and admiration of all Iraqis both Government and people. I take this opportunity of congratulating the Turkish Government which has gained for our sister state the Turkish Republic the high place which she occupies among nations". The Turkish Prime Minister replied as follows:­ "I have received your message of goodwill with gratitude,We value highly your expression of the appreciation felt in Iraq. Our common purpose is to establish peace and contentment and there is no doubt that it is a source of gratification and pride to us all that this purpose should have been upheld by the policy of the government of the Republic. The policy of friendship which is being followed towards us by our dear neighbour Iraq provides a strong basis on which to establish our common interests. I off·er a renewed expression of mythanks and esteem". EMPIRE AFFAIRS. THE ART .OF CEYLON& The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava opened an Exhibition of pictures by two Ceylonese artists, Mudaliyar Amarasekara and his son, to-day at the Royal Empire Society.. Lord Dufferin said he was glaa the Society had decided to hold the Exhibition in spite of the outbreak of war. The Exhibition was being held under the. joint auspices of the India Society and Royal Empire Society, and it was the first occasion on which the latter had sponsored an Exhibition of works of art, Their decision to do so had been made before v1ar broke out, and he conm1ended their courage in going forward. He went on to congratulate the Society on having so distinguished an artist as Mudaliyar Amarasekara for their Exhibition. He was well known in Ceylon where he rendereu valuable service not only in developing among his fellow­countrymen a knowledge of the arts and in bringing out their skill as creative artists, but also by stimulating others, particularly Englishmen, to take an interest in the art of the Colonial Empire. It was a fact which had to be faced that up to the present not enough effort had been made to develop an interest in art in the Colonies, and he hoped it was soon to be possible for the authorities to be a great deal more active in this field. A show of East African Art, including especially Uganda paintings, and a show of West African paintings and wood carvings,which was as highly successful, had been held in London during the last three years. I SSUED THROUGH THE PRP.SS BUREAU. 23/1.~/39 No 22 BOARD OF TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT LICENSING OF MACHINERY IMPORTS 1-. The Board of Trade have to-day issued an Order .:prohibit.ing the import except under licence of machinery and plant. The Order will come into force on the 25th October but go9ds of the kinds affected which were despatched to the United Kingdom before that date will not be subject to the Order. A notiee containing a list of the machinery etc covered by the Order and givinginstructions as to the way in which applications for import licence~ should be made can be obtained from the Import Licensing Department (Machinery Licences Division ) of the Board of Trade at 25 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.2. 2. In making this announcement the Board of Trade desire to explain that there will be no reduction of expenditure on importsof machinery as aolaee and indeed that requirements for the purpose of wartime indust~ial production are likely to result in a .ubstantia1 increase of imports of machinery. It is, however, essential to ensure that these imports are as far as possible of kinds which are necessary to our war effort and are also not of kinds procurable from United Kingdom manufactures of machinery. For these reasons the present Order has been issued to provide the desired measure of import control of any imports failing to satisfy these conditions; where the conditions are satisfied, however, import licences will be issued freely and without delay. 3. It is also pointed out that the control of machine tools is governed by the ~:t.rol of Machine Tools (No.l) Order, 1939, and import licences for machine tools will be issued only to importers approved by the Controller of Machine Tools. Applications should be made in the first instance to the Controller of Machine Tools, P~rtlmid !louse, 14 Tothill Streetj s.W.l~ for inclusion in the 1st '•t approved importers. A list of i terns deemed to be machine tools fur the purpose of import licensing may be obtained from the Controller of Machine Tools. 4. In cases where an import licence has been granted, the Treasury wish it to be known that they are prepared to consider, under Section 10 of the Finance Act~ 1932, applications for duty-freelicences in respect of consignments of machinery falling within appro'\Ul classes. A list of these classes i s contained in Notice T•N.l. which together with the necessary application :f'o:rms· ~an be obtained from the Import Licensing Department, Mo.chinery L:i.cences Division, or in the case of machine tools, from the Controller of Machine Tool!. BOARD OF TRADE 23rd OCTOBER, 1939~ 23.10.39. No.23. MINES DEPARTMENT ANNOTJNCF111ENT. Motor Fuel suDplied for Agricultural Purposes. In order to meet the current exceptional needs of agriculture, it has been decided to extend for a further period the tem~orary arrangements made for the supply of motor fuel to farmers. The present system, which expires on October 27th will, therefore, be continued until December 31st. It should be noted that these special arrangements do not a~Dly in respect of farmers' private motor-cars, which are dealt with under the main rationing schente, nor to farmers' lorries operating on carriers' licenses. 23/10/39 -No.24 FROM FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS.JlEPARTMENT. The German wireless suggests that the gold of the Polish National Bank which was removed from Poland before the German occupation may be handed to Turkey by the British Government. This is, of course, entirely untrue. The gold is the property _of the Polish Government who alone have power to dispose of it. 23/10/39 -No. 25 Forei gn News. FRENCH COivl11IU:LiHWE (EVElUHG) Marked activity on the part of t he elements in contact, more particularly in the region west of the Saar.