No. 1. FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNI Q,UE (Morning). The following comrrmniq_ue was issued this morning 'lJ y Rrench G.H. Q. :­ Quiet night. No. 2. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. CANADA' S AJ.E~iEN TRAINING CENTRE FOR 3 2 000 ACQ1LIRED IN ONTARIO The Royal Canadian Air Force 9 with the help of the Ontario Government 9 has obtained a technical training centre which will give Yvorkshop accommodation and excellent housing for a personnel of' 3 9 000. The Ontario Government of'fered the spacious buildings and grounds of the new Mental Hospital at St. Thomas, Ontario, for the use of the Ro C. Ao F. , and it is being converted to war uses at once. The only cost to the Department of National Defence is that of' upkeep and of transferring the patients to other institutions. Already fully equipped workshops for pupils in the sundry aeronautical trades necessary for the maintenance of service aircra~t are being constructed·. Premier Hepburn's Government has thus made a most useful contribution to building up the fighting forces of Canada and thu Empire. The Empire Air Training Scheme, it Yvill be recalled, is at this moment being examined in Ottawa by experts from Great Britain9 Canada, Australia anc1 Nerv Zealand~ M.A. ~·' · 86. 1 J (.J I )··JT .tl.:·]~OLT~.TC~lCS~L'.11 B"'t I·~T.;,;J:.YC:· l ( 1-JFJ\.CfltTCt'L'l'.URS -------~IIJ ~TlI'JIJ ~f~t ':.. -~ ()J.T ti;-3)~~:··:.. ~· ·--··-..---~-­ ·~·---~·­ -·-··-..------~... -· ..· --....._.__ An Order ho.s 0 2e::i mr?cde by the .Mini s try of Food fixi ng 1 a price of :l.5/-· :per scure deaci. weight for pi gs .11eighing up to ten­scorc, and 14/o per score fo_... pi gs _O'rer that 17eight . This represents a further incre8se 0·~ 1;~ per score over the increased price fi xed on 13th October laat. The Order comes into operation i rnmedia.te1;y. A s imila1~ inc:C' ease h as been made in the price of rig pi gs which is now 13/-per score, out prices of sows, stag pigs and boars remain unchanged. at 11/6, 9/-and 5/-per score respect i vely. The increased prices take into considerat ion recent costs of feedi ng stuffs. 'l'he price pos ition will continue to be kept under revie-:r: GO that adjustments can be made fr om time to time in the l ight of' ehanging circumstances. N:o. 4. FEEDING STUFFS IN WARTIME . Making the Rations go Round. It is still necessary to exercise the utmost economy i n t he use of concentrated feeding stuffs. We must make the best of availabl e supplies, for the only thing that can be said with certainty about the fu.turo is that we must anticipat e shorter supplies of imported feeding stuffs t han i n peace time , and temporary dislocation·s. We can no longer expect that a postcard v1ill automatically bring by r eturn a l orry load of perfectly balanced rations. Profit From Necessity. In some cases t hi s necessity can be turned to profitable account, especially on dairy farms. Farmers have been weeding out very l ow-yielding cows to meet the temporary demand for this class of beef. The nation's output of milk will not be greatly affected, the farmer's bank balance will often be better for it, and there will b~ more rations available to keep up the milk from 1. the-,bet t.er-yie.lders .. wide scope for economy as any. Dairymen, like shepherds, are inclined to err on the generous side when estima.ting the food requirements of their charges and if the hay ration for each cow .were weighed, there , would often be some surprises. To quote a specific instance, a progressiye dairy .farmer who had always made a profit on his dairy d-ecided to weigh each cow 1 s hay ration and compare with the ration advised by Reading University. He '· found that he was wasting just ov-er half a ton of hay the net profit he was then making. Replacing Maize. Hay can be used for more than the maintenance part of the ration• . On fqll winter feeding a daily allowance of 18 lb. of first class hay will supply enough nutriment for maintenance and the first gallon of milk; 24 to 25 lb. of average hay will do the same. But this would be rather a bulky ration for cows in f\111 milk. A b~tter winter ration would be 18 lb. of average hay and 30 -35 lb. of marrow stem kale or 40-45lb. of roots. The bulky, home-grown foods can replace concentrates for for the first gallon of milk and this will have to be the system for many dairy farmers in wartimeo But when they plough up their grassland it is essential that they think of some of the coming crop in terms of food for their cows, if they wish to maintain milk supplieso Many have forgotten that an acre with a good crop of mangels, marrow stem kale or seeds hay will go twice as far in nourishing their cows as an acre of average meadowo Oats, together with tail barley and wheat and also dried beet pulp, can replace maize and most of the mai.ze foods in compounding rations for all kinds of stocko Beans anq peas will make up the protein to balance these starchy foodso But beans and peas have fallen into disfavour. Once we grew 600,000 acres of them, but now little ·more than 100,000 acreso It is true they tend to make the ground weedy, but they enhance its fertility in nitrogen and should now be most seriously considered as a home­produced source of protein to make good some of the ground nuts and .concentrated cake that may never arrive here. x x x POTATOES FOR PIGS No need to waste Tubers Damaged by Blight In some districts the potato crop was attacked by blight. The ensilage of such potatoes is most simply and economically carried out in the following way:-a pit should be excavated on a piece of dry, well-drained groundo This shouldy if possible, be situated close to the feeding penso The excavation might be 6 to 7 ft. wide and 2 ft. 6 ina to 3 ft.., deep, and the sides should slope slightly inwardso If possible it should be lined with strawo Oonsolidate o • The potatoes should fJ.rst be washed and then cooked in a steamer or copper for about 45 minut.eso Immediately following their removal from the steamer or copper: the potatoes~ whilst still hot, 3 .. possible in order to enstJ.re tlle tborough exclus}_ ::m of air. When finishing off the silo, the mass of pressed material should be raised into a ridge in the middle and the sides and top of the ridge covered with straw or wet sacks. This in turn should. be covered with a hea-vs-layer of soil or clay we:;.1 rammecl down. Potato silage made in this manner will keep in excellent condition over very long periods. It usually contains about 30(I , of dry substance and 7o;~ of moi.:=.iture and forms an appetizing a:tLd. nutritious food for sheep, cattle and pigs . In feeding value it~ e q_ui valent to about one q_uarter of its weigbt of barley meal. It is not usually fed to pigs of less than 100 lbs . l:i.ve weight for smaller pigs neither like it much nor thrive on it as a rule. To introduce it gradually into the ration is, of course, desirable . The amount may be steadily increased up to 6 lbs. a day by the time the pig reaches 120 lbs. live weight and thereafter to 10-12 lbs. a day at 200 lbs. live weight . .Sucl;:ling sows can take up to 20 lbs. a day. * * * * .i11;swaybacki1 Can be Prev~nted H .Swayback!! in lambs was , until recently, one of the mystery diseases . Young lambs affected by it Jose power in their limbs, sometimes completely. Those that can rise stageer i n their gait and tend to topple over, and in cases show evidence ·of blindness. Some lambs are aff'ected at birth, others show no sign of tbe disease for some days . They usually die, mainly from causes other than swayback, though a few may recover. The disease, also knovm as n Swj_ nglebackn , 11 SV'lingback11 , "Jinckbaclr" and 1rnarfan, occurs in many parts of Britain especi ally Derbyshire and Yorkshire, though the number of lambs affected varies from season to season. In some districts the disease is so prevalent that £armers have given up keeping sheep in tbem. 4. But now tl1e disease has been investig9.ted, and. although ., -, . ­ its cause has not Deen aiscovereu , a remedy has been fou:'.1d. The indicatJons are t?iat the brai~1. ar~d. spinal cord are affected , the lamb oegins to be a::e:eectec1_ 1)efore it is 1)or:u.$ and the disease is associated. vvith a deficienc;y of copper. Experiments have been made in Australio. and Derbyshire ,. In both cases it VV8.s found ti!.a t the feecling of cop1)e r, in the :form of copper sul1)hate (blue o tone) , to ewes 1Jefore they lambed reduced very greatly the incideI:.ce of the disease. Ev;e s from far-ms where the disease was preva1ent were given access to salt licl::s c_ontaining copper in amounts o:C o. 3 per cent. and :L per cent. On the same land ewes were kept vvith no access to· s-t~ch licks to act as controls . 'l'hose fed 'Ni th copper produced far fevver lambs with the disease · than those that had nor~e. 'l'l1e neai>er the time: to lambing when the ewes had ac cess to the 0·.3 per cent licks, the greater was the chance of swaybacl:: developi ng in the lambs~ but when the ewes hac1 acc.es>S to the 1 per cent licks, even :ror only 6 to 7 weeks before lambing, the disease did not occur in thci r lambs. J.. • It must •Je remembered, that copper in le.rge amoun L.,S is poisonous to stock, and therefore it is recommended that ewes should receive the 0.3 per cent licks at the time of tupping and throughout the time the lamb is being carried. But if it is imponsible to feed the salt licks until about 6 or 7 weol:s -before lqmbing , then the 1 per c c;nt lickr.3 ::hould be fed. Licks should be pretected from the vvea ther f for heavy rain and snow will cause them to melt awa~r. rrhey should therefore be placed in hay Packs or some similar holder. ~,­ v A .I>. '·'/O_OD PIG:GOl'l • Attempts to organise the destr>u.c tion of' wood pigeons have not, hitherto, been distinguished -D3r great success. 'J.1he chief reason for this has o~en the difficulty o:f inducing people over a sufficiently wide area to combine to shoot them on the same day. But unless combined action is taken there is no hope at all of making any impression on these pests. Even when "battue" shoots are organised, the birds usually fly higher and higher until they get out of shot and transfer their attention for the time being to a more peaceful area. But the wood pigeon problem must now be faced. They are most voracious birds, needing at least two sq_uare meals a day, and sometimes taking four. They eat almost every kind of food the farmer grows and prefer the best. The crop of a pigeon has been found to contain 1,296 corn seeds, mostly black oats; another contained 1,435 buckwheat seeds. Collectively, they are taking toll of foodstuffs eq_uivalent to the cargoes of several. merchantmen, and they are probably increasing in numbers, for each year more migrants arriving here from Scandinavia remain and breed. Now is the time to deal with them. The best line of approach seems to be to get general co-operation between such bodies as the National Farmers' Union, the Central Landovmers' Association and the Forestry Commission, in order that there may be days when pigeons are given no peace over the whole country. The N.F.U. have already expressed their willingness to assist in this ahd the Forestry Commission have asked all their shooting tenants to co--operate .fro the fullest possible extent in anything that may be arranged. It is important that owners and tenants of shoots should join in too, or the pigeons will merely take cover in their preserves until the "all clear" sounds. No one is going to get many pigeons wandering down lanes or stalking along hedges, for the birds are wily and very ke~n­sighted.; ___success can be gained by awaiting them where they come into roost, but the "hes-t results of all are achieved by using "hides" and decoys. "Hides" are merely natural cover, sometimes improved by using boughs, grass or other herbage growing on the spot._Decoys 6. can be cheaply bought, or a dead bird may be used, supported in a natural position by a stick stuck into its head from underneath. Only a 10/-gun licence is needed to shoot pigeons. x x x RE-STOCKING THE WOODS Method of Natural Seeding If natural methods of restocking woodlands are not adopted now it is difficult to see any future for private woodlands. War felling may again present an ovmer with 50 acres or more of woodland cleared and ready for replanting. If the annual normal planti'ng area is about 5 acres, it is scarcely likely that owners will have either the men, plants or the money to plant so large an area in a single year~ Natural seeding depends upon tne ·extermination of the rabbit. If ·this is impossible in particular instances, the more costly business of enclosing the areas for restocking with wire netting will have to be ~aced. Next year promises to be a good seed year, so that when felling this winter 12 to 20 trees per acre should be left, or more if they are pitwood ~izec These trees will, if all goes well, carpet the ground thickly ;, i th young seedlings The o scarifying action of trees when dragged out, and the ~elease of plant foods by the sudden admittance of sunlight to the leaf mould make conditions especially favourable to the young trees. After 3 years, when · a good seeding has been secured, the parents are removed, doing surp~isingly little damage, and any bare places are either planted or seeded by hando This is a fascinating hobby, and is the ordinary method of stocking a wood on the continent, where rainfall and seed years are more propitious and rabbits do not existo That it can be adopted with success is shewn by an estate in the Eastern counties, and who has not seen oak, ash, sycamore, beech and Scots pine seeding themselves? 7. IMPROVED EGG PRICES. An Order has been made by the Ministry of Food effectj_ng a further increase in the maximum wholesale and re t ail prices of eggs fixed a fortnight ago. The maximum retail and wholesale )rices for home-produced fresh eggs are shown below:­ Cat_~eo_~Y.: 1. Home Produced Fre~g_ E_ga§ Maximum Maximum Price on sale bl )2rice on sale bl wholesale retail ;per .:@. ew l,?er dozen £. s. d. eggs. £. s. d. (a) Minimum weight 15 lbs. per 120 eggs. (No 12 e~gs shall weigh less 1 .. 7. o. 3. o. than 22:?: ounces) (b) Minimum weight 120 eggs. , 12 lbs. :per (No 12 e~gs shall weigh less 1. 2. o. 2. 6 •. tha~ 172 ounces) (c) All eggs less than 12 lbs. per 120 eggs.. 17. o. 2. o. The new maxima allow for the seasonal rise in egg prices, which normally reach their peal{ d11ring November. The increases should enable poultry farmers to secure improved prices for their eggs to com~ensate them for the normal seasonal decline in production. ISSUED THROUGH THE PR~SS BUREAU. s. 7/11/39 No. 5. BOARD OF EDUCATION .ANNOUNCEMENT RE-OPENING OF THE ROYAL COLLLGE OF ART. The Board of Education announce that the Royal College of Art which was closed as a result of the outbreak of war~ will re-open on January 9th next. Returning students and those who had been accepted for admission this Autunm~ are asked to report at the College at 9.30 a.m. on that day. Particulars of the arrangements for the College examination for the admission of new students for the session 1940-41 will be announced as soon as possible. 7/11/39 -Ho.6. COMMUNIQUE NOT TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE CLUB TAPES 2 OR BY BROADCAST. OR IN ANY OTHER WAY BEFORE THE MORNING OF WEDNESDAY, 8th NOVEMBER, 19~2· (Simultaneous publication in Burma has been arranged) I. The following announcement was issued in Rangoon on Tuesday afternoon, 7th November, 1939. At a meeting with his Ministers at Government House to-day, His Excellency the Governor made the following statement: 11The communication.which you :.presented to me on the 12th October and to which I am now replying was drawn up in anticipation of the statement by the Governor-General of India which was made on the 17th October, and it therefore contains certain phrases which are no longer appropriate to the situation and certain questions and requests which no longer call for a specific answer. "I am, however, now authorised to make this reply: I have the authority of His Majesty's Government for stating that they reaffirm the statement made on the 20th January 1931, by the Secretary of State for India when he announced in the follovdng terms the decision of His Majesty's Government to proceed with the separation of Burma: 'That the prospects of constitutional advance held out to Burma as part of British India will not be prejudiced by this decision, and that the constitutional objective after separation will remain the progressiverealisation of responsible government in Burma as an integral part of the Empire.' "In the view of His Majesty's Government the experience gained during the two and a half years that ..................... Burma 2. Burma has been separated from India has shown that the problems to be solved in the two countries are not identical, and that the methods Gf their solution will therefore differ. His Majesty's Government, nevertheless, affirm that they do not regard this difference as forming an obstacle to the attainment by Burma of her due place: in the British Commonwealth of Nations, and that they will cont,inue to use their best endeavours to :promote, the attainment of this objective, so far as it lies with them to do so~" -1i The t ext of the communication received by the Governor from the Premier on the 12th October is as follows:­11 The Governor-General of India has been he.ving extensive talks with. Indi2n lenders both in Simla and in New Delhi. It is universally believed in India that these consultations are being held for the ~urpose of arriving at some agreement as regnrds future political status of India as an equal partner of the British Commonwealth. 2. The Congress Party in India has asked His Majesty's Government to clarify war and peace aims of the British Government with particular reference to India. In a ste.tement dated 1/Vardha, 28th September, Mr. Gandhi said 'If British are fighting for freedom, all that their representRtives have t o st2te in clearest ~ossible terms is that freedom of India is necessarily included in war aims'. 3. It is quite cer>tain that His Majesty's Government will in the near future make a statement stating the aims of Rngland and France in entering UDOn this war and it is • probable that occasion will be taken then or at a later date to make a declaration regRrding India. We in Burma have not chosen to 8doptthe tactics of Congress but it will nevertheless be incumbent u~on ourselves to 'Jrotect and ~romote the political interests of this country. Whatever may be the measure of r ef orms t o be meted out to India we are of opinion that circumstances in this cwuntry are such that Burma not only 0.eserves but is nlso capable of assimilating a larger measure of reforms -2­ than India. In the ~ircurastances we Y.rould request His Excellency kindly to adci.ress His Majesty's Government so that Burma is not overlooked in any declaration that might be made with reference to further reforms regarding Indiao We vvould even go further and ask His Excellency to urge His Majesty's Government to cleclare t hat fllrther reforms in Burma will be at least not less than those to be conferred on Indiao 11 At the same time the following comnunig_ue was issued from Government House, Rangoon, in regard to tne periodical meetings of the Governor with his hlinisters for the discussion of matters connected with the war :­ "In order that His Excellency may discuss with, and ascertain the views of, Hon. Ministers on the problems arising fron1 the Yva:. ~, including matters connected with the defence of Burma 9 a custom has been established of meetings at ~eekly or more frequent intervals at whi0h 8.11 the Hon. IIinisters are invj_ted to be present. These meetings are distinct from the formal n~eetings of the COlmcil of IHni s ters at ':rhich the business of Goverru:,1ent i n the Hini sterial sphere is t r::msactea_. " UNOFFICIAL NOTE FOR THE USE OF THE PRESS AS THEY WISH. (CONFID1£NTIAL. This is by the authority of the Burma Office who must not be quoted.) In connection with the accompanying announcements, it may be of interest to record briefly the measures which have been t aken in Burma to improve the Defence organisatiC?ns of that country during the 2t years since the responsibility for defence measures was imposed on the Government of Burma as a result of the separation from India. The former training battalion of the Burma Rifles has been converted into an active ba ttalion so that there are now 4 active battalions of the Burma Rifles, each with its own training company on the same principle as is adopted by the Gurkha Regiments in the Indian Army. A Field Company of Burma Sappers and Miners has been raised to take the place of the Field Company, Q~V.Oo Madras Sappers and Miners at present stationed in Burma, and an animal transport company of the Burma Army Service Corps has been formed. Service in the Burma Auxiliary Force, which previously was confined to persons of European race or descent, has been thrown open to all persons of Burma domicile; this force includes in its duties the manning of the Coast Defence Batteries, which are being re-equipped with modern weapons and generally modernised, and also the manning of anti-aircraft batteries which are in process of formation. In addition, a Burma Naval V~lunteer Reserve Force is being r aised to undertake the protection or the a1Jproaches to the Rangoon Ri ver by way of patrols and mine-sweeping organisations; an&, finally, measures are in hand to raise, in Burma, an auxiL_ary air squadron. Burma is a country with, as yet, little important manufacturing capacity; her prosperity and her strength lie in her output of natural products, rice and other agricultural produce, teak and other hard woods, minerals and mineral oil and its by-products. Burma's war effort, therefore, must l argely be directed to an incream;ed output of such of her products as are Yaluable for the conduct of the war -a characteristic which, in greater or less degree, applies to practicfllly all of them. The task of increasing her output of various groups of co;rrnoc1ities to meet the requirements of other r..1embers of the Empire in time of war is one of the functions of the Defence Council which ·w2s set up by the Governor soon after the outbreak of war for the purpose of co-ordinating the activities of various departments of Government and the industrj_es of the population. Though s ome of the more extr-::.m1e l;olitical organisations, which ado:pt n strong :nationc..lLJtic attitude exemplified by the slogan \;Burma f or the i3urmans 11 , r ave taken the line that Greo.t Britain~ s c1iff icultics sho11ld bu Burma's o~Jportunit y to secure further ;icoristitutiona.l advancGJncnt 11 and a greater measure of democratic freedom, even thes.; a_,) not deny the justice of the cause th:e defence of which hi'.S i nvolv2a. the :t'ri1pire in war, but are ho:::.'rj_fied by Nazi aggression in Pol and and other small nation3 and entirely approve the British }Jolicy of resistance to such agg:JJ.ession and protection of the rightc of small nations to live their own life; the contention of these organisations is t hat the principles ~n which this policy rests should at once be applied t o their fullest extent in part:i.cular relation to Burma's aspin.i.tionf:>" These views have obtained a disproportionate prominence in the Burmese Press. The Rttituc1e of the gr cater9 but less vocal, portion of the ~ublic i s shown by the resolutions of loyal co­operation with the British•• ooo oo Oou• o•••• /Government -3 ­ Government adopted on the outbreak of war by bodies representa·tive Of all sections Of the p·o~)Ulation and Of the various races that together form the people of Burma~ Some of these resolutions have already been reported in the British Press~ but it may be appropriate in the present context to mention:­ On 1st September -before the actual outbreak of war ­the Burma Senate adopted a unanimous Resolution placing on record its loyalty and devotion to the King and expressing approval of the policy adopted by His Majesty's Governm~nt in the international cri sis. The Federal Council of Shan Chiefs passed unanimous Resolutions expressing a renewal of their traditional devotion to' His Majesty's person and :Qlacing t~eir services and tbe resources of their States unreserved'ly at His Majesty's disposal. The Chiefs of the Karenni States similarly placed the resow..~ces. of their States at the disposal of the British Government in 11 the pi->esent struggle against oppression11 • The leading Buddhist dignitary of Mandalay wrote on behalf of the Council of 100 Sayadaws (heads of monasteries) expressing their loyalty and offering their prayers for the success of His Majesty's Government; and similar loyal resolutions or messages have been received from the Karen e·lders representing all the Karens of Burma, the Kad'Jo.in Chiefs and Elders, the Anglo-Burman conununity, Indian Christians in Burma , the Burma Moslems Society, representatives of the Hindu, Sikh and Gurkha communities in Burma, and many other organisations. 7 .11.39/No. 7. P ,N. 1591. Notice for the Press and fo~roadcasting. Telegraph Censorship. Registered abbreviated adaresses. The Postmaster General announces that as misunderstanding appear3 to exist with regard to the scope of telegraph censorship and particularly as regards the use of registered abbreviated addresses, it is desired to emphasise that ·while the use of registered abbreviated addresses is at present prohibited in telegrruns for and from places a.broad, such addresses may continue to be used in inland telegrams (including Northern Ireland) and in telegrams e~changed with Eire. In telegrams for abroad senders are generally recommended to ~e full postal addresses and to advise their overseas correspondents to do likewise in telegrams for this country. There is, however, no objection to the use of shorter addresses in cases where such addresses will be clear to the censors, provided that they will enable the messages to be readily delivered without enquiry or reference to directories. Languages admitted. Telegrams to and from abroad must be written in English or French with the exception that Spanish may be used in t~legrams exchanged with the Spanish speaking countries. The use of code is for the present prohib~ted in telegrams for abroad. An announcement will be made when any relaxation of this restriction is allowed. Particulars of sender for reference. l\.11 telegrams, whether for a destination in this country or elsewhere, must bear the full name and address of the sender. These particulars are required for local reference but they will not be charged unless they are included in the text to be transmitted. Signature of sender for transmission. The name or names of the sender (individual or firm) must be included. at the end of the text of all telegrams for abroad. The name will be charged for and will be transmitted to destination. Figure group in text of telegrams for abroad. The sender of a full rate, deferrea or letter telegram for abroad may insert at the beginning of the text a figure group not exceeding five figures in length, to indicate the number of the telegrarn despatched or under reply or to enable the telegrrun to be identified, provided that the meaning of such a group is clear and is susceptible of verification by the censor. GENERAL POST OFFICE. 7th November, 1939. 7.,11.39 -N-;.8 ·-------·­ Electricc.l Inspectors of Mi nes . The secretary for ~fiines an.nounces that he has appointed Mr. G. M. Earvey, J.\:esc ., B.Eng~, t he Deputy I1;lectrical Inspector of' ]\ti nes, to be the Electrical Inspector of 11:ines , with effect f rom 1st November, in succession to 1'.J:r. J. A. B. Horsley, O. B .. E., v:ho has passed the usu1:Ll age limit for retireu:,ent from the Civil service. At the request of the Secretcisy for :Mines, :Mr. Ho1~s1ey is undertaking special duties for the ffi:'..1.es Depart:nent C.uring tbe war, more particularl y in connexion with the orgax1ization of the electrical supplies required for t i10 working of mines and quarries. He will alsr compl ete , so far as possible, the work in connexion with the revision 0£ the existing code of safGty r egulations for coal mines, for 1vhich his term of offi ce was specially extended in May last. Dean Stanley Street, Millbank, London, s. W. 1. 7th November, 1939. (in attached copy of Broadcast by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs). Page 1. line 12. for 0 our French and Polish allies" substitute "France and Poland". Page 3. line 12. ''that it is likely to exact;"· Page 3. line 34 for "our Allies" substitute "our French ancl Polish Allies". Page 4. line 27 "resort to violence". Page 4. line 31 for "ourselves" substitute 11 our lesson". Page 5. lines 17 -18 this should read: -"and if they are to grmv must have, like everytlli11g else, a soil that suits them. 11 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED OR BROADCAST BEFORE 9. 30 p.m. (B.S.T.) NOVI.~L1BER ?th. BROADCAST BY THE SECRCT/iliY OF GTAT:C FOR FOR:::::IGN ~C\.FFAIRS, 9.15 :p.m. 7th NOVEMBER, 1939· OUR CAUSE NOW !:ND AFTER. F:br more than two months we have been a:b war with Germany. During that time my memory has often taken me back to the nation on Sunday morning, Se~)tember 3rd, a q_uarter of 2n hour after we de,clared war. You will remember his final words: ·"rt is the evil things we shall be f-ighting against -brute force, bad faith, injustices oppression and persecution -and against them I am certain that the right will i)revail"· These words vvere said at a tragic and solemn r110:t1rnnt for our country, f'or ou:c French and Polish Allies, and for the whole civilised vrnrld, and at the time they were spoken, 2nd since, they have more and more seemed to answer the two questions that, with growing insistence, were likely to pi"esent themselves to thoughtful minds. The first of these questions is, what is the real purpose of our struggle~ and the second is, may we in fact 1 feel secure thatthlrough victory in this conflict of :Jhysical force, we can achieve it? What is the real :)urpose of our struggle? That many people are seeking an answer to this question is evident from the desit'e expressed in so many quarters that the Allied countries should define with greater precision what are sometimes called 1'war aims"• In general terms the arnhrnr has been l)lainly given. We nre f'ighting in defen,;.~e of freedom.; we a.re fighting for ::;:ieace; we a re meet inc; a challenge to our ovm security and that of others; vve are defending the rights of all ne_tions to live their own lives. -2 ­ We are fighting against the substitution of brute force for law as the arbiter between nations, against the violation of the sanctity of treaties and disregar d for the pledged word. We have l earned that there can be no o-p:oortunity for Europe to cultivate the arts of peace until Germany is brought to realise that recurrent acts of aggression will not be tolerated. It must accordingly be our resolve not only to protect the future from the re~.Jeti tion of the same injuries that German aggression has· i nflicted on Eur o:)e in these last few years, but also so far as we can to repair the damage successively wrought by Germany upon her 'Neaker neighbours. And that purpose must be the stronger as it is reinforced by knowledge of the cruel persecution of causes and persons at. the hands of ruthless men in Germany. In general it is no business of one nation to interfere with the internal administration of another, and history has plenty of examples of the futility of such attempts. The British are particularly reluctant to interfere in other peoples' business~, :provided always that other people do not seek to interfere in theirs. But when the challenge in the sphere of international relations is sharpened, as to-day in Germany, by the denial to men and women of elementary human rights, that challenge is at once extended to something insti.nctive and yrofound in the universal conscience of mankind. We are therefore fighting to maintain the rule of law and the quality of mercy in dealings between man and man, and in the great society of civilised states. We foresaw indeed that the time might well come when we should have to fight for these saving graces of our earthly commonwealth. -3 ­Some months ago -it seems many months ago now ­I spoke at a dinner at Chatham House with what I was told was unusual frankness. Among other things I said this: "Over a large part of the world the old standards of conduct are being set aside.· Things are being done which we can hardly read without amazement. Rules of conduct between nations are being over­ridden with the same callous indifference as rules of conduct between man and man". And I added something that is always to be remembered, if we are t o purcJ.P, this struggle in the spinit that can al·one support the price that is is likely to exact; "We ourselves must see", I snj_d, "tha~ our own standards of conduct do not deteriorate, because the day that we lose our re~pect for our fellow-man our democracy will have lost something on which its vitality depends. 11 .I spoke then at a time when I ho~ed, as we all did, that somehow or other war might be ·honourably averted,, 'J?hat ho'l}e was disappointed. Faced with evil things, . as the Prime Minister truly said we are, there are only two courses o~en. You must either defy; or you must acquiesce. And acquiescence is dishonour. Ac r· look back to those days in which we all walked in the dark valley of decision, I can feel no doubt in my own conscience that only with supreme dishonour could we in fact have averted war. Now supreme dishonour, as well as the supreme folly, lie with the aggressor. The su~reme dishonour of the German Government is laid open to the world. We, and those who are f'ighting side by side with us, men of our race from every quart~r of the world; peoples owning the a.J21 same loyalty to the Crown; our Allies; we arE}"united in the will, and under Providence we have the powe~, to prove also the supreme foll;;: ·.'Ti th which the German Government has moved to its own dest;r>uction.. ••••, ~ • , •••• " / That e •••• c That brings me to my second question. May we in fact feel secure that through victory in this conflict of physical force we can achieve our purpose? In other words, after victory what then? What kind of a better future is it, for which we may be content to make sacrifice and not count the cost? The Prime Minister has stated that we seek no vindictive peace, that we have no territorial ambitions for ourselves, and that we should feel the future to hold little hope unless the new peace settlement might be reached through the method of negotiation and agreemento But we are deter·rnined, so f ar as it is humanly possible, to see to it that Europe shall not again be subjected to a repetition of this tr8gedy. With this purpose in view we shall use all our influence, when the time comes, in the bui~ding of a new world in which the nations will not permit ~11sane armed rivalry to deny their hopes of fuller life, and f 11ture confidence not be for ever overborne by grim foreboding of d2.saster. The new world that we seek will enlist the co-operation of all peoples on a basis of human equality, self-respect and mutuo.l tolerance " \ie shall have T,o think out ag;·, in r.~uny things th:.Jt lie at the root of internn.tional contacts; soc j_al, political, economic ­and find means of reconciling the necessity of change in a constantly changi ng world with security against the disturbance of the general peace through resort of violence. To this order that we shall seek to create all nations will have their contribution to make, and a great responsibility both in thought and action will rest upon our people. We, not less than others, have ourselves to learn from past failures and disappointments. VVeo$•e••1>0 5. We have no idea what the shane of the post-war world . ~ will be, we do not know the circumstances in which hostilities will end, or the materials vvhich will lie to our hands in building the edifice of neace. There are some who believe that the new order can only come through surrender in some measure by the nations of their sovereign r~ghts in order to clear the way for some more organic union. But if it is thus hoped to creat e i'. more truly international system out of independent States, we must learn the lessons of the past . No paper plan will endure that does not freely spring from the will of the peopl es who alone can give it life. Nor will it avail for one people alone to see a vision that has no message for their neighbours. International, like national, i ns titutions must have deep roots and if they are to grow must, like everything else, have a soil that suits them. There is a cynical saying that it is often the task of the wise to repair the harm done by the good. When this war is over, we shall have to see to it that wisdom and good-\'1ill combine for the i mmense task that will await us. "'hen or hovr we may be able to feel that ouf> objects have been attained, it is in no man's power to say. But provided we are in fact convinced that both our decision and the general direction of our course are right, we need have no anxiety about the issue . I am confident that if the British people can maintain their own standards of purpose and conduct throughout this war, we shall with God's will, b e the better equipped in spirit to play our part in ordering a better future. For in this matter, as indeed in all life , it is finally the spiritual side that counts . -6 ­To many it seems strange that we should look to force with all its suffering to bring redemption. It is of course profoundly true that the things of the spirit can only finally be conquered in the spiritual sphere and that physical force is not of itself able to destroy the evil which is the source of war. We need not deny the limitations set tu what physical force alone can do, but the recognition of this truth should never blind us to the fact that if for fear of the tragedy of war measured in 9 human lives broken and destroyed, vve rest inert before action which we hold evil, we are surely surrendering to annihilation the expression of spiritual values which have inspired and guided all human progress. Certainly we are not alone in ~hese beliefs and aspirations. Across the seas the peoples of the Empire; across the Channel France, twice our ally in war within a generation; and in all parts of the world many nations which are not involved in the present conflict; all these have sensed the threat to standards and values that are theirs not less than ours., This road which we intend to traveJ. may be a long one. A great Englishman, Francis J3aconJ once spoke of "the good hours of the mind1.l" those hours in which we strengthen ourselves to take high resolutions and to face grave dangers. 7 Between them lie long ,eriods of everyday existence, in vvhich the spell of the "good hours" f ades and life again seems drab and uninspired. The old Christian writers were keen observers of human nature when they placed this sort of paralysing boredom among the deadly sins. J\nd the way of salvation is just to carry on, which is often the most difficult thing of all to do. The stimulus of great events is not there: and it is not easy to keep in mind the need for doing with all our might what lies ready to our hand. VVe have time to ponder our own grievances, and to reflect on how much better we could do someone else's job. The right to grumble is almost traditional with the British race, who do it supremely well. It is a mark of freedom as compared with Germany, where grumbling is quite likely to lend you in a concentration camp. The impulse to grumble is not wholly bad: it may spring from a honest desire to improve things: it may avert or repair mistakes: and it can bring together different points of view. So let us keep our freedom; but let us use it to the greater strengthening of our ,urpose. And we must always remember that our enemies will not be slow to make the most of nnything that they can represent as evidence of divided purpose and weakening r es olution. It is our duty here, just as much as it is the duty of the men on active service, to stand united, firm, unshakeable in niind and heart. On this will certainly ~cpend our power to meet the challenge in the present struggle, and when that is over to answer the call to work worth-Lly f or the future of mankind. 7/11L39 -No. 10.. .fl_OAHD or TRADE ANrTOUNCMENT. '.rRADIHG WI'.l'H THE ENEMY . NOTICE TO THADLTtS J\ND OTl::lERS . 1. '.L'he Board of Trade announce that they have made an Order amending the 'rradini;:r with the Enemy ( Soecificd Persons) / Order, dated September 13th, and the Trading~ with the Enemy (Specified Persons) (Amendment) Order, dated September 30th. The new Order, which is called the Tre:1ding with the Enemy (Spccified Persons) (Amendment) (No.2) Order, comes i nto force today , Novcmbc:;r 7th. 2. The ori ginal OrdGr directs tho.t 278 persons or firms , carrying on business in various foreign countries, shall be deemed to b e enemies for the purpose of the Trading with the Enemy Act, and the first amending Order made 36 additi ons , 4 deleti ons, and 21 amcndJnents. The new Order makes 81 additions, 7 dcl·etions, and 13 amond_rnents. 3. Traders, shipowners and others, a re accordingly warned that as from today it will be unlawful to transact business or to have other deal·inr;s 1Ni th any person specified in the ori ginal Order, as o.menclod. by the two Amonclmcmt Orclurs , wit~out official permission (which will not be granted save in very exceptional circumstances). Of1'cmders will be liabl e t o heavy penalties. 4 . The Order has been published by His Majesty 's Stetti oncry 1 Office under the title "'.11he 'l'rading .vith the Enemy (Specified PcrsonB) (Amendmentj (No.2) Order, 1939 " LStatutory·Rules & Orders 1939 No.1531/. Copies may be obtained (price 2d. ) from any of tho Sale Offices of His Majesty ' s Stati onery Office or through any bookseller. Board of Tr1ade, 7th November, 1939 . 7 .11.39 -No 11. EMPI RE SECTION MALTAvS LOSSES Since the outbreak of war, 18 Maltese naval ratings have given their lives for the Empire. These 18 r atings were among the ship's company of H. M. S. Royal Oak. The Royal Oak was a ship of the Mediterranean Fleet det ached ~or service with the Home Fleet from the outbreak of war. FROM FOREIGN OFFICE ]/11/39 -No. 12. NEWS DEPARTi\.1ENT. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED OR BROADCAST BEFORE THE ~ORNING PAPERS OF WEDNESDAY, 8th NOVEMBER, 1939. The King has been graciously pleased to approve the appointment of' Sir Reader William Bullard, K.C.M.G., C.I.E., His Ma jesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Jedda, to be His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiaz:y at Tehran in succession to Mr. H.J. Seymour, K.C.M.G., c.v.O.; who has been appointed Assistant Under-Secretary of' State at the Foreign Of'f'ice. ++++++++++++++++++++ The ·,Jar Office, Lcndc>n, S.A.1. 7th. Hoverri:b_er, 193'9. Hi s lff.tJ.jes_t y the King ,llas been grac·ious_ly pleased to apppov e cf the undermentioned avvards fer gall ant and distinguished servic:es in acticn i n cc-nnecticn with the rperaticns 011 t he North ~est FPonti er of India, 1939:­ Lieutenant Frederick George Weldon ~alshe, Royal _;.rtillery ;:~·o. 4d 57405 Lance-sergea11t Harc,ld ..B1a~e , :Lst Battc:i.lic,11 , '.L'he Leicestershire .wgi~ent. No. 4856949 Lance-Corporal Lesli e Rawson, :Lst Battali on, The ~eicestershire Regi ment. Lieuten,ant :r~redericl~ C+eor ge --11eldo1~~·a18Iie , --:-wyal ;irtillery . The fvh1(t:.9!:fE-cro.ss ·.------·---­ On the 21st August, 1939, in an acticin against hostile tribesmen, Lieutenant Walshe was empl0yed as forward observing officer with the 1st Battali0n, The Leices t ershire Regiment. A pig_uet was heavily attacked by tribesmen and suffered seven casualties . Lieut enant ·."lalshe displa,yed crnspicuous gallantry and disregard for his persr.nal safety, and in helping a wounded man fr0rn the piquet posi tir11 was himself wounded through the arm. After having the wound dressed, he c0ntinued to fire his guns for six aud a half hours, althcugh 0bviousl~r in great pai n . During the \vi thdrawal Lieutenant 'Valshe insisted on remaining with ba ttalion he<.3.dt,J,uarters , although urged tC' go down. His behaviour and coolness under fire were an exampl e to all rarLl{:s On the 21st August, 1939, seven casualties occurred as a result c:C a heavy attack on c·ne of the pi quets of the 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment. Three of the men were missing in the thick sc.rub, when the pi,1uet withdrew behind the crest cf BODARI SAR 9 where our forward trocps were in pcsition. At this/ 2. .. At this time considerable numbe rs of the enemy had crept up in t he s crub, on t he f orwa r d slc•pe of BODARI SAT?.. ri'hey were covered by riflemen posted on a ridge some 300 yar ds away. Any movement in front of the crest occupied by our forward covt:ring trc'ops was met at once by heavy and accurate rifle fire from the enemy 2i1'lemen on the ridge 300 ya rds away • .Lance-Sergeant Blake volunterred to gc forvmrd and search for the missing men ; having ·orou ght in a dead soldi er and his rifle, he then went out a second time with four men and remained in an expcsed positirn, searching the scrub for the two missing soldi ers . He was undep fire at close range at the time and th ere WE1re cc ns iderable immbe I'S 0f the enemy near him in the scrub. He delayed his withdrawal to gc-forward and bomb a party of the enemy seen below him. Lance-Sergeant Blake's complete disregard for his perscnal safety and his eoclness and bravery under fire, were a fine example to all ranks. On the 21st Au gust, 1939 , in the operations carried out by the 1st Ba ttalion, The Leicestershire ~egiment, on the BOD.ml SA.K, Lance-Cr rporal Rawson was with a sectirn of the :fcrvvard pi':i.uet which was attaclrnd and suffered seven casualties. Althcugh wounded himself he assisted in taking back Private Newtcn9 turned back in the face of heavy fire to drive off the enemy who were at close y_uarters, picked up a rifle and fac ed the enemy, firing at point blank range and killing one man. Lance-Corporal RawsoiJ. held the tribesmen in check until the rest of his s ecticn succeeded in getting Private Newton avmy ; but for his action in holding the enemy in check, r e gardless of his· own wound, or safety, it is doubtful Whether the rescue could ha ve been effected. EMPIRE AFFAIRS 1l_ll/39 -. No. 14. ENSURING BRITAIN'S FOOD SOUTII AFRICA'S SPECIAL EXPORT SHIPS The South African Gove:c·nment has, by arrangement with the British Governr:ent, ensured that special ships, known as "R" shi:-9S, const:.:ucted for .the transport of perishables, shall not be commandeered for war purposes, but shall continue to be available to export fruit, dairy products and other foodstuffs to Great Britain. A National Supplies Control Board with far-reaching powers has been set up by the South African Government with a view to keeping industrial and commercial conditions as close as possible to normal. One of the Goverrunent's main objects is to check any unjustified increase in prices and stri ctly to control any profiteering. Maximum prices for particular cotnrirndities are being fixed by the Board., which, works in close consultation with committees that have been set up in every centre in the Union. Tendencies to increQse the price of foodstuffs produced in South Africa are being rigorously counteracted. To ensure against f ailure of essential supplies the National Supplies B0 ard has prepared a "priority list". This list specifies the commodities considered by the Board as essential and reguiring prior rights of shipment from overseas. In particular, the needs of the mining industry are being given priority, and the basic requirements of all secondary industries will also be included. +·:++++++++++++++++++++ Tssued th~ough the Press and Censorship Bureau, MINISTRY OF SUPPLY DISPLAYS. To Assist Small Firms. To assist firms not now engaged in munition production, the Ministry of Supply has arranged th2t samples of munition stores with approximate prices, shall be displayed at Newcastle­on-Tyne, Sheffield, Nottingham, Cambridge, Tunbridge Wells, Bristol9 Birmingham, Manchester , and Glasgow, from Monday next, November -13th. Applications to examine the samples should be made to the Area Officers of the Ministry of Supply at the undermentioned addresses, who will issue a card of admission which will indicate the address at which the samples can be seen: Collingwood Buildings, Collingwood Street, Newcastle-On-Tyne. Queens Buildings, Queen Street, Sheffield. Sherwood Bu:~~ldirigs, Sherwood Street, Nottingham. 2, Benet Street, Cambridge. Savoy Hill House, Savoy Hill, W. Co 2. Royal London House, Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol. Council Chambers, 109, Colmore Row, Birmingham. 3, Piccadilly House, Piccadilly, Manchester. 141, Bath Street, Glasgow, C.2. A display of the same samples will be available in London towards the end of November and applications to view these should be made to the Area Officer, Savoy Hill House, Savoy Hill, W. C. 2e, who will also arrn.nge for samples to be seen at Tunbridge Wells. Ministry of Supply, Press Office. 7. 11 c 39_._____ 7/11/39 No. 16. FR01t,FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS DEP!\R.TfiiENT. His Majesty's Ambassador at Brussels has been instructed to convey to the Belgian Government a message of sympathy from His Majesty's Government on the occasion of the death of Burgomaster Max; The Lord Mayor of London has sent a telegram of condolence to the Municipal Council of Brussels in which he states that by the passing of' Burgomaster Max the City of London mourns the loss of a loyal head and a great civic heado illPIRC .AFFAIRS SOUTH AFRICA PL.ANS :8MPLOYM1"'ThTT BOOTI South Africa should entirely rid herself of un­employment, if schemes planned betvreen the Prime Minister, General Smuts, anct the Minister for Labour, Mr.rJ . B. Madeley, are fully realised. The Dominion Government have already given a lead to industry generally by continuing Public Y!orks programrnes at full stretch. The National Roaa_s Board, moreover, has been given special ymvers to expedite the constr·uction of three national roads which would be of strs.tegic im:ciortance in the event of an attack u~on South Africa. The three roads are to be completed within twelve months. The South African Railways a:1d Harbours Administration has embarked l"'-pon a large truck builc1ing :?rograrnme to meet the mounting reQri.. irements of South African traffic:... A three-years 1 prograrn:me, involving an estimated ex­penditure of nearly £3,000,000y has been started, and consideration is being given to the possibility of increasing the nmnber of truclrn to lie bu.ilt in South Africa by importing steel sections and calling upon ind1_1_strial firms to assist the Administration's worksho~1s in the construction of under-frames and.. other •1ortions of the work. Uil....../3==-9.....___No_._18_._ FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. The following official communique was issued i'rorn French G.H. Q. this evening:­ Local patrol and artillery activity at various points of the Front. 2029. ---~---oOo--------­ EMPIRE AFFAIRS. NOTE TO EDITORS: This is issued in the hope that it mayhelp the Press, but must not be used aa an official communique or statement from the Dominions Office. It may be used in any other form thought fit. EMPIRE CONSULTATIONS The visiting Ministers from the Dominions and the Representative of the Government of India this morning met Sir John Gilmour, Minister of Shipping, and discussed with him methods of co-operation and co-ordination, and general shipping questions. Various problems appertaining to the individual Dominions were also dealt with. In the afternoon the Ministers met Sir John Anderson, the Home aecretary and Minister of Home Security. Sir John explained the nature of the air raids problem and descr~bed the organisation which had been set up for Civil Defence purposes throughout the country. ---000--­ 7/11/39' No. 20. MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY ANNOUNCEMENT. FOR PRESS .AND BROADCAST. Local. authorities have been informed that they may now enrol aliens in the Civil Defence Services. In a circular letter issued by the Ministry of Home Security it is stated that local authorities may enrol aliens subject to the following limitations:­ (1) Germans and Austrians may be enrolled only if they have been be~ore a tribunal and exempted from inter:runent and from the special restrictions under the Aliens Order. Proof of such exemption is shown by means of an endorsement by the tribunal on the alien's police certificate of registration. (2) In no case will aliens be eligible for enrolment in the Police War Reserve or Special Constabulary. In considering the enrolment of any aliens in their Civil Defence Service 9 local authorities should satisfy themselves that they are likely to command the confidence of the public with whom they would come in contact. It is assumed that generally enrolment would be for part-time service, and that in quite exceptional cases would any question of whole-tj.me paid service arise. ------000------­ MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY. ]._/_11_._/..;:;..3-"'-9______...__NC?• 21. MINISTRY OF FOOD ANNOUNCZMBNT RATIONING The Ministry of Food state that thousands of removals have been notified since National Registration Day , and that it has not been possible for local Food Offices to make the necessary re-direction of the ration books in all cases. Where a book is delivered to a house from which the person named on the book has removed, the present occup~er of that house should re-direct the book to the new address if he lcnows i t o If he does not knov-1 the new ac1.c1ress, he should simply drop the book i n the nearest letterbox. There is no need to use an envelope or to affix a stamp" The Ministry of Food also Yfish to remind consumers that they should register with the retailer s of their' choice for bacon and ham, for butter, and for sugar as soon as they get their Ration Bookso To effect this, the r et ailer's name should be entered in the appropriate space on the inside of the f r out cover of the book, and the consumer's name, address, and the date should be entered on the counterfoil of the corresponding page of coupons" The book should then be taken to the retailer who will cut of f the counterfoil and send it to the local Food Office. It is important to register f or sugar, although this will not be rationed. The supplies of bacon and ham , butter, and sugar needed for each district, will be measured by the number of' registered customers; and all shopkeepers, large and small, will receive sufficient stocks to enable them to meet their custoners' demands. It is not necessar y to register with the same retailer for all three coD~~oditieso 7/11/39 • No,22. ADMIRALTY COMMUNIQUE. This morning in the Southern part of the North Sea certain of our light forces, including two Polish destroyers, were in action with German aireratt. No damage was done to any ship. Enemy's casualties are not knovm. 7/11/39 No. 2,3. PRESS NOTICE. The first Meeting of the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Supply was held in the Ministry of Supi)ly, The Adelphi., at 3. 30 p. m. this afternoon. The following members of the Committee were present at the Meeting, which was :presided over by the 1Ainister of SUlJ~9ly, Mr. E. L. Burgin:­ Mr. W. Holmes, Mn• E. Bevin, Mr. J. Brown, Mr. H. Bullock, Mr. A. Conley, Sir Walter Citrine, Mr. J. Hallsworth, Mr. M. Hodgson, Mr. K. Taylor, Mr. F. Wolstencroft and Mr~ E.P. Harries. The Minister of Supply was accompanied by Colonel J.J. Llewellin, M·. Po, Parlirunentary Secretary to the Minist:riy, Vice Admiral Sir Harold Brown i:md Mr. O. S. Cleverly. A general discussion took place on ways and means of assisting the production :9rogranm1e. .Among specific questions mentioned was the full constitution of the area organisation of the Ministry. The Meeting, which\Was informal in character, was extremely cordial and a large measure of agreement was reached on all points discussed. ---------000------·---­ MINISTRY OF SUPP~Y. Is&ued through the Press and Censorship Bureau. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED OR BROADCAST BEFORE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8th. NOT TO BE CABLED OR BROADCAST ABROAD BEFORE 1 a.m. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8th. PURCHASES FROM U.S.A. British SuppQy Board. The United Kingdom Government have decided to set up a Central Organisation to be known as the "British Supply Board in Canada and the United States", for the purpose of co-ordinatingpurchases in the two countries. Colonel J.H.M. Greenly, C.B.E. has been appointedController-General and Chairman, with Sir James Rae, K.C.B., K.B.E. as Deputy Controller-General and Vice Chairman.. The Board will place orders in Canada through the Canadian War Suppil.y Board recently set up by the Canadian Government under the Chairmanship of Mr. Wallace Campbell. Orders in the United States will be placed through a British Purchasing Commission under the charge of Mr. Arthur B. Purvis, who has been appointed Director General of Purchases (United States). Mr. Wallace Campbell and Mr. Purvis will be members of the central organisation which will also include representatives of the United Kingdom Service Departments and His Majesty's Treasury. The personnel of the present British PurchasingMission in: Q.anada will be merged in the new organisation. A later announcement will be made regarding the necessary arrange­ments to secure close co-ordination of British and French purchases in the United States. Ministry of Supply, Press Office. 7.1:t.39. 7/11/39 No.25. Air Fight over North Sea. The Air Ministry announces :­ A number of air aetions took place over the North Sea today. An enemy aircraft approaching-the Shetlands this morning was driven off by A.A. gunfire. It was then chased away by British aircraft. Several other enemy aircraft were \sighted and two were engaged by Royal Air Force patrols many miles out over the North Sea. The enemy aircraft escaped into ·cloud and it is not known whether they were able to return home. All our aircraft returned safely. 7 .11._39 -No. 26. •·• 't ._ ,;:.:·•• . .;. . .....;_.:.!.... Add. Air Fights Over North Sea. Stories from Coastal Command Pilots. _, A number of isolated encounters took place today ·-..,, ·· between.. R.A.F. an enemy aircraft '3. S al r eady announced r '. The fights between single r1achines v-vere at low altitudes in heavy cloud between Coast al Command and German aircraft off the East coasts of England and Scotland, and off the German coast. There were machine-gun duels; but they were mostly brief, and as in each case the enemy withdrew. There were no British casualties. In §ne case so close was the attack with a Heinkel 115 that the British and German aircraft 1)assed within little more than a yard of each other. \'Vhen first sighted flying at right angles to the Britis~ machine the German headed South; but was overtaken at a height of 200 feet. The enemy r ear gunner opened fire with tracer bullets ·which passed under the British aircraft whose gunner replied. Range was quickly closed and the British pilot reports that two good bursts appeared to get home. The ~nemy pulled up into the clouds but was pursued and received another ~Jurst of fire from close quarters. In the British Pilot's words : 11The enemy climbed still higher in the clouds and as it did so we cut in front and under it and let go one more burst at very short range. The Heinkel dived as we passed in front of it and only a few feet separated us 11 The • German aircraft was not seen again and the British machine resumed its patrol. A combat v-.ri th another Hei nkel took place also at 200 feet. This is the pilot's narrative : 11The enemy was diving steeply when attacked from the port rear quarter. He climbed f i r the clouds. I throttled back and attacked from astern. I got t wo or three bursts on him with my po2t gun and he vanished in the clouds. I throttled back again and found him 50 f eet above me about 25 yards ahead. I got some rear bursts at him and as he turned away r again brought mz-port gun on him. I follov•ed behind and slightly underneath a:o.d he then flew into another bank of cloud and di sappeared. He appeared to wobble and side-slip badly before he was finally lost11 • A fierce rain-storm caused a third British reconnaissance aircraft to lose contact with an enemy airulane which it had pursued for t en minutes. ·­ There were exchanges of machine-gun fire in another encounter. After shadowing the enemy the British pilot, using. the clouds, approached while it was circling a cargo ship. The German turned as if to meet the attack but climbed into the clouds and made off. A German flying-boat at 200 f eet was observed for five minutes by a British aircraft, which t hen dived towards it from 800 f eet, firing its front gun. The German returned the fire without causing any damage , but was able to t ake advantage of dense cloud to escape. .~. ..