19/11/39 No. l. FRENCH OFFICIAI, COJ'TT~UNI'1UE (rTORNilTG) The following official communique was issued this morning by French G.H. Q: ­ Nothing of importance to report during the night. ---oOo--­ FROM FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS DEPARTMENT. 19/11/39 -No.2. NOT TO BE PUBLISHJ:GD OR BROADCAST IN ANY FORM BEFORE THE MORNING OF ViONDAY9 20TH NOVEMBER, 1939 The King has been graciously pleased to approve the appointment of Mr. Francis Hugh William Stonehewer-Bird, C.,M. G. , O.B.E., His Majesty's Consul-General at Addis Ababa, to be His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Jedda, in succession to Sir Reader Bullard, K.C.M.G.,C.I.E. 19/11/39. INDIA OFFICE COMMUNIQUE. When His Majesty's Coneul paid his official call on His Highness t he Sultan of Muscat and Oman on the occasion of the Id-ul-Fitr on the 14th November 9 His Highness expressed his considered hope that His Majesty's Forces will be victorious i and that peace will soon be restored. His Highness is being infor med that His Maj esty's Government and the Government of India thank him for the sentiments expressed by him and aP.e confid:ent that with God's help his hope will be fulfilled. 19/11/39. No. 4. FROM FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS DEPARTMENT. The following telegram has been addressed by His Majesty the King to the Acting President of the Republic of Ecuador: I greatly regret to learn of the sad loss which the Republic has sustained in the death of its distinguished President 9 Dr. Mosquera Narvaez. George R. I. Tb£._f_9l_l_~~-IC_r1gJl...sh_ transl~t :b_Q_n of Mr .. Eden's broadcast speech in French is issued for the convenience of the Press on the understanding that no reference t o the contents of t he speech will be made until a:fte.:::-the speech has actually been delivered. UR. EDEN IS S~f'JCHTG Nr 9 .12_.ni,, GMT ON SUNDAY . NOVEL~BER 19th. Last week it was my good :fortune to accompany to France Ministers :from each of the Dominions overseas and a representative of the Government of India. During the brie:f period of our stay we were able to visit troops of our own Expeditionary Force and also to spend some time among the French armies in the Maginot Line. In ord.er to :fulfil our progr amme we covered hundreds of miles by motor-car and were able to see so1;1ething of conditions of life in the back areas behind the line as well as among the troops occupying forward positions. For many of us these journeys revived memories of twenty years ago. Names of smal J. hamlets which have won their place in history had often some special significance for a member of our party. Inoidents of this or that sector of the line woula be recalled by the course of a small stream or the slope of some unnamed hillside. It is within the framework of these memor ies that I would v1ish to set my impressions tonight. The dominant note wherever we went ·was one of quiet deter­mination. This aj?J:)lied in equal measure t o civilisn and solcUer, men and women, young and old. There is today perhaps less of the spirit of adventure than t here was in the early years of the Great \"far. There is no a.emonstration 9 no panoply, no f"J.ag-waving. This is not sur­prising , for after all, our peoples now lmm1 b~r experience what war means. But t here is everyv-vhere a fixity of purpose, a determination that thi s time we shall malrn an end of r ecurrent wars of agression. No one dou_bts the final . ......................... , .................. . /victory~ -2 ­ victory; but with it a new page in history must be turned. In the sector held by British troops we found a persistent and infectious cheerfulness which not even depressing weather conditions could subdue. The health of the troops is excellent. Their number is steadily increasing, and this process will continue. In the meanwhile, rapid progress is being made in strengthening and deepening the British sector and in perfecting the training and equipment at all points. Further south vve had what was fo r many of us our first view of the famous Maginot defences, manned as they are today by an army which, for calm courage, training and efficiency is unsurpa'ssed in the world. Fra~ce has m8de great sacrifices, financial and material, in order to complete her Haginot IJine. Today freedom loving peoples everywhere acknowledge with deep gratitude the debt which they owe to these impregnable defences and to the army which holds them. It r equires little imagination to picture how different the military outlook for the Allies must have been had France not persisted with patience and thoroughness to complete her own defences and to perfect the training of her armies. Thus 9 not for the first time in human history, France has placed all civilisation in her debt. Some vivid pictures are left upon one's mind. The first is of a young French captain describing the defences of one of the snnller forts for which he was responsible, The smooth, quiet confidence of his account, the sure grasp of every detail of the elaborate machinery at his comm1:md would have done credit to the most eArperienced chief of staff in any land. We found these same characteristics in these young Prench officers wherever we went. Beyond a shadow of doubt t hey know their job~ and know it thoroughly. /1s a. senior officer summed it up in a later conversation: "Ces gargons la sont des gens serieux11 One felt o.s one watched them o..t their work • nnd noted the soldiGrly bearing :.md quiet determino.tion of the rank o.nd file that it was not for nothing that those who hold the Maginot Line have as their watchword "On ne ) nssc pas;', -3 ­ The second picture is of the forward slope of n Mnginot fort. It is early morning Rnd the mist still lies thick on the ground. Peering through it two British soldiers stand on watch. They form part of an advanced post for special service with their French comrades. They are also the visible expression of the unity of two Empires who hold the srune faith and cherish the same ideals. ---oOo--­ MINIST~Y OF SUPPLX. 7 PRESS NOTICE. COTTON CONTROL. The first Order affecting the Cotton Trade to be made by the Minister of Supply since the appointment of' Sir Percy Ashley as Cotton Controller is issued by the Stationery Office to-day" The Cotton Industry is defined for control purposes in substantially the same ·r1ay as in the Cotton Industry (Re--Organisation) Act, 1939. The only difference is that woven fabrics under 18 inches in v1idth, Yvhich were excluded from the operation of that Act, are covered by the Order. The Order requires every person carrying on business in the Cotton Industry, or ov-.rning or having in his possession or control any plant or machinery used or ada~ted for use in the Cotton Industry9 to furnish such returns, estir:iates and other information relating to his business, plant, machinery or premises, as rnay be required. Forms are being sent out by the Cotton Controller immediately to about 1,600 firrns in the spinning, doubling and weaving sections of' the Indus try asl{ing for information not later than November 30th regarding their machinery and the number of operatives employed. Similar inforraation from firrns in the finishing sections will be obtained later. Should any finn in the spinning9 doubling or weaving sections of ·che Indus try not have received the necessary form by 23rd No·v·ember9 application should be made at once to the Cotton Controller, an indication being given of' the section of the Inc:Lustry in which· the firm is engaged. All enquiries should be addressed to The Cotton Controller, Midland Bank Building, Spring Gardens, Manchester 2. Copies of this O~der may be purchased from H.M. Stationery Office or through any bookseller. NOT FOR PUBLICATION O BROADCASTING BEFORE A.M. ' 20th November, 1939~ {) C.310 19/11/39 -No 8 MINISTRY OF SUPPLY ANNOUNCEl'iIENT His Majesty's Government have informed the Egyptian Government that in their desire to assist ~n the orderly disposal of the cotton crop, they are prepared to buy up to a maximum of 155,000,000 lbs of Egyptian cotton, which is the approximate eq_uivalent of the quantity previously exported to Germany and German occupied territories~ Their purchases will be made only if cotton prices weaken below • the closing prices of the 11th November at Alexandria and will be continued for so long as they remain below that level.• It i s not intended to pl ace this cotton on the market at present, since this woul d discourage buying on commercial account 9 but it is not possible to give an undertaking as to the future until the state of demand and the position of supplies from other sources as affected by shiJ?ping and other considerations can be better judged than present information allows. 19/11/39 No. 9. The following is placed at the disposal of the Press, B.B.C., and British Official Wireless, and of the Neutral Press through Foreign Publicity Division, for such use as they may desire to make of it. It is !!£1 an official statement. SINKING OF "'SIMON BOLIVAR" The sinking of the 'Royal Dutch Mail liner SIMON BOLIVAR adds many more lives and another fine ship to the long list of casualties inflicted upon neutrals by German ruthlessness and disregard for international Law. Among the more ~ecent of these have been the sinking of the Danish line? C.PJUillA by an unnotified German mine and the torpedoing without warning, or attempt to place the crew in safety, of the Norwegian tanker Amrn KJODE. ' International Lew d£~ands that, if a belligerent lays mines, he must take every possible precaution to ensure the safety of commercial navigation and must for this reason declare a danger ario.e, and warn shipping to keep clear. The Allies have announced every danger area created by them. Germany has announced some danger areas, notably those designed to close the Baltic and force all neutral shipping passing in or out of that sea to use the Kiel canal, thus submitting to German contraban,d control and bringing to Germany much needed foreign currency by the payment of canal and harbour dues. German U boats are, however, making a practice of laying clumps of mines in the channels used by merchant shipping traffic on this side of the North Sea. The establishment of these danger areas is not announced, as their whole objective is to inflict losses before the minefields are discovered and swept. In the case of the Danish C./filADA Germany at once averred that the ship had struck a British mine. Quite apart from the fact that Great Britain abides by International Law, it is hardly conrraonsense to imagine that a maritime nation should illegally lay mines in channeJs • extensively used by its own shipping. Moreover all the evidence and the statement of the master of the CAf:..TADA proved it to have been a German mine. If a British warship is damaged by one of these illegal minefields Germany is only too ••••.•••..•.••••••••• pleased••••• --2 -­ pleased to claim it as a great success for German arms, yet if a neutral ship is sunk in this way the German minefield is at once announced as British by the German Propagandn i~linistry. Further proof of the illegal laying of mines by Germany in the shipping on the ·:vest side of the North Sea has been secured by the fact that many German mines have been washed up on the British East coast. The effect of this ruthless German warfare against neutral shipping is shown by the following quotation from a Norwegian newspaper referring to the torpedoing without warning of the Norwegian tanker ARNE KJODE. 11It is a proof of open warfare excluding the aggressor from civilised community. Such matters can only be :.•esoJ.ve:.l when the nntion which thus raises its hand against all finds that every man's hand is against her. One cannot exceed the bounds of humanity even in war1'. FROM MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. 19/11/39 -No. 10• . FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. The following official corrnnunique was issued from French GoHo Qo this evening:­ A quiet dayo Local artillery action. During the preceeding four weeks the tonnage of German cargoes taken by our ships is greater by several thousands of tons than that of French Freighters lost through enemy action. --· ~------000··--------­ 19.11. 39 -No. 11. The following J2_rovisionnl list of Survivors from the Simon Bolivar is issued by the Owners London Agents, subject to corrections and additions later. Of the 82 passengers who proceeded from London to Holland to embark, 50 have been accounted for, including 1 dead. A further list is exp8cted tomorrow. ----oOo-­ -2 ­NETHERJ_,ANDERS AT THE GHEAT EASTERN HOTEL w. Adler Algra Auohes Van den Berg Bemmel Bou~ema Borg G.J.Berghuis J. Bal Bolraap van Bruggen c. Bikker G.J,Blekkink den Boef en vrouw Bessem de Cooq Zandvoort Bad Amsterdam J\msterdam VlissingC::i Haag · Hilversum Amsterdam ScheveningenSchiedam Rotterdam electricien Dordrecht Rotterdam 4 Dominieanessen zusters A. van Di jk · L.J. den Dulk Dr. Ebes ¥an der Ende van Ede van Eunen A. Paulus Gielbert de Grooth E. Groen Gt>enen:, den Hartog den Hartog Hart Lou de Haseth R. Hanrath W.H.Hallie Hakvoort De Haan cm den Hoek H1jkoop Uevr. Hoorn H.J. de Harner Alexander van Hilst Mevr.H.van der Hoek c. van Rees van Rees Hulskemper de Jong Jacobs Jo+mers Jonker K. de Jong & vrouw Josua Arie de Jong K. Jansma Dordrecht ( alle 4 gel'Eld) Den Haag Rotterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam Scht,:~;:;ningen Heernstede Scheveningen Amsterdam Rotterdam Den Haag Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam Den Held.er Weesp Rotterdam. Workum 3e machinist Rotterdam · Haarlem Amsterdam Amsterdam Bussum Amsterdam r~onnilckendam Alkmaar Antwerpen (Alleen Scheveningen vader en zoon Simon gered) -3 - Kooistra Amsterdam Kann Heemstede Kann Amste.rdam Q. Kouwer Wiessel (Apeldoorn) Kauwenberg Amsterdam Martha Kluf Amsterdam H. Kamsteeg Nieuwlekkerland Kwaak Amsterdam (alle 4 gered) H.J. Kasper E. Kunst Scheveningen Leenheer Dordrecht Lans Amsterdam A. Lieutenant Albi Leeuwesteyn Papendrecht Lentink Nijmegen J.H. Lindeman Chef telegrafist Leeuwenburg Vlissingen W.F. Monnay Beverwijk J.S. Muller assistent machinist Antonia van Onzenvoort H. van Onzenvoort Pasman Hilversum Piek Pronk Scheveningen van Rijsbergen Princenhage de Ruyter Schiedam G. de Ries Rotterdam Suurendonk Amsterdam Arie Schutte Amsterdam S'tolk Amsterdam Smals Hilversum J.M. Snabel Amsterdam H. Schoo Haarlemmermeer Spijkers Rotterdam Schilt Rotterdam A van Setten Vandermeer (ass. machinist) B. Stork H. Slagter Soest Treur Rotterdam J.Vellema en 8. Vellema -Antwerpen Vlaanderen Amsterdam Verloop IJ~uiden de Jrij Egmond aan Zee W. Vis Amsterdam Veldhuizen Voorburg ( 3 gered) Vilters Amsterdam L.L.F. Vas Dias Veltman Amsterdam (alle ~ gered) W. Veen Groningen H. Westerduin van Wetten Amsterdam. Jacob Wentsv©ort Schiedam (mevr.& dochter 12j.& baby in H. VJristers Den Haag 3 and~re kinderen in L.) Westerman t.~ 2 kindr,..:-·~en Paulus Webeling -Amsterdam Zwart IJmuiden de Zwart Allcmaar F.P. Zwap Zwip Kapper 4 ­ SUF!IVORS AT COLCHESTER. Mrs. Martin. Miss Sheila Mart in. Miss Kitty de Jong. Wallace Busby (11). Mrs. Steinharde~ Miss Steinharde. Miss Dephne Wright Nooth, Miss Marie Massiah. Mrs. Enquera Lepelaars (corrected from Enquera) Mrs. Knevel. Mrs. Nancy Gourlay• . Mrs. Evelyn Marriott. Mr. R.G. Gourlay. Mrs. Celli Gotteslag. SURVIVORS AT DOVERCOURT HOSPITAL. Mr. o. Kilcher (27) Swiss subject of Canton Berne, Langenbooem) Harry Goldberg, (43) Mrs. Goldberg. Czechs. Joseph Goldberg. George Goldberg. Mr. Charles Keith(38 B~itish, Stanmore. Mr~. Irraant Wensvoort l Baby boy William from Schied~m. Girl Irraant Unknown baby coloured 6/7 months. believed Renier, Mrs. Busby, from Trinidad (coloured). Mr. Harry van Waardenburt (17) Dutch. Miss Flore Cohen (25) Rotter.dam. Mrs. Sandiford & daughter Jean (11), 12, Court-road,,Caterham. Mr. C. Smit (Chjef Officer). Unknown coloured baby (6/8 months). SURVIVORS AT HARWICH. All Men. Randeholl, c. Medical Officer. Vassalls, Y.M. 3rd~ class passenger. Bolhoven, A,. Saloon Steward. Gillett, Horace 1st cl. passenger. de Valk, F. Carpenter. Poases, H. Steward. Landenga, A. 2nd. cl. passenger. Praansma, A.P. 3rd. Officer. Torgler ," B. Cook. Medici, John., Stoker ? Mecidi. van Pelt, J~ C.abin Steward. " Lieror _ ~· Carpenter. Zomber, B. 1st class passenger. Keruezee, H. Deck Hand. Knevel, K. 2nd class passenger. Sandiford. 1st cl. pass. ? Sbrektjs, M. Pantryman. Herwaarden. Cook. Hodmann. Steward. -5 - Kornelis, P• seaman Helweg Cook Wright-N ooth 1st.cl. pass. Reece, A. 3rd. cl. pass. ? Betebnurgh musician Ping Mai 3rd. cl. pass. van Gaasteren cabin steward Reimerink A. ? Bolperdorf A. Steward Kouseband J. pantryman H. Soes Steward Lepelaars L. 1st.cl.pass. ? Sceelinks F. cook Besson W~ 1st. cl. pass.Pietsman K. cook Visser K.H. pantry boyWielaert K. musician :Seve F. 1st. cl. pass.Preiss E. chief' st-e~d Hazelhoff N. 1st. cl. pass. ti II II Spier V~ Beentjes B. pantryrnan Christian-Woere.korn steward Zomber Go 1st. cl. pass. ti If II Dr. Ohenery " II ti Devertuil S.T. II ti Adams s. " Bjelke M. 2nd , cl. pass. Dr.Hugh 1st. cl. pass. C. van den Herik 3rd. cl. pass. BODIES AT HARWICH 3 men, 3 women, 1 girl, 1 boy. · 1 body identified as Mr.H.S. Batt (Passport 334896), 1 Body possibly Aliex Claremone (In wallet has business ca~a marked (Olivier) 1 Body Woman 1 Body Child, Chinese or may be Javanese w •• Survivors o.t Grent Enstcrn Hotel (Non-Netherlands) BRITISH C. Bridgewood, Leeds nnd baby Marriet A. M. :.Ta.cfnrl o.ne, Glasgow Frank Llewel r1, Lnhouri, lunsterdam J . B. Lockton, Portsmouth ~iss R. Bl ooms , with child Ch. Benson 2 years Miss. A. B. Howe , London Dr. J.H. Jnmes , (Colonial Office) Walter f Y:, B. Short, London Mrs. Claire M.G. Short, London Pamela Mo Creswell, London Erika A. Creswell, London Mi ss E. Hay, London ~. V. Grace, Swindon Chiln Du\·ies Clerk and mother Mrs. Clerk, Hull Mr. nnd Mrs. M.P. Hastings, London c. G. Gomes. E.G. Benson and Mrs. Benson D. Treble9 London Miss Jo Rob01-t.s, LQ!J..C.cn p.,,._A,. l:.rmst.rong...? Ll:mdon ~ .GERMAN -·--·­ R. Schimon, Pilsen Ilse Bauer Ilse BraUd~~ein, London Wal tc..:ri-·Bueninge:r,....~urg Lewy Edgnr, Be rlin ~~:~-­Fritz Heymann, 1\msterdam OI' B~Js Gretel Gorsira, The Hague ---- Elphie Gorsira, 11 " Lewy Kurt Einich Samson, iunsterdam Manfred Aron, The Hague · Mrs. Aron 11 " Miss i~ron, " " Eve Zomber, Amsterdam Elli Unterberger, London Irmie Goritz, Kemnitz (Netherland nliens passport) SWISS Albert Irn..Y-tof (crew) COLUMBIA Paulinn de Garcia, Brussels NORWEGIAN Dr. Peter Roshauw SPANISH Manuel 3. 1;,;Iuset-Purc.st Clara? VictDria Castnner Netherlpnd subjects Mr. & Mrs . J.H. Westerman, Hilversum,, met kind Christine Elishuhe (') s. Vel1 el'.1.""l , imt wcrpon. -7 ­ L; c j. --J..) u or' pvssensero accounted for who were booked from Englandc. Mrsy Aa Busby of Trinidad Master' We Busoy Mr. William Besson Mr. E.M. Chenery Mr. St. Y. De Verteuil Mr. H.P. Gillette Nancy Gourlay Mr. R. G. Gourlay (not injured. but staying with.. wife) Dro l:Io C" Hugh Mr. C. J o Kej.th Mrs. M.A. Massiah Mrs . LoCa Martin Miss Sheila Martin Mrs , E~R. MaI'riott Mr~ Ma:y Ping Mr. AJfretl Reece Mr. William Sandiford Mrs . William Sandiford Miss Jean Sandi.ford Mr. Rodney Wright··Nooth Miss LRphns Wright -Ncoth Dr" C, Rff. ,1leholl Mro GoA n Armst~ong Mr. Benson Mrs. Bencon Miss Shirley Benson Miss IL .'->,i~ooJleS Mr. Charles Bridgwood Miss PcM. Cresswell Miss E.A. Cresswell M1~s , JC Cla2ke Miss Sheila Clarke Mr. A,.V., Grace Mr. Cyril Gomes Miss Ejleen E. Hay Miss AoBo Howe Mr. M. P. Hastings Mrs. M.P. Hastings Dr. LoHo J ames Mr. F., L~ I,anour i Mr . A.B. MacFarl ane Miss 83lJ.y MarriJtt (with Mr. Bridgwood in London) Mr. SaGc J> ...3ece Miss E. S. ?reece Mr. Vv oNI" Short Mrso W. !Vi . Short Miss GoLo Roberts Mr, D,_,S o Tre"ble Mrso Elly Unte:c'oerge::."' (German) 19/11/39 -No.12. PRESS NOTICE B.O. Borjesson (1586 tons) Swedis~ Blackhill (2492 tons) British Grazia (5857 tons) Italian have been sunk off the East Coast by German mines in circumstances similar to those of Simon Bolivar and Carica Milica. Full details of the loss of life are not yet available. -------000-----­ Admiralty, S., W. 1,