Up till midnight one of our planes had not returned to its base. FROL1 AIR AFFAIRS. 31/10/39 -No. 2. FRENCH OFFICIAL COivU,!UNIQUE MORNING 31/10/39 A quiet night on the whole front. FROM FOREIGN AFFAIRS. \._ ·) EMPIRE SECTION 31/10/39 No. 3. NORTHERN RHODESIA RALLIES ROUND WAR MEASURES IN FULL STRIDE. The first battalion of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment is up to war establishme.:;.t, and an additional battalion and auxiliary units, a Defence Force and a Force of Special Constables are at full strength. So the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Sir John Maybin, is able to report after a survey of war measures taken in the territory. The mood of the people --European, Indian and African communities was from the first determined and fervently loyal, and volunteering has been so heavy that there is a waiting list for several units. Intensive training of personnel is now in progress. Men in key industries have been kept at their posts. Farmers want to fight, but it has been pointed out to them that agl'icultural production must be maintained, and so must the exports of those Northern Rhodeoian metals which are vital to the Allies. The output of copper has been virtually taken over by His Majesty's Government and the producing company are supplying the copper at less than the current world price. Regulations, administered by Central and Provincial Advisory Councils, have been passed to prevent profit­eering and hoarding, but the territory's food supplies are very favourable~ and so far it has not been necessary to put any restrictions on petrol. The women of Northern Rhodesia are not behind the men in enthusiasm, and are ready to take up any kind of work to help forward the war. ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU. EUPIRE SECTION 31/10/39 -No.~,y ULST:SR1S EXAMPLE HOMEN P,ND !'tillN OUTRUN RECRUITING FAGILITIES Ulster, As usual, is putting up a great show in a cl!.'isis -both her men and women have come forward in such nuxnbers that they have temporarily swamped the volunteer centres. The Auxiliar~T Territorial Service for women is up to establishment, and hundreds more are waiting their chance to join. Similarly9 the Infantry Training Centres in Ulster have received as many men as they can cope with, and so dense have been the crowds of recruits that at times police ha.ve had to move the ciueues to free streets for traffic. The Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Belfast, which is a separate unit from the Anti-Aircraft Brigade (already at full strength) has reached establishrnent and the National Defence Companies have surplus volunteers hoping to fill any vacancies. No part of tlle Empire can be more justifiably proud of the response made by its men and women to the demands of war. ISSUED THROUGH nm PRESS BUREAU 31/10/39. -No. 5. NOT FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE WEDNESDAY 1ST. NOVEMBER, 1939. BOARD OF EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENT. FIFTY YEARS OF EDUCATION IN WALES. Today (Wednesday) is the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889. This Act laid the foundation of the Secondary School System in Wales. It empowered the County Councils to provide aid, for the first time, from the county rate towards the maintainence of the schools and also adopted the "pound for pound" system of grants from the Treasury~. The Secondary School system of education in Wales developed rapidly in the years immediately following the Act. In 1895-96 there were 47 schools with 3,367 pupils. Ten years later the number was 95 with 11 ,577 pupils and today there are 103 schools with 32,538 pupils. The number of pupils attending Secondary Schools in Wales is proportionately much higher than in England. The latest available figures are:­ No. of pupils in Secondary schools per 1000 of the number England. Wales. of pupils on the registers of Elementary Schools................ 134.5 258.9 No. of pupils per 1000 of the population.............. ... .. , , ... . 1o.9 18.4 MINISTRY OF AGR ICULTUHE WEEKLY iuwrs ~)E:PVICE NO< 8. ______ _ _ r,,. ____ --------.. -,._,.,_,.,_., __ ...... _v• --•"'-''_____ · --------.a-,Ollj.....,.-,~ ~·•·h ___ Ground Gained for the Plcu~ha --··--·-···'----------·----·~-----·------~-­ All the County Committees t hat have asked for their initial allotment of tractors have received them with ploughso Seed drills for them are being delivered and some are already at ·wo rk, also presses and disc harrows~ Practically all these tractors are now in operat lon, except f~r a very small central reserve that the Minister is holding in case of emergency in a particular districto The number of tractors held in reserve is too small to have any significr:mc0 in the general pictureo Much more important tl1an all tr.1.e Government tractors are the 60 ,000 in private hands now at worka The granting of wi der rowers to the County War Agricultural Committees will facilitate greater flexibility of farming under war time conditionso Corn and fodder crops r emain the paramount need and must take precedence, normally over re-seeding with grass. But there should ~e no need f or any farmer to attempt what common sense cannot justify. The county cnmrnittees may recommend for the £2 grant ~and broken up and sown , say, with kale, if it is more practicable to do this and grow c0rn on existing arable land dues perhaps , for a root break~ On small, all-grass dairy farms aut horit;y· may even fie given for re-seeding p<"'or pasture broken up. The object of this would be to grow better grass, increase its stock-carrying capacity and so release a fi eld or t wo :for corn-growing for the 1941 harvest. 1. 1· PJ.otis:rh f'1r :..,:_ :; l J<. . ---· -.i.I.•. •. ·­ ··-.•.. ···-· . It c qTinct be too cf t ell cm)basised that dai r y farmers with a great deal of graaa should consider 0oing this in their It is i mpos2ible t o foresee what t he feeding stuf:i_'s posi t~_on will be; tlle only t hing t nat seems certain is that SU?Plies will not be so easily obtainable as in peace time o There is many a dair~l ~arm where tho carr~ring capacity of some of the pasture could. he so greatly increased by ploughing up and re-seeding that fields could be spared l ater for arable feeding crr;ps without any decrease L1 the head of l ivestock. I On the other hand , if t hese crops are not grown and the feeding stuffs lorry does not call, stock would al most certainly have to be reduced. The gr acs farmer has a great op~~rtunity now to put his land into better heart assisted by a contribution f r@m t he Statee It is quite probable that he will be avoi.ding sl eepless nights for himself as well as nel ping his country by dol.ng so, and his farm will he in a better position to face any situation that may arise after the waro "Ley farming", Sir George Stapledon is fond of saying, "leaves the culti'Tator with the ch oice :Jf at least a thousand different things he might do. 11 * * * * * Wheat for Stocko The r elease of a considerable quantity of wheat for stock :f'eed has heen appreciated and ii. seems to have been effective in easing the situation fGr pig farmers, in particular, who were finding i t difficult t::> get cereals. Fe.rmers who are still having trouble in getting supplies cf maize or barley or their meals are advised ta order wheat or wheat :aeal. 'I'hose wj_o have wheat in stack will be still further helping the situstion if they will thresh substantial quantities during the next two mJnths. The price will ~e 3l/6d. per quarter, &nd it is not expected that this price will be changed befo~e next spring. f_Eoteg~.~Ji_g__ th~_J'{heat .Q_ro;:y~E.!_ Nei'rs of this change in the wheat price from 24/-per quarter 9 f i xed on 8th September, has gi ven rise to quite unfounded fears on the part of those who s:::ild at 24/-lest they suffer under the deficiency payments scheme of the Wheat Act. It will be remembered that the wheat deficiency payments norm~lly make up the difference between the average wheat price for t he cereal year ar-d the standard price, so that those who sell at a better price than the average reap the benefito But authority is being sought so that deficiency payments for millable wheat will be based, not on the average price for the whole year, but during shorter accounting periodso For example, the price payable for millable wheat was fixed at 24/-per quarter on 8th September. The first accounting peri0d would therefore run from 1st August to 7th September. The second would start on 8th September and run until the date that the new price of 31/6do was announcedo A separate deficiency payment would be determined for each period. So those who sold wheat say at 18/-in the first period or 24/-· in the second would suffer no disadvantage. No advantage in Delay. The effect in practice of these shorter accounting periods will be to protect the farmer against considerable changes in the price of home-grown wheat during the cereal yearo It wi ll be appreciated that under this sytem :farmers will s ecure no increased return by delaying their threshing operations until the springo In fact they will b~ doing a service to their fellow farmers, by making as much of their crop available now as possibleo They can do so with every confidence that they will be missing nothing in the way of a possible future rise in price. This change in circumstances makes it no longer necessary for farmers to hold their wheat in stack, as they were originally asked to do. * * * * * * £~.§..!_!~~~to_Q§~..l£Eea~~ Eig ~~~Q~~E-2~-~Q2E~Co~~2..£§.0 As most farmers already know, the most satisfactory way to use wheat for pi gs is in rolled form. When ground to a meal it tends to become pasty on chewing and. is difficult to swallow. But rolled or bruised it may safely form a quarter of the total meal allowance. The balance will have to be made up with about one-tenth "protein concentrate" and two-thirds of such cereal meals or milling by-products as can be obtainedo The farmer who grows his own oats or barley can use these. Oats, when finely ground, can safely form up to two-fifths of the ration. Ground to the fineness of "Sussex Oats" the meal is, pound for pound, almost equal in feeding value to barley mealo In fact wheat, barley, oats, maize and even dried sugar beet pulp are all more or less interchangeable. 4. Part of the present trouble is due to the pj_ gme.n' s w-ell founded faith in that standard formula: 65: 25': J.0 '.3.s applied respectively to barley meal, middlings and fioh ~eal. For the time being feeding barley is not in sufficient su9ply to meet demand. Purchases of maize have been made but 11 the spot position is very short11 ,. At the present time, therefore, pig feeders entirely dependent upon purchased food should try to make out on rolled wheat, wheat feeds and about 10 per cento of protein concentrate, which may be partly fish meal, meat meal, or blood meal and partly some rich oilcake meal. These difficulties will be less keenly felt where pigs are run on the mixed farm and there js tail corn to supplement millers' offals. Potatoes may also be available and 4 lb. of these boiled or steamed have the same feeding value as 1 lb. of meaL Compared, of course, with the Nazi pig the British pig is still a gourmet. In Germany the pig from the time he is about 50 lb. live weight is limited to 2~ lbo of meal and must find the rest of his diet from such farm produce as potatoes, silage , roots, sugar beet tops, kale and so fJrtho It takes him longer to finish but he Jets there in the end. In effect, the Nazi gets his fat pig a month or six wee1rn later than formerly, but he gets it, and it is up to us to get it too. * * * * * Beet PuJ p t..o Reul.ace. Cere,.a.J:s. -----. ~-.......--~.._...­ During the coming weeks about 300,000 tons of sugar beet pulp, in its plain and molassed form~:; , v>ill be-come availabl e and the use of t hese caroobyd.rate foods wi11 help to tide over difficulties that may arise from any restriction of cereal supplies. Dried beet pulp i s frequently used to r·eplace roots in the maintenance ratioLs, 1 lb. being equivalent to about 7 lb. of swedes or 7-8 lb. of mangolds . It is i mport ant to realise however, that it can also replace cereals in the production ration, and. the following equivalents may be of use when making such replacemen'is: ­ 1 lb. plain beet pulp = 1 lb. molassed beet pulp = 1 lb. oats= 9/10 lb. wheat or barley = 4/5 lb. mai~e . The farmer should deci de, from a consideration of his available supplies, how much beet pulp 11 e C;J.D 0JJ·: ord. t o ~-nclude in t he daily food of his animals, and the complote ration sh ould be estimated on this basis, care being ta~en that the diet is balanced in respect of protein and •T1inerals. Ir" this way saving of cer eals or roots, or both, will be automdtic. county Agriculturdl Organisers will willingly give advice on the making up of such rations should any farmer wie;h for such guidance. Suitable maximum al lowances of plain or sweetened pulp . are: ­Fattening steers: up to 10 l b. per 11ead per day. II It ll ll ~'! ll Dairy cov1 s: 8 lb. ., M !! H !! Ewes : 1 lb . " n i: 11 !! !~ 3-month-old calves: 1 lb . " 1 Pigs: 11 n /5 of plo.in pulp in replacement of weatings or a mixture of ec1ual parts of cero.:.d_ c..nd '.'18c1tings (daily ration to be given i n 3 feeds on acc ount of extra bulkiness of sudh a di et) . Horses: up to one -quarter of corn allowance may be replaced by plain pulp, or better still, a mixture o:f e q_ual parts of the plain and sweetened types . 6. J?oul~ry: dried. beet pulp is an unsatis...:actory substitute for cereals in poultry feeding~ I n all cases, wl1e n mo.ce than small amounts are included in farra rations, it is very desi rable to soak the dried_ :pulp in l~· -2 tj_mes i ts weight 01· water before feeding. * * * * I,ondon Girls Win. l)raise in Cornwall. ·-~----·----------... ·---·· ....-·­It is encouraging to be able to record that over 1,000 members 0f the Women 1 s Land Army have now got jobs. They are al so making good in J~hem) as witness the following account from Cornwe.l.l. During the last month seven girls underwent theit tr8._ining at Trengv11ainton_. l'enzan~e~ the home of Col.E.H. W.Boli tho, Lord Lieutenant of the county. They were submitted to a passing out test by a member-of the Cornwall County Council who has no reputa.tion for looking at agricultural matters through rose-coloured glasseso He stated that the work of these girls was so good t:1at no far;ner need hesitate in eu1ploying thep. Strangely .enough7 Cornwall 1 s :Ci:.st land g:Lrls e.re London Girls. ~very credit is due tro t hem for adapting themselves so quickly to their new work¢ As has already been announced; re~ruits for the 1,ana Arm;y at :B1arm Inst1tutes anc: Colleges are to have their 't raining extended this winter up to two months in all. The second monthis training may be given at the training centre, or p~eferably on a farm wher e, if the trainee is satisfactory, employoent after training is probable . Urder this 2-months scheme the Ministry wi ll be responsi ble for all board and l odging a~d pErsonal allowance payments while the volunteer is at the training centre. If she then goe s to a farmer with a view to subsequent employment "hy him, the Min.i&-tcy wi.ll pay the personal allowance only. The f ar!Iler will be requ.i,ned to , arrange the board and lodging wi-thoct c-<>st either to the Government or the t raine-e • This 8J'.:'t1ensloD of t raining is a tem:ptt'ary measure until next Marc~ end does not apply to f arm training, but only to cases where t rai ni ng sts.rt~.5 at a co.11ege or Instituteo * * * * LABOUH A..l'iJD Tlrn LAI'ID. ----~---­ - In order to assist the winter ploughing-up campaign; certain arrangements l1ave been made regarP,ing the calling-up of agricultural workers in the 20 age-group. Mr. Ernest Brown, Minister of Lahour, stated in the House of Commons on 26th October. "Men employed in agr:.culture who were required to register under the Military Training Act last June have been held back until November and will be called-up shortly; those who became liahle under t h e Proclamation made on 1st October wi 11 be held bac.K until next J anuary." The men concerned are t hose under 21 years of age. Agriculture is a reserved occupation for all farmers and farm workers over 21. * * * * * * The temporary arrangement 11y which farmers can get the petrol they r equire f or their tractors, stationary engines and other mac11inery actually used in farming expired on 27th Octobero The Ministry of Mines has announced, however, that the period will be continued until 31st December. So they will carry on as at present. 8. It should be noted, however, that these special arrangements do not apply to farmers 1 private motor cars, which are dealt with under the main rationing scheme, nor to farmers" lorries operating· on carriers' licences. * * * * ·wAR-TH1E POUL'rRY /lDVI SGHY COMMITTEE The poultry i ndustry, like other industries, is faced with the problem of adapting itself to the new conditions which war has brought. Changes must inevitably come: some, e. g. the necessity for increasing reliar.ce on home':"produced feedingstuffs, as well as the use of substitutes for some of those normally used, a.re already foresl1adovved. 'Ni th these considerations in mind, 'the ·Viar-time Poultry advisory committee has been set up to act as a conneoting link between the industry and the Ministry of Agriculture. Such a COmfilittee was set up during the last War, and proved its worth during and after the war years. The function of the Cammi ttee is, as its name implj_es, to advise the Ministry on those problems created by the war in connection with t he poultry industry which may be referrec to it and to assist in their efficient and smooth solution. '.L'he fo llowing are the members of the Cammi ttee: ­ M:r. P.A. Francis, 0, B. E., the Ghairma.n, has been the Ministry 1 s Poultry commi ssi oner since 1923. Mr. A • .Arbuthnot, Presicient of the I'able Poultry Producers' 1:..ssocia.tion, is a large table poultry and egg producer, and. has been prominent in Hampshire in the co-operative retailing of eggs. Mr , C.G. Belfield, directs the operations of a large­sccile hatchery in Essex, possessing its own breeding farms: he is also a general farmer. He Yvas a member of the recent Poultry Technical Committee (the Duncan Committee). 9. _Ca..£!'.E'·i~. S_:..:i_.!..._Cli:Ct, twic, :l?resi d.en-t of the Nati-onal poultry council and '°'· De:n-0er of the Dur::.can Cor.r~r:r1i-~tee . Is well known for his :put1ic ·,vor~;: f ur \;b e ~joultry industry. ]2"£~.-~_Qrci_-~_V_i~:r2... }i·.i~.."--_~i"'h ~.;Q:.., Principal of the Harper .Adams Agricult~ll'al CoLJ\?;~, 2ud. ..Direc;t(>r of the Nationa.l Insti tute of PouJ.t ry H~Jb~~~ry, ~as a wiJ3 Jrac~ical know1edce o:f t~rn pou~ t~·:f inC.1l~::·0r:;, as '.vell as being an acknowledGed expert on a:1L::r1c,l nutritiori. He also was a member of tbe :Dunc.J.n C•Jr;rni ttee. ivi:r. T. Newman is t he ::iecretary of the 0cientifi c Poultry Breeders ' Assouiation, and d f or@er President of the Nati9nal Poult ry Council . Ivlr . F. ,:;no~vd.en, _t hL::. yei:l.r ' r.: President cf the National Poultry council, is a well-known Yorkshire poultry breeder. lvir . s. Stree~-Po:ctez. is t ll e Cl1airman of the Poultry Committee of' t l18 ~;atiox:a.l 1'8rmers 1 Union, and has l ong been prominent in the industry. IvT..r...!._ :_c . Tun ".§X carr -1 es on large -scale poultry keeping very successful ly as a part of ge11eral farming operations. It is a matt er of sor.ie interest thatno less than five o:f the members were rne1:1bers of the Pcult ry 1',_dvi sory Committee fir st set up during the last -,-var -Capt. Clift, Dr. Crowt11er, and Messrs. Newm...;.n, 3nO"'.Vd.en ::i,nd 0treet-Porter. The Secr etary of the Co~mittee is Mr . L. S. Porter, to whom any communications should be sent, at the Iv~inistry of _1.griculture and. Fishe.ries (Dept. X.A. ), 83, Ba.Ker Street, London, ·J .1. ISSUED THEOUGH THS PRESS BURE.AU. 31o10.j9 No. 7o FOR pn:r;;c;s i\..i.'\JD BROADC!18T. The Care of Your Gas Mask. Keen it Safe and Dry. The coming of w' ~ter and wet weather calls f or some advice to be given on the cRre of gas masks to those, who, not being in reception areas, carry their gas masks about with them. It must be remembered that a gns mask can very easily be damaged by beinc crushed or by getting wet. It is, therefore, best kept i n the cardboard carton that has been issued, but the carton needs t o be protected against the wet. The best thing to do is either to carry the carton in a waterproof bag, haversack or sntchel. or to obtain a cover f or it, made of canvas or American Cloth or some similar mate~ial5 such ns can be bought, or can be made at home at trifling cost" If no cover to used, the cardboard c~rton cnn be strengthened at the bottom joint, at the corners and the hinge of the lid with adhesive t ape. The carrying cord should be thre~ded outside the bottom of the carton to prevent the bottom slipning loose. In rain the carton should be carried under the coat or mackintosh. Gas masks should not be carried unprotected in soft fabric bags; the f ace::>iece is lici.b l e to be crushed and the eye panel may easily be cracked and the gRs mask is then useless. Round tin carriers are not satisfactory if the gas mask can shake or rattle in them, or if they are so tight a fit that the mask has to be pulled hard t o get it outo There are some carriers of this type in which the metal container of the mask is clipped to the lid. These are dangerous, because the facepiece may be damaged in be ing pushed first into the tin, while if the container is shaken out of the clips it will crush the eye panel. Whatever form of carrier is used other ob jects such as purses or powder boxes must not be carried in the sn.me compnrtment as the gas mask. Workmen employed out of doors are urgently advised to hang their cartons or haversacks in a dry place and not tc leave them lying on the ground. Children had better leave their masks at home when going out to play so long as they can run home quickly if an air raid warning should sound. , Gas Masks are Government property ~nd there sre penalties for damnge caused by neglect; but what is eml)hasized even more is that the mask may at any time become vital necessity and neglect may well cost the individunl ®1ch more dearly than any fine. MINISTRY OF' HOME SECURITY. 31st October, 1939v 31/10/39 -No.8. BOA.RT OF EDUCATIOJ1 _4N]if_Q_lfl'WEiv1F_,NT GOVERNME.L1"':r_ POLICX _QJ:T EDUCATION It is the intention of Lord De La Warr, President of the Board of Education, to make an im~ortant announcement in the House of Lords tomorrow (Wednesday) on the Government's policy on Education. Lord De La Warr will be speaking in reply to a motion by the Bishop of Winchester --"To call attention to some of the problems arising out of the evacuation of women and children; and to move for papers. If q The War Office, Londc11, 8 ../ .1. 31st October, 1939. 'fhe Officer i/c of the Army Comforts Depot' 12' st. Mary Is Butts, Reading, is anxiously waiting to receive comforts of all kinds, especially knitted articles and books. Individual donors are requested to despatch articles when completed9 and not to wait until a number of articles are collected before they send them to the Depot. Voluntary Organisaticns are also requested to despatch parcels at regular intervals, and not to wait for collectton o:f large consignments before doing so. All parcels should be addressed to:­ 'l.'he Officer i/c J.rmy Cornfc)rts Depot, 12 1 :::> t. Iv!a r,y' s But·cs , Heading. Qifl_.££..h.QOO ,OQ9_ _g_igarettes frcm ~he Citizens cf ~ohannesbur_g. The Mayor of Johannesburg is raising a fund which {a to devoted to the provisicn of comforts for the troops with the B.~.li1. An order has already been placed with two leading tobacco firms in Londc·n for the provisicn of 1,000 ,ooo cigarettes and these have already been despatched. Every soldier serving with the B.E.F., will know when he receives his gift that it has been provided through the generosity of his 1,ellow citizens of our Empire in Johannesburg, Sou th Africa, who by the spontanec·us respcnse vvhich they have made to the appeal cf the Mayor or have been instrumental in supplying a source of comfort to the men of the Army who are experiencing at the present time the rigours of a fast approaching winter. 'l'he Wa r Office, Lend< n, S . ':J.1. 31st October, 1039. The -Viar Office announces t hat His Majesty 'rhe IUng has been pl eased to approve of the appointment of Lieutena11t-Golo1iel (hcncrary CC'lc·nel) ·,v.H. Hammond, V. "J. 9 J . .2., r1'he Bombay Contingent, /1.UXiliary F'rrce (India) 9 as .'\.i de-de-Camp to The Ki ng (Addi tic,nal), with effect from the 21st July, 1939 9 in successirn to Lieutenant-Colonel (honorary Uolcnel) G. G. Smith, O.B.E. 9 V. D., General List, Auxiliary J<1orce (India) , who has r esi gned his cornrniss icn. If The War Off ice, 31st Octob er, 1939. The War Office makes the fol lowing annoJncement:­ A new of1,ice set up by the 'Var Office shortly after the outbreak of war i s dealing with clai mc ~:·or coi1'1pensat i r'n for vehicl es which have been impressed f0r Ar m;/ L•::i1rnpcrt by ovmers who ure di ssatisfied with the fi gur".:;o assessed by the Irnproessment Off icer. The branch is the ":;.ppea ls A.d justment Office" 0f th.e Chi ef Ins pector of Supplementary Transport, at pr esent situated at He gents Park Barracks, AlbD.ny Dtree t, LondC'n, N. ''j .1. and it is engaged in reviewing the cornpensatirn in all ca ses in which the origina·l assessment has been di sputed. / It may be pointed out that while the C'wner 0f an impresser1 vehicle has the right to have the pr ice fi xed by a County Court Judge it is eg_ua lly open to him to settle the matter by agreement and where this can be done it is the more expedi ticus methc·d. Tha impressment receipt given at the time the vehicle is taken ccntains the fi gure at which the value has been assessed by the impressment cf ficer. He makes every effort tc arri ve at a fair assessment, but this work is neces sarily dc·ne under gr eat pressure owing to the number of vehicles which have to be impressed in a short time; mcreover the subsequent producti0n of documents not available at the moment, such as origi nal invoices showing the cost and date of' purchase may disclose fa cts justifying an increase on the origi nal figure. If the owner is not satsified with the figure in the impressment receipt he must within three weeks of the assessment give notice in writing t0 the \"iar Department that he disputes t he assessment: / the assessment: this has the effect of preserving all his rights. The matter is then ref erred to the Appeals adjustment Office, mentioned above, which will examine the case in the light of all the facts and will t ake into C· nsideration any representations made by the owner. If the Office c0rnes to the conclus icn that a figure higher than that in the i mp1°essment r eceipt is justified the offer of such increased figure will be made tc the owner. If it is found impo3sible to agree on a figure the 0ffice will give notice to the owner that no futher payment will be made except under the certificate of a County Court Judge, and it is not till the receipt 0f this notice that it can be necessary for the owner to apply to the County Ccurt J·udge, which must be done within three weeks from the receipt of that notice. It should be: emphasized that the functions of the Appeals Adjustment Office are limited to arriving at a fair figure to be offered to the owner; ne gotiation with the Ofrice in 110 way prejudices the right of the ownAr to apply to the County Court Judge if he is dissatisfied with that offer. If owners are willing to follow the procedure cutlined above, it is believed that they will find the result satisfactory. In the vast majority of cases it should be pcssible to arrive at a figure acceptable to both parties without the delay and expense to the owner necessarily attendant en an application to the County Court Judge. In addi tir n tc this advantage to the owner, unnecessary applicatir11s to the County Court Judge involve the ~.v·ar Department in much addi tic·nal work and it is scarcely necessary tc. point out that the na ticnal interest demands that this should as far as r easonably possible be avoided in the present time of emergency. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE CLUB TAPES OR IN ANY OTHER WAY BEFORE MINISTRY OF LABOUR 6.15.P. Vi . TUESDAY, 31ST. OCTOBER, 1939· No.12.-31/10/~9 PRESS NOTICE THE INDUSTRIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR. The Ministry of Labour and National Service announces that the Rt. Hon.. Ernest Brownll M.C,,M. J6. Minister of Labour and National Service is broadcasting at 6.15.p.m. to-day (Tuesday,3lst,October, 1939) in tho B.B.C. Home Service. The following advance notes are circulated for the convenience of the Press but there is no gurantee that the text wiilil be strictly adhered to :­ 11When I l ast spoke to you my subject was the registration of men for service in the fighting forces, the men who on land and sea and in the air will defend our liberties and assure the freedom of posterity. Behind these steadily growing forces there must be the organisation of all our resources ll human, financial and mat erial, for the generous equipment of those forces and for the maintenance of the life of our population. It is of that effort that I now wish to speak. As a great industrial country nre had already huge r esources of skill and piliant and, to these, gr eat additions have been made, and are being made so that there will b'e no doubt that, what ever the effort required, this country will be able to meet all the demands which will be made upon it. WR have t o work not only for the production of those things necessary for the prosecution of the war but also for the production of goods for export in order that we may relieve the financial strain which the war places on our economy and that we may maintain our pl ace as an exporting country, ready again to engage in peaceful trade and commerce. This i s a formidable t ask but WG ho.ve entered upon it with an asset which our opponent docs not possess, the asset of being a free people with free institutions, It is a r emarkabl e fact 1 of which we are proud, that we werG able to enter upon the war without imposing any new form of l egislative c:mtrol upon the regulation of wages and working conditions. During the past t wenty years v.1 e have been steadily setting up in each industry joint machinery through v1hich the representatives of employers and workpeoplG manage the affairs of their industries and settle their own conditions. As I speak, this joint machinery is operatin3 to 8.dapt those conditions to war circumstances. In the fight for freedom wo have tho inestimable gain of fighting with the aid of free organisations of employers and workpoople carrying on their work in tho way they have themselves decided. The powerful trade union movement in Great Britain is convinced that the war is against forces that threaten those institutions, that endanger the liberty of workpeople throughout tho world. They believe that its object i s to create circumstances in which their fellows in Germany will be able to r egain the freedom to live their own lives and to have again their own free organisations. Thus, although they have serious differences wi t h the Government on matters of internal poliey, they are united with us in the prosecution of the war. They are prepared to make great sacrifices beca'llse they believe that their own freedom is bound up with the. restoratiou. of the freedom of workers in Ge rmany and in the countries v.rhich Gerrnany, under the Nazi Government has put into subj eGtion. They have made it clear that tho'Y vrould not support the war for any other object. The trade union poillt of view was expressed by Mr. Greenwood in the House of Commons in the following words: 11Those for whom I can specially speak arc fighting for' a world in which henceforth l a1i-.,r shall rule ins t ead of force. We do not want increased power for Britain in the world. We want no new l ands 11 • ·Co-operation with tho Governmcnt, as tho trade unions understand it is not the surrender of any pf their rights or duties to saf eguardthe interests of the workpeopl o. They understand it to be tho full recog­nition of the experience and ~r.nowledge which tyey have and its full use in co-operation with employers and the Government. There are those who, with a lower sense of responsibility and with a less far-sighted view of the real interests of our free trade union organi$atian, 1. look upon the present circumstences as a means for irrunedi~te gains and criticise the lenders who hnve had the courage to to.ke their sto.nd with the Government in the orga.niso.tion of the country's resour.ces, knowing that in this they not only interpret rig~tly the heart of our workpeople but also are safeguarding their best interests. Tomorrow afternoon there will tnlce place the firs~ meeting of a National Joint Advisory Council to which the Trades ~nion Congress General Council, and the British Employers 1 C?nfede:at1on ~ave , appointed representatives. Thes~ representn~ives w:11 b~ in touch with all industries and when I say that the industries directly represented on one J side o~ the o~her are Agric1:11ture, Cottoi;, Wool·, Shipping, Engiheering, Shipbuilding,. Ste~l, ~ail\yays! Cl<;>thing,Buildihgj Ci~il Engineering and Retail Distribution it will be seen how great is the knowledge which is placed at the disposal of the Government. It is not intended, however, that the Council shall interfere in any way with the joint arrangements in each industry,. Its purp6s'e is to advise the Government on questions in which employers and wo~kers have a common interest. Every industry has had to face special problems arising out of the war situation and I should like to refer to some of them. In the last war, when industrial joint machinery was not so developed as it is to-day, there was great difficulty in regard to the problem of using skilled men in engineering to the greatest advantage by enabling others to share in their work. ·Rn this occasion the skilled trade unions : have voluntarily entereafagreements to allow less skilled workers to work by their side on work so far co.rried out only by skilled men. A register will be kept of such cases in order that when peace conditions return, the position of skilled men will not be prejudiced. It is right that those who prepare themselves by long training for skilled work should have such protection in respect of action which adds so much to the potential cnpacity of the industry and to its production. It is to be :~,,oted that this has not required o.ny measure of compulsion and is the result off voluntary action~ Difficult problems have nrisen in regard to road transport which have been dealt with successfully by discussions between the under­takings and the unions. Here I should like to pay a tribute to railway and rood transport workers who are carrying on their work in most difficult and novel circumstances made necessary by defence requirements. The diversion of ships to other ports made it desirable to make arrange­ments by which dockers from one port could be made available without delay at another. Here again a scheme wns agreed between the employers, the trade unions cmd the Government which rests entirely on a voluntary basiso In our Fishing Industry discussions are taking place between the Government, employers and trade unions in order that the needs for defence and of the industry may be equitably met. In the Cotton industry there is a Control Board upon whieh both employers and workpeople are represented. In the Coal Industry the mineowners and the trade unions have a Joint Committee for the discussion of questions of production and other matters in the interest both of the country and of the industry. In order that the Great Government Departments may have the advice of labour representatives, Consultative Committees are being formed and representation given on Committees in respect of such Departments as the Ministry of Supply, Air Ministry nnd Ministry of Food. This follows discussions with the Prime Minister who has expressed the desire that ever~ possible opportunity shall be given for the utilisation of the special · experience and knowledge of the trade union movement. In the Building Industry a Joint Consultative Committee, on which the employers' and .. workers' organisations are r epresented has for some time been assisting in the consideration of our huge building programme. In such matters as laundering and boot-repairing for the Forces, discussions have taken place with the organisations concerned with a view to the economical and effective use of all resources. Great movements of workpeople into new occupations nre necessary and o.rro.ngements are being made for their ~oluntary transfer and training. Effe~tive measures are also being taken to keep the fighting forces supplied with the l arge complements of skilled men necessary in a modern mechanised army. These matters involve the closest collaboration with.industrial organisations and their help and advice has been wiII1ngiy given. In orGer to avoid the waste of the last war, a list of key occupa­tions ho.s been compiled in order that men in such occupations shall · "· not be t aken from industry unless required in the Forces for the work in which they are skilled. This will assure as far as possible that industry is kept fully manned.to produce munitions and to mnintain the life of the nation and also that, when the war is over, industry g0ncrally will have a basis for reconstruction and expansion. It is necessary, ih order that the maximum shipping spaco may be available for other necessary goods, that the product ·_ on of agricult ure shall be increased and many plans are under consideration. The Minister of Agriculture; is assisted by a joint committee of f'a.r.mers and trnde union reproscntatives in the consideration of these plans a.nd it is satisfactory t o see that the interests of tho agricultural workers are receiving the attention to which the value of their work entitles them. ~ To the women who have come forward in large numbers to assist wo owe a debt of gratitude. It is .Jimjpssdlb:}.e for mo in tho short time available to rofcr to all the splendid and exacting work which is being done in so many fields but I wish to refer to the seamen who occupy so proud and vital a pla ~e in our nationo.l life. ':L1hey, with the fisherman, face hourly by night and by day, the worst tho enemy can do and ne know that they will see r.s through to the end. It is for us to sec that their place is fully recognised and that all that is possible is done to protect them and to sec to their well being. Throughout the caruntry PC soc men nnd women working long o.nd strenous hours, oft en tar from their own homes 9 in thei~ determination that they will make a full contribution to our national effort. It is necessary that there shall bo proper timo for rest and recreation and that full regard is had to humo.n rcg_uiromcnts. For.this we can safely rely upon their ronrcsentatives. We have to make the most of our resources and we cannot yet sec how great will be tho sacrifices that every section of the community will be called upon to mElkc before a pitiless enemy is overcome. Vlhat ever mny be tho temporary sacrifices, we know th8.t all that is being done is for the purpose of saving for ourselves and posterity all thnt we hold most dear. Self-seeking is out of pl nco in such a struggl e and must be sternly dealt with. Vic owe t o our workpeople who arc, pl o.ying so great a part tho duty of seeing to it thnt so.cr ificos must be equally distributed and justice done to all. I must say one word to the mothers and 'Nives of our workpcoplo. Uo.ny of you, unfortunat ely, arc separated from your children, many from your husbands also. You will, I know9 as British women continue t o be the home-makers and the comforters. We fight that we may preserve our family life and that we may rosume again our work to make that life secure and happy. When the story of the industrial effort of these recent yenrs is told by the historian it will be nn epic. Af'ter seven years experience it is my conviction that a political Minister for industrial affairs is wise to keep in the background and r 2r cly to obtrude himself. I cannot,however, conclude this t alk without saying to all who have helped us at tho Ministry of Labour in these r ecent yenrs -employers, trade union 102dors,managers and workers: "Thank you". Issued through the Press and Censorship Bureau. -3­ H. Q.1067-430 J.I 31_.Ll0/39. -No.13. BOARD OF TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT. The Board of trade announce that on and after November 1st applications f or licences t o export any classes of cotton goods on the List of Export Prohibitions, namely, Raw cotton, cotton linters and pulp or board made therefrom and cotton waste, including those containing other materials; Cotton yarns, including those containing other materials; Absorbent cotton and cotton wadding; should be addressed to the Cotton Board, Midland Bank Buildings, SI-iring Gardens, Manchester 2, the envelope being marked "Export Licence Application". The applications will be examined by the Cotton Board who will forward them to the Export Licensing Department of the Board of Trade, who are responsible for the grant or refusal of the licence. Traders who have already made applications for export licences should not reapply to the Cotton Board under this arrangement. Board of Trade, 31st October, 1939. Issyed.through the Press & Censorship Bureau. BLACKOUT AND MUNITIONS. Artificial Light May Increase Output. Speedy and successful conclusion of the war depends largely up.on British industry making a supreme effort to supply and anticipate the needs of the Fighting Forces. Effective co-ordina­tion or this effort is a function of the Ministry of Supply~ and the entire resources of modern scientific knowledge have been mobilis&d to ensure maximum production in vital factories, 24 hours a day. x x x The blackout, however, applies just as ·much to faettories. as to homes, and the loss-of daylight due to the obscuration of factory rooflights and windows, might result in a serious threat to industrial efficiency if active steps were not taken to count.er it. Realising that clear, quick vision is essential to works efficiency, the Ministry of Supp1y has brought to the notice of all essential industries, two effective measures for maintaining output at its peak. x x. rn those factories where very fine detail work ii carried on, or where daylight illumination is essential to the process, it is recommended that a suitable type of moveable shutterjjng should be employed, which c.an be slid or hinged back from rooflights during daytime. Already many ingenious and effective systems of moveable shuttering are available, and full details of these have been circulated by the Ministry. x. x -2­ This first solution, however, on account of cost, and the time taken to supply and erect the equipment, has only a limited application. For the majority of factories improved standards of artificial lighting are recommended, so that production may be maintained at a constant high level independently of daylight. x In spite of a widely-held view to the contrary, there is no hardship in working in artificial light continuously, provided that the illumination is properly controlled and adequate in amount. Thousands of workers in large stores, offices and Tubes have worked for years without detriment under such conditions, and there is no reason why other workers should react any differently. In the United States daylight is deliberately excluded from many modern factories because a good standard of artificial light has been found to be better than fluctuating daylight, From data to hand, the Ministry is able to advise works executives that the compulsory use of artificial light all «Lay may actually increase, rather than reduce production if the lighting system is carefully planned to suit the process and care is taken to maintain good ~entilation. The science of illumination has progressed so rapidly in recent years, that few have been able to keep pace with it; it is no longer a second-rate substitute for daylight, but ean provide infinitely more constant and effective working facilities, day in, and day out. MINISTRY OF SUPPLY, PRESS OFFICE. / I..J MI HI S'11RY OP SUPJ:-'LY. PRESS NOTICE. LEA'EHER CONTROL. The Minister of Supply has .issued an Order, known as the Control of Hides and Skins (No.5) Order, 1939, and operative from 31st October, 1939, varying the maximum prices, as fixed by the Control of Hides and Skins (No.4. Order) which may be paid for native hides and skins in the United Kingdom. The Minister of Supply has also issued an order known as the Control of Leather (No.1) Order, 1939 and operative from 1st November, 1939, prohibiting the sale, disposal or cutting of certain specified classes of leather except under licence. Copies of these Orders may be purchased from H.M.Stationery Office, or through any bookseller. Issued through the Press and Censorship Bureau, 31st October, 1939. Ministry of Supply, Adelphi, w.c.2. 31/10/39 -No.16._, Wiill OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT-. The War Office announces that in spite of the War Office statement issued on October 20th, in which the German allegations that Great Britain had supplied poison gas to Poland were categorically denied for the third time, the German Government continues to circulate in neutral countries by pamphlet and wireless repetitions and elaborations of the same baseless charge. Since October 20th, the Polish Government have also issued a categorical denial that poison gas was ever supplied in any form by Great Britain to Poland; and the Swiss doctor, who examined the German soldiers alleged t o be the victims of British poison gas in Poland, has declared in an interview on October 23rd that he "found no evidence indicating in what circumstances the poisoning had occurred," and that he had, at the time 5 "feared that his statement would be misused for anti-British propaganda." The justification put forward by the German Government for repeating their charges is that what they call "a laconic answer" is no sufficient rebuttal of what t hey claim to be a ."charge proved by circumstantial evidence." Thj_s so-called "circumstantial evidence" consists of the followi:n.g assertions: ­ 1. That lE~rge dumps of mustard gas mines were found at or near OXHOEFT, in the vicinity of GDYNIA, and were stored "amongthe war material supplied by Britain. 11 2. _ That Polish dockers adrr,lt having unloaded at night, "shortly before the war", all t he material found in these dumps. 3. That ~ustard gas mines and shells discovered near various t owns in Poland were accounted for on ''deliver:r forms" showing that they had been di s tributed from the dump at OXHOEFT mentioned above. Thus the sole connexion between Great Britain and the poison gas alleged to have been found anywhere in Poland is that this gas came from the OXHOEF~ dump, and that this dump had been filled from British ships. The following is therefore a further reply to this charge. It is still necessarily ,,laconic,,, but none the less complete$ The Board of Trade, through the system of export licences for war materialsy maintains the strictest control and a complete record of all exports of munitions. A detailed examination of these records and of every possible source of supply shows that nothing of the kind has at any time been sent to Poland. THE WAR OFFICE, Whitehally S.Wolo ,3-1 /1 0/39 -NO 17 ISSUED BY 'l'HE INDIA OFFICE INDIA 1 S MAB-POV/ER T~70 SCHCiv'iES FOH RECRUITMENT Classes and communities which are not at present represented in the regular Indian Army 9 or are only represented in small numbers 9 will be provided with opportunities for service as a result of the Government of India's decision to extend the Indian Territorial Forceo The Government of India have also decided to introduce forthwith a Recruit Registration Scheme for the regular Indian Army. In the first instance t he nu..m"bers under this scheme are limited to 25,000. Registration is entire:.'..y voluntary but men coming up for registration will be treated exactly in the same way as if they were being recruited into the Armyo After being found fit and otherwise suitable , they 1riJ_l ~:ie registcred9 given a certificate and sent back to their homes to await calling-up9 which may not be for some time, The Government of India have been most gratified at the spontaneous offcr•s of irrm1odiate service r>cceived from all quarters. It has not beon possible to accept all these offOI'S at once and in order to allay disappointment, tho Government of India state that there is every desire and intention to provide adequate opportunities for those who wish to serve, but that any hurried expansion would be unwise, until developments indicate more clearly the extent of expansion which may be neccssar•y and possible and the most suitable: f ormo Those who have offered their services and the public generally, are asked to remGmber that in the early days of war in 1914 there was no gr eat intake of recruits for the Indian Armyo It was not until the middle of 1915 that the situat j.on demana_ed that Government should call for large numoe:rs of rucruitso Thereafter, year by year 9 re q_uir0ments gPaduo.lly but steadily increasedc +++++++++++ EMPIRE SECTION. 31/10/39 -No~ 1.8-.. WAR-TIME AGRICULTURE IN SOUTHERN RHODESIA Farmers in Southern Rhodesia are determined to do their utmost to increase agricultural output for the benefit of the Empire's war effort. At a special congress in Salisbury, the capital of the Colonyll all farming interests were represented to discuss the war-time policy to be pursued by agriculturalists~ The chief features of a series of resolutions unanimously adopted by this congress were the necessity for the early institution of general conscription and for the distribution of adequate man-power to agriculture. It was stated at the congress by Captain the Hon. F.G. Harris, Minister of Agriculture, that in respect of increased production the Southern Rhodesian Government was still awaiting a reply from the British Government o But he assured qualified tobacco growers that they could plant full acreages 1 for which markets were practically certain, and further stnted that Britain could take all the meat which t he Colo~~ could supplyo Captain Harris urged the farmers to continue as far as possible to "buy British." ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU . :~MPIRE SECTION 31/10/39 -No .19. - S. RHODESIA CALLS UP MORE MEN. More men in Southern Rhodesia will sh0rtly be called . up to undergo training at camps at Salisbury and Buluwayo. _ ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU. --.-. ~.::-,,.,----·-~--------· --­ 31/10/39 RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION AFTERMEM. TO SUB-EDITORS ••• As this script is being 9o30pm ON '.I'UESDAY, OCTOBER 31. 1939 • issued in advance, it is necessary to check it ago.inst the actual broadcasting at 9.15 tD,.B (Tuesday) evening, on 391 and 449 metres. B.,B..aPt ANNOUNCEMENT II IN CONVOYII TALK BROADCAST BY A NAVAL EYE WITNESS The B.. 13 .,C.. roL"'lounce.l5'--thn..t a Nnvnl--eye--wi.tness broadcast the f'ollowing ta7,Jctentitled "In Convoy"!' in the B.B.C. Home Service: . programme at 9ol5 th:ts(Tuesday) evening:­ "About eight o'clock last Saturday morning we were on the bridge of an eS'cort vessel which was about to t ake cho.rge of a Southbound convoy at a Northern basec . ttThere vmsn 't muc.:h to look o.t) because there was a freezing fog and we were moving through a grey formless world with the dim forms ' of ships sliding past and vcmis~1ing~ o.nd men moving about like shadows in the· half lighto "The gun crews· were all closed up a t their guJ1s. They had no protection from the wind and theirs wus o. bitterly cold job, even with all the clothes ·;.'. man could wear and a balaclava helmet and the scarf' his girl knitted wmmd three or four times round his necko They stamped up and down and tried to get -D: bit. of shelter in the lee of the gun shields·o !' r'It would be warmer presently when the sun got upe Already there were gleams thPough the mist Gnd o. coppery sheen on the wntero Then. it appeared, a red disc wi-Chout m1..i..cJj warmth yc.')t, but vaguely comforting., There was o. _plensnnt smell of bo..con fryi:hg somewhere., "We wep0: out in the North Sea now c.:r1.rl the ship was lifting to a slight swell., The convoy stretched o..wny behind us, ships of every size o.nd 'shape 3.nd co.rgo: Brj_tish and French ships, ships with funnels in the middle Qnd ships with flmnels in the stern; with sloping derrti·ks and upright derricks; loaded to the hatches or light., ,'W:ith propeller blades thrashing the surfo.ce of the wntera Their smoke went trailing away· on the 'light wind in blC'..ck; wriggling lineso 2 "All this time the escort ships were moving about on the flanks of the co1umn. OcCE1sionolly one went off at high speed t o investigate a submarine rc~ort, and after nosing about like a pointer f or a quarter of an hour came racing back to her station. "And so the day wore on. Occasionally we passed a tiny fishing vessel, and contemplating her 11in the midst of so many and great dangers" one no l onger wondered why fish is a bit scarce ashor e . 11Well, the haze cleared presently to a bright sunny day; the day faded t o dusk; the dusk to starlit night. The Captain had not left the bridge or sat down since leaving harbour. Occasionally he remembered t o light his pipe . The watches were relieved: the new l ook-outs reported they were closed up. "Very good11 was the curt reply. The voice of the quartermaster-~ ,,.... ---· " taking over came up the voice-pir:>e repo.rting the .course and speed. "Very good. u "It is in the darkness, when the forms of the men are outlined aga;Ln.s.t . thc· f'ai:ntly luminous sky that one become~ moist conscious of the inten~e alertness of the bridge. In dny1ight events distract the eye.. But at night these motionless upright f orms staring out through the glasses into the darkness make you aware of only one thing -the most intensive vigilance of which men ci.rc ca1')able. "Down bel ow it mas the r everse. The watch below had turned in. The ventilating fans m8de a s ort of purrj_ng sound: there was a faint sighing of water p0st the ship's side. The shaded lights shGTh on the rows of hammocks, and here and the!'<:; a man's face was lit up. The men were fRst Rsleep; and in each sleeping fac e there was a nrofa,und tranquillity and ,_ l trustfulness. They might have been a thousnnd miles from war and alarms. (Contd.) -3 ­"Some time during the night the Captain snatehed two or ·tlu'ee hours' sleep; another convoy joined up in the darkness, shepherded by its escort into line astern. In the dawn they were there, ship after ship melting away into the grey haze. "One of' the escort swerved off to seaward and investigated a globular floating object. There was a chatter from her Lewis gun and the object disappeared. Floating mines detached from their moorings are supposed to be sa:fe, by International Law; all the same, the German ones are better on the bottom than afloat. The sun Pose and the Captain was still on the compass platform. The look-outs had now not only the sea to watch but the sky as well. One man spent his time watching the sun through a square of tinted glass. It is usually out of the sun that attacks come. The sea was grey like pewter with little pools of brilliance, and the convoy stood out quite black against them. "About ten, one of the escort far away astern opened fire with her anti-aircraft gun, and our alarm bells began a f'urious jangling all through the ship. Miles away in the clouds to the North-eastward an enemy reconnaissance machine had been sighted, shadowing us. The guns were loaded; we exchanged our caps for shrapnel helmets. They make your head ache after a bit, but it is astonishing how much moral support they give one. "The vigilance on the bridge became even more intensified. At intervals one of the escort astern loosed off a few rounds at the enemy, which were no more than little specks seen for an instant and then disappearing in the clouds." (Contd.) -4 ­ "The cook appeared on the bridge wearing a shrapnel helmet and a rather worried expres.sion. The dinners are: all in t he oven -good hot dinners spoiling. Nobody had thought about dinner till that moment~ then everybody realised they were starving. Sandwiches. Can ne cut sandwiches? Hundreds of them? He can. Ver y good. "Sounds of aircraft somewhere , and firing, Tn e i:; :) o k . reappeared carrying a tray piled with enor)Tlous corned beef s andwiches. Like all Naval Cooks he is a magician. But he still looked worried, thinking about those lovely hct dinners that no one will eat. Everybody munched, with their eyes on the clouds . The loading number of the foremost anti·-aj_rcraft gun had a bit of difficulty with his sandwich and the pro jec.tile he was clasping in his arms. "One of the look-outs suddenly shouted: "Ship 1 bearing red one O, Si~-that meant that he bad sighted a ship ~earing very fine on the port bow. It was the leading escort of another convoy coming out of the m~st to the Southwardo Ther~ was a curious arch of cloud and fog stretching north and south and enveloping the land. To seaward there was blue sky and extr eme visibility ­eight or nine mi les, perhaps. The leading ship of the convoy we'd sighted passed quite close. Somebody on the bridge waved his capo Ten minutes later our own look-out shouted: 11 PLANE EIGHT .f'JIEJ\D, SIR!" "THREE PLANES! II "THEY' RE DIVING FOR US!" 11 Then things happened awfully· quickly. Our foremost guns opened fire with a ·ro'.3.r that d:.:'ovmed everything. (Contd.) 5 The muzzles were elevated almost at the level of the bridge and yellow flashes sprang out, obliterating the shapes of the German bombing machines swo0ping over the convoy. The sea l eaped up in columns where a fevr bombs dropped; one had an instantaneous impression of the surface of the water 2q)urting 11nder the h8il of machine gun bullets and falling frag~ents of shell, of orders shouted through the din of firing, flashes of guns in the smoke, the ship shuddering . from the recoil; and suddenly it was over. The ene:tn¥ v~~ished into the mist. No ship had been hit; nobody was hurt. The cook suddenly reappeared with his tray of L! ~antic sandwiches; we discovered again that we were ---ravet::usly hungry. Parallel to the distant coast where we were steaming, the sea was bathed in sunshine -aDple green to the westward, and blue to the east. The mist .., : ' had rolled back over the land and hung like a wall, th& colour of a purple grape. It was pleasru:i~--io e:xch2..nge one's helmet for a cap and relax and .~ma9ke a cigarett..e.._ The cook reappeared with R kettle of hot sweet t~a. He and l ooked hap~ier. "The Look-out reported an object on ttie bow, andpresently we could make it out -a dere1ict ship's boat -we knew someone had been in trouble to the southwards. "Then the look-out gave t ongue ngain. Enemy sea-planes this time, f2r 14,Way t o the s outhward" There were s ounds of distant firing t o th6 northwar~. Evidently another convoy was coming in f or its share of excitement~ The sea­ planes emerged fr·"'m a cloud valley and came swooping towards us. "All the guns began to fire, throwing A. barrage of little black P'-1.:':':':'s in the pnth of the sea-planes. They banked steeply and took refuge in the clouds. (Contd). -s ... "The other convoy· ~ somewhere below the horizon, said it had Leaton off a heavy atta0k without any casualties to the convoy. 'Very good,' says the Captain, watching the smoke of the barrase slowly dispersing. He had his hands in his pockets and his pipe in his mouth. 11 The SE)a-planes reappeared,· and this time they looked as if they meant business. Again the blue sky Was dotted with black toadstools of smoke and again they swer-.-ed away. Sucdenl;,r there was a shout of 'Fighters!' and ;:mt from the i.c;nc1 came a sq_uadron of British fighting planes. They flashed over om, beads at three hundred miles an hour. Our gun's crE::ViS cheered them as they passed us like a swarm of infuriated ·.vasps. The enemy sea-planes had van:!..s:i.ed into a cloud. and the fighters dived into it in pursuit. They all disappeared. One of the escort went cff t.o investigate a report of an enemy sea-plane which had been shot down somewhere 0ut of sight" 'rhe sun began to decline t r-wards the l and, throwing the convoy into hard relief; an escort vessel went down the line, hailing through a megaphone" None of our charges had been scratched. Not a ship l ust her bearing -:;r altered course a degree during the attack. In some indefinable way they all looked r ather pleased with themselves; like perfect ladies who had passed through a l)Ot house brawl wi t l1out blinking an eye-lid. "A cat with a r ed collar suddenly appeared, chasing a potato round th0 upper deck. I~ 80t tired of that in a little while and we~t to sleep jn the anns of one of the fir·e-:party. "The sun sa11l< in a gre.a t blaze of golden fire. The indefatigabJ.e coo4": arrived with more sandwiches, jam sandwiches this tjme , and m:)re hot tea. 'rhe men had been cl:'sed up at thelr gu11s ar•J .. posts fo't· six hours. The captain had been standing by t:1e compass for twelve hours. He 7 gulped a cup of tea and sent down his baccy pouch to be refilled, "The wind freshened and there was a chilly nip in the air. Dusk again and the guns' crews began passing o~ly cloths on the end of a rammer through the guns. Soon it was dark again. Part of the watch went below for supper. "There was a bright moon and the Captain grumbled at it; a little apologetically because it was the same moon that had shone for him over gardens in the dew and sea trout rivers, and the pleasant things of peace. "In war it might mean a night attack on the convoy. 11 Ac. tually, the night passed fai.rl.y peacefully. In the early morning light the sea became a dirty greenish yellow, with a little steep swell; we were among the shoals where no submarine and no surface ship could attack. An aerial escort took ove~, and our task was done. ·"The windows of the houses 2shore were blinking like heliographs in the sun as we turned away from the convoy. The rest of the escort formed up astern of \lS• "In the mouth of the harbour we met an examination ., vessel• "The Captain was. still on the compass. platform with his hands in his pockets. He had at last got tired of his pipe. He bent to the voice pipe an~ gave the orders for altering course, and each order was repeated by the coxswain at the wheel. His deep voice came baek each time from the mouth-piece, very s~lemn, like the answers to a litany: 'Starboard Ten! 'Midships! 'Steady! 'u ----~--~-000--------~ .. f i ' ' I~ • 31/10/39. -NO. 21. FOR PRESS AND BROADCAST. The design of tho armlet which is to be worn by ministers of religion who have to move about the streets under air raid conditions has now been approved. It consists of a band of Royal Air Force blue cloth four inches wide, with the letters A.R.P. embroidered in red silk and, below the lettering, a Cross embroidered in white silk. A circular letter issued to local authorities by the Ministry of Home Security says, -11 The church authorities have made their own arrangements for the supply of armlets of the approved pattern to those of their ministers who require them. The privilege vn~ich the wearing of the armlet is intended to confer is that of liberty of movement whilst air raids are in progress for the purpose of attending casualties and ministering to those in need. Those ministers who are detailed by their Churches for work amongst the injured will wear steel helmets and will be equipped with respirators, facilities for the purchase of which are being accorded to the church authorities, but the helmets will not bear any distinctive mark and the armlet will be the sole badge of recognition. 11 MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY. ............ 3_1/l0/22 -No. 22. MINISTRY OF FOOD ANNOUNC:C11ENT. WHEAT PRICES. The Wheat (Prices) Order, which is to come into force on the 3rd November, makes provision for three distinct matters. In the first place it fix.es a uniform price of 31/6d per quarter (of' 504 lbs) for any millable Yvheat sold by a grower registered under the \\'heat Acts. This price is 7/6d higher than the price at vvhich flour mills were purchasing English wheat until recently. Secondly, the Order specifies the maximura price at which wheat, which is used for animal feeding as well as for f'lour milling, may be sold by any person other than a registered grower in lots of 18 quarters (approximately 4 tons) and upwards. This price is 32/3d per quartero A scale of i)ermissive additional charges is provided for sales in smaller lots. For example, 9d per quarter extra may be charged when a lot of between nine and eighteen quarters is sold and 1/-per quarter, i.e. an additional 3d per quarter, for lots of between four quarters and nine quarters. Following the parallel of the Feeding Stuffs (Maximum Prices) Order there are permitted maximum additions when wheat is taken into and delivered out of store. Thirdly, a maxirrrurn price is prescribed for non-millable wheat, a term which includes damaged iVheat only fit for the preparation of feeding stui'fs as well as 11 tailings11 • The permissive additional charges apply to non-millable wheat also. The presc~ibed prices are for net cash, an extra charge for credit being permitted on condition t~at the discount for cash is shown on the invoice. Transport cha •ges and the customary sack charges are for the buyer's account, ~.s hitherto. It should be noted that the Order does not affect the general provisions of the Wheat Acts, which remain in force. 31st October, 193_2_. ,21.Jl0/39o -No 23.. MINISTRY OF SUPPLY. Preses Notice. IRON AND STEEL CONTROL The Minister of Supply ho.s made the Conii~::,:ol of Iron [lnd Steel (No.4) Order 1939, dated 31st October~ to operate as from ist November. This Order fixes new prices for iron and steel :products The o prices in operation prior to the outbreo.k of wnr for the main range of products had been fixed by the British Iron nnd Steel Federation with the approvnl of the Import Duties Advisory Committee until 31st October, and they were continued at their pre-wo.r level by the original Order mo.de by the Minister of Supply dnted 1st September o.nd the Control of Iron and Steel (Nou2) Order dated 22nd September. The new prices t o.ke account of the increased costs o:f the principo.l imported r~w mnt erio.ls including the higher freight charges now in oper o.tiono The effect of the Order is to increase the prices of billets and heo.vy steel bY £1 per ton, with corresponding adjustments in the prices of fjnished products. pricesThe Ord.er also brings within the Schedule of mo.ximum;home iron ore and a number of iron and steel products not hitherto covered by the ~rtatutory control. In the case of home 1iron ore the maximum prices fixed are based on those at present in operationo The prices of those iron and steel products not hitherto included are genero.lly on the so.me bo.sis as those of the mo.in r o.nge of products already controlledo Under the Direction attached to the new Order pig iron · ns well as high speed steel has been exoept-ed from the vo.rious exemptions from licences and therefore in every case 2 licence is requiredo Copies. of the Order may be purchased from H. IvI. Sto.tionery­Office, or through any bookseller o ISSUED THROUGH THE PRE£~-M!P~Q~..$..QR~~II:__~~ Ministry of Supply, Adelphis W.G.2. 31.10.39 No.24. FRENCH OFFICL\L COMHUNIQUE (EVENING). Between the Moselle and the Saar marked activity, r aids, and patrols. In the course of the many flights made during 30th October a German reconnoitring bi-motor was brought down in our lines: two enemy observa tion 'planes fell out of control in the German lines on the Saar front. All the French 1Dlanes r eturned t o their bases. 31/10/39 -No, 25. AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN GERM.AN BOMB:CR SHOT DOWN BY ]'~ A. F. IN FRAN CE The Air Ministry announces :­ Yesterday British fighters had their first opportunity to eng~ge German bombers over French territory. Two enemy machines were observed flying high and they were attacked by our fighters. One of the raiders, a Dornier was shot down. The other made off in the clouds. . 31/10/39 No• 26. NAZI AIRCRAFT ATTACK CONVOY. The Admiralty and Air Ministry announce:­ An enemy seaplane was seen b_y an R. A. F. aircraft off the Norfolk coast this morning. After a short engagement at close range the enemy aircraft broke off the combat and flevv in an easterly direction. Shortly afterwards a German seaplane of the same type attempted to attack a British Convoy some miles to the north. It v-vas driven off by aircraft and by fire from the naval escort accompanying the Convoy. Before flying away to the eastvrard the raider appeared to drop two bombs. but no damage was done. FROM AIR AFFAI118.