16/3/40 -No.1. WAR GIVES ULSTER FOXES A CHANCE,. Foxes in Northern Ireland may gain a new lease of life from the war. Economy has made the Government cancel its awards at the end of this month for Reynard's destruction and County Agricultural Committees have been told that if payments for a brush are to continue they should be made a charge on the County rates~ Foxes are plentiful in the mountainous districts of Ulster and experienced Scottish trappers have from time to time been employed to thin their numbers. The farmers have also done their bit and during the last six months hundreds of foxes have been killed. EMPIRE AFFAIRS. 1i 6/3/40 -No. .2 ._ RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION AFTER 9.35. p.m. ON SATURDAY& MARCH 16 I 1940. AS TEIS SCRIPT IS BEING ISSUnD IN b-DVANCE OF 'rIIIG BROADCAST , IT WILL BE NEc;-:;s SARY TO CHECK IT AGAINST THE ACTUAlr BROADCAST AT 9. 20e THIS j]ATURDAY) EvbNING, MARCH 16y1940. THE WAR TODAY. B~QADCAST BY SIR ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR. (~he Ric;ht Hon. Sir Archibald Sinclair, G.M.G. broadcasts on "The War Today" at 9. 20. this (Saturday~ evening in the Home Service progranune. This talk is part of i;he series entitled "From the Front Bench". The text of Sir Archibald Sinclair1 s talk is attached). The last time I spoke to you was the Cl.ay war was a.eclarea.. We vrere steeling ourselves -you and I -for the impact of war. We thought t hat it might at any moment burst right into our homes spreading death anc1 c'l.estruction on a vast scale. We expected great battles on land. We nere prepared to receive without dismay the news of strikin.'.3 successes won in the earlier stages of the war by our better prepared enemy. None of this has happened. We seem to have passed from a warlike :_;eace to a peaceful war. But we must still be prepared for it to happen at any moment anc1. our resolve is still unshaken and our will firm. True it is that at sea the strug,'.3le has been fierce. Hunc1.reds of peaceful fishermen 9 lightship keepers and travellers have lost their lives through the brutal and lawless methods of the Nazis, anc1 even neutral shipping has hac1. to pay nearly as heavy a toll as our own to the Nazi pirates. But t h e bravery and slcill of our sailors and. airmen are our sure Cl.efence ancl. the sea has become a very unhealthy place for the Nazi submarines and. aircraft which infest it like vermin. To those sailors anQ airmen has fallen the lion's share not only of glory and of sacrifice but also of toil, strain and rigour in storm ancl. blizzard ­ice and fog -and. we think of them gratefully and proudly tonight with their comrac1.es of the fishing fleets and the Merchant Navy. Yes, this very night they are out there, keeping the seas, bringin~ us food and the means of victory and clamping down upon Nazi Germany the stifling pressure of blockacl.e,, Their achievements have cost us many precious l i ves a t sea and in the air. There are many -homes in Britain v1hich, even in these quiet six months, have felt the impact anCl. the erief of war~ But the Nazi Government, and some at any rate of their ~ocile German a.upes, now know that our sailors and airmen have as serted their mastery of the sea an<1. of the air above it, that the 8'ibes of the dictat ors at so-called a.egenerate democracy are vain, that the fibre of this fr ee people is sound, and. that we are determinec1. to see this business through to the end~ /But Uni ,. ,· 1..'t ·1 !lustin, Texai. ·-2 ­ But don't let us deceive ourselves. We have got a long way to go before we get there -a very rough and painful way too. We must be prepared for great sacrifices -not only the heroic ones of life and treasure on the large scale -but also in our ordinary daily routineo In addition to doing what our freely-elected Parliament has laid down f'or us to do 9 like military service or paying our taxes 9 we ought to ask ourselves what more we can do to provide for the comfort of our fighting men and to win the war. LibeI'als at any rate will not need me to convince them of the importance of not relying on the Government to do everything, but of personal initiative and of free and voluntary service. One thing we can and must do is to deny ourselves all sorts of things which we are accustomed to think of as necessary. If we were all to try and live as well and comfortably as we can after paying our taxes 9 we should be ensuring defeat and stabbing in the back those who are fighting for us. The first call upon everything that is imported into this country a.nd on the available shipping space must be given to our minition factories and to our export trade -for exports are munitions at one I"emove -~ they pay for the raw materials req_uired to manufacture them9 and also for such munitions and equipment as we can buy a·broad more q_uickl~/ than we could make them here. So if you and I econ:)mise, if we are content to go short ourselves and lend what we save to the Government, we shall not only be contributing towards victory, but we shall be shortening the war and so saving life. I knew what it was in the last war -and I am sure many of my listeners tonight knew it too -to si t in a trench being shelled and to watch men being killed and wounded while our guns remained silent because they hadn't enough shells to shoot back with. I hope that won't happen this time. But the more guns, the more shells, the more aeroplanes and tanks we have, and the better our men are armed 9 the fewe:e will be our casualties and the shorter will be the war. If, therefore, you aJ'.'e cutting down your expenditure on your­self and buying Natior:al Savings Certificates or otherwise lending your money to the Gove;:-nment 9 ;srou are arming our men and shielding them from death and wounds. For make no mistake about it -behind this deceptive appearance of quietness lies the reality of a gigantic conflicto It is idle to say why not make peace now before g1:-eat battles and bloodshed begin? The answer is quite simple e 'fhe Nazi GoveJ'.'nment rests on and respects nothing but fm'.'ce . In Austria, Czechoslovalda and Poland blood is still being shed by the Nazi Government. Universities are being closed 9 men and women are being tortured in concentration campso Families are being rooted out of their homes and driven through Europe like cattle, because Austrains, Czechs, Poles and Jews have no power of resistance. It is because France and Britain can and will resist that the GeJ'.'man army which marched so triumphantly through Poland pauses respectfully at the Magtnot Line and at the frontiers of Holland and Belgium. Warsaw was bonfued because the Poles couldn't retaliate. London is so far spared oecause we could retaliate. Our Navy is too strong for the Germans? so they rarely attaclc it but attack instead our merchant shil)S. / t'hen -3 ­ When we put our merchant ships in convoy under the protection of our fighting ships, they attack neutral shipping, or fishermen or light-ships. Law, humanitarian service, peaceful intentions, treaties and non-aggression pacts are no protection against the ferocious barbarity of the Naziso The only protection is force greater than theirs; and it is because we hate it and want to return to the standards of civilisation -of tr uth, justice, reason and good f aith -and live peaceful lives without this threat of force for ever hanging over our heads and the heads of our children, that we must finish the job now and break the Nazi tyranny. ! We have all been deeply moved by the glorious defence of Finland .against the brutal aggression of Soviet Russia. In the peace negotiations Mr. Stalin dropped the pretence that the Russian Army had been fighting to liberate the Finnish people and ignored the existence of the ridiculous Communist group whom he had hitherto described as the legitimate government of Finland, but he increased his imperialistic demands. Germany backed his demands with threats of joi~ing in the invasion of Finland if they were rejected. The Swedish and Norwegian Goverrui1ents declined to allow us to go to the help of the b~ave Finnish Army and people. So Finland has had to accept terms which leave her in a position of weakness not unlike t that of the Czechs after Munich. It v-vill be the duty of Parliament next week tb consider how far, if at all, our own Goverrunent should be blamed for giving Finland too little help and for giving it too late. However that may be, it is clear from the i)ronouncements of the Finnish leaders themselves that the main responsibility for the tragic issue of the war rests upon the Governments of Sweden and Norway, who bowed before the threats of German force and were intimidated by the German terror in Poland. The acquiescence of Sweden and Norway in the f ate of Finland is a triumph of evil force over moral weakness. As Liberals have consistently argued, the only way to preserve freedom and the rule of law in the wor+d, is for those nations who believe in these things to stand together in their defence, to fight and to fight hard. Hectitude is not enough when armies are marching~ Nor can wars be won by sitting down passively and waiting for the enemy to blunder or starve. Every course of action is open to objection and involves risks all of which must be shrewdly weighed. Inaction spells inevitable defeat. Democratic Govern­ments must show courage, energy, hardness, initiative and a firm will to win. The other day a friend or mine passed a little procession of two or three men carrying sandwich boards showing the device -"Peace with Justice now". I can understand, although I disagree with the Pacifist case, that war is so bad in itself that it is better to submit to Nazi rule and the extinction of freedom in Europe. At any rate, it i s possible for an honest man to believe in peace at any price. On the other hand, 'Peace with Justice Now' is a downright dishonest slogan because nobody can honestly believe that Herr Hitler is interested in Justice. IVIr. Chamberlain acted on the principle of "Peace with Justice Now" at Munich -Liberals differed from him at the time about the justice of that settlement, because while we agreed that big nations like Germany were entitled to justice, we thought small nations like Czechoslovakia were entitled to it too. '.rhere can, however, be no cJ.ispute about the result, which proved that Herr Hitler will keep an agreement not one day longer than it suits him. He cares/ -4 ­ He cares only for the domination of Europe by force; he teaches German children to sing "Today Germany is ours; tomorrow the vvhole world," and if we were now to sue for peace he would dispense to France and Britain the same justice as he is giving to Czechs and Poleso If a man with Hitler's record has any interest in justice 9 it can only be to escape it. Liberals realise that Hitlerism is the gravest challenge ever known to their way of life 9 to their ideals of peace, liberty and social justicea Hitler and Stalin have made their bargain with one another -not the kind of bargain we tried to make with Soviet Russia on the basis of the Covenant of the League of Nationa; but a bargain at the expense of small nations. Tyrants can easily understand one another, but a Liberal Society is the denial of their vicious and barbarous system. After our experience at the end of the last war we shall none of us lightly indulge the idle fancy that victory alone will guarantee peace and prosperity; This much however is clear. Defeat would mean our ruin and the loss of our freedom. Victory will give us opportunity -opportunity to heal the scars and ravages of war, opportunity to break down those barriers to commerce which impoverished the nations before the war, opportunity to create a new world order on the basis of justice and freedom, and opportunity to establish lasting peace, that prize which only constructive statesmanship can wino Victory alone can give us these opportunities and that victory the British people are unitedly resolved to obtaino 16/3/40 -No. 3. FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE (Morning). Paris, Saturday, March 16. The following official communique was issued this morning from French headquarters:­ :NOTHilm TO REPORT. l?L)L40 -No.. 4. AWARDS FOR NAVAT_J INPORMA'I1ION. It has been decided to institute a system of monetary awards to non-service personnel for information concerning enemy naval activities. Details follow of the maximum awards: ·------­ (a) For accurate information furnished by non-service personnel, a:~loat or ashoPe, when the information leads directly to the capture or destruction of an enemy war vessel, a reward not exceeding £1,000, the amount to be assessed ·by the Admiralty according to the value of the information and the nature and size of the vessel conce~nedo (b) For accurate and valuable information furnished by non-service personnel, afloat or ashore, of the movements and activities of enemy war vessels including those engaged in minelaying, a reward not exceeding £50, the amount of the reward to be assessed by the Admiralty according to the value of the information. (c) For accurate information of the position of enemy floating or moored mines, including the dropping of parachute mines by aircraft, a reward not exceeding £5 to the person or vessel first forwarding the information, the amount awarded to be assessed by the Admiralty according to circumstances. (d) For the first report of a mine washed ashore and recovered, a reward of £1, which may be increased (to cover the case of a magnetic or other specially interesting mine) to £5 at the discretion of the Admiralty. · (e) For recovery of floats, mine sinkers, mine fragments, or other objects of enemy origin, if of patterns not yet knov~ or if examination yields new knowledge, a reward of up to £5 at the discretion of the Admiralty. Awards are not payable to service personnel, but will be paid to F.124 personnel of the RnNo, personnel of chartered (non-commissioned) ships, and to other persons who, though occupying public posts, have no official duty to report enemy activities. Posters advertising the scheme of awards will be on exhibition shortlyc ... IRA~L;;;..T-.-Y;;...,r.-...;S-.·~W~.-..·..;.;l_~l.;;;..6t..:..;h A_D_M..... ;.;;.. Mar.9h _:-:J-_94_0o 16/3/40 -No~ 5~ PRESS NOTICE. Fleet Surgeon J. H.Acheson, M.B~,R~N., (Retd.) has been awarded a Greenwich Hospital Pension of £50 a year in the vacancy caused by the death of Deputy Inspector General H.S.R.Sp:arrow, R.N..-, (Retd.) on the 7th January, 1940. ADHIRALTY, s.w.1. 16th March, 1940. I_ '--" !Jnive;~1ry of 16/3/40 -NO :_fu. ~ustiu, ~eu6 MR. §UMNER WELLES 1 VISIT. T1'e following telegrams have been exchanged:­ The Right Honourable .Neville Chamberlain• Please accept the assurances of my very sincere gratitude f'or the privilec;e I was a ffordecl. in Lona.on of tall::inG with you· and other members of the Government. I shall always remember the kindness shown me and I send you the expression of my hiGhest reg_a~d. · Sumn~r Welles. The Right Honourable the Viscount Halifax.­ I beg Your Excellency to convey to Their Majesties mydeep appreoiation of their gracious reception of me in London• May I also express to Your Excellency my particular gl'atitude :f'o!' all of the innumerable courtesies shovm to me by His Majesty's Government and for the opportunity which I was affordec.'t and which was peculiarly helpful of conferrinrr with the Prime Minister and with the other members of the Government. Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration and of my warm personal regard. Mr• Sumner iVelles,c/o United States Embassy, R0n1e.. I very much appreciate the terms of your kind telegram.­It was a great satisfaction to my colleagues in the Government anCl myself to have the opportunity afford.eo. to us of oonver­sations With you• It has also been a particular pleasure to me to make you~ personal acquaintance~ I trust that I may be able some day to renew it in happier conditions. Nevil~~ Chamber~ain~ Mr• Sumner Welles. I am much touched by your kind telec;ram anc:t I shall have pleasure in inunediately conveying your message to Their Majes­ties. The Prime Minister ana. I would like to assure you on behalf of His Majesty's Government that we for ouP part have c1.eeply a:ppreciated the privilege of your visit anCl. I need hardly tell you how gl ad I have been personally to have haa. the 01)portunity of making your acquaintance or how warmly I reoiprocate your good wishes. Halifax. FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS DEPT., ~arch 16 , 1940·. )6/3/40. -No.7. THE S'rA'rE h THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. --·--~-----------­ LORD DE LA 11VARR AT NORY!ICH. Speaking to-day (Saturday) at the Norfolk National Union of Teachers Luncheon at Norwich, Lord De I.a Wal'r President of the Board of Education9 said that ~­ A good deal has been said and written about public schools lately, and suggestions made that the Board of Education should both help some of them out of their difficulties and assert control over them in the public interests. If these schools feel that they could increase their contribution to the educational riches of this country, that is a matter which I thinlc they know the Board would be prepared to discuss with them. But I would like to assert here and now that the idea of buying the right to contr·ol them is one that is very repugnant to all English people. To begin with the word ''control" connected with things educational has an ugly sound o The State helps the Universities and they give some service in return, but there has never been an;:,r question of controlling the Universities. If, therefore 9 there is an;y future discussion on the position of the public schools in r elation to the general national problem of education, I hope that they will feel that our approach as well as theirs will be on the basis of mutual contribution and not of control. For myself I confess to an open mind on the whole subject.It needs far more consideration than it has yet received9 but cannot help feeling that the day is perhaps coming when the public schools may f eel that they would like to share with other classes the tremendous benefits that they have to bestow. BOARD OF EDUCATION. ...... -; (T ..... .·~ Evening No. 9,. -~--... ~-..,:-e11 on top of that, ltA cold night1t, remarked the officer• ilAyei1 replied tno ~en.try with a broad atltent, 0 hut I ;keofi tJ.n@ and, warm mpving ~round, S;i.ru+ /Tho The little party tramped on over the frozen fields towards a spinney. A large red flae;, idle in the still hir;ht, drooped from a pole. :11:3omu dumpn, observed the orderly officer laconically. Sudrie:t1J.y the moon glinted on a steel bayonet. Another sentry l oomed up , "Halt!" He challenged. A.gain the orderly officer went f orward vrhilC; the.; others waited for the -11 Advance remainder11 • &o the ins~,ection went from point to point until the whole circuu1fercnco of the aerodrome had been toured. It was rint ed r ound by men who know the feel of a rifle. They would not hes:l.-batc to Shoot at suspects who try to evade . a challenge. SEALS OF ALL SORTS. Thousands of ree:istered packets and envelopes have to be scaled every week before they are sent by post between various }'.• A.F. units, and in[1,'enious ideas are used in a kind of competition ;to provide t he most ori~inal seal. Coins of all denominations, from 3d.-pieces to half­crovvns,. head the list, and currency from the more remote parts of tho FJ.11pir o 9 Duch as Indian pice and Chinese . cash from Honp; Kong, ooeasion s.ll:;r p1·oviue <-n exotic touch., The registry at Reserve Comn1and Head~uartcrs haa made an ].ntercst ine; collection of' these different seals .. One has been 8T>;::ir·orriately no.mc(l 'fWine;s worn by F/Ltt Icarus"t while another, r oscmbline; a bat in shapet hae been christened "Die '.Fledermaus1i • In thin collection groat seals of State lie side by sicie with imprints made in wax by such objects as the end of a round ruler• si,'3nct rings, washers1 cap badges, buttonst auff' linlrn, filing cabinet labels, beer...bottle stoppers, ~hd. even v tho shield from an old p~ivate safe. , s. TBEY'RE TELLING US • .A new Hynm of Hate against Britain :forms the battle sonp of a German bomber squadron 'lthich has been· r•esponsible ·ror a number of recent attacks on British shipping. Popularly l{nm-m in Gei>nu.:my as "The Lion Squadron", this unit··has adopted a crouchinp lion as its emblem. The followin.p; is a fre e translation of the baf:tl-e sonp;:~ Aircraft out; chock~ awayj Let the eneines thunder: We fly nor1west :ror Englandts coasts? To rend its guard asunder, Blood~rod bombers of the Lions ~C?arine;. tip tho skies of morning, Vi/ith holy wrath we :fly inspired1 ­Ehp,land you have had your warnin~l Falso Britannia; listen well, Hear us chant: 11 vao Victisil; In your blood we soon shall write it "" 1'Vestip:.ium Leonie"• Seek yotir cover, hide in terror, Hear our bombs come scrcarnine; down, See ~,rour ships destroyed and scattered, Mark tho track the Lion has flown. Who ~ounts thc cost if some shall fal1 1 And Death becomes their fame7 Let me~al toar our hearts to shreds; our spirits still declaim: A;Lrcraft out, chocks a•.uay; Let the cno-incs thund.er; · We f·1_y noP'fwest for Enp;land1s coasts~ To t .:rnr its guard,s asunder, v,cts OF THE Alli. 6 ... R..c.~1.r. A.dmiral R. B. DavieS.4 Rear Admiral Richard Bell Davies was set•vint~ in the Hc;y-a1 Naval Air Service when he won the Victoria Cross by "a feat of' airmanship that c::m seldom have been equalled for skill. and e;allantri1 • !n November; 1915; he was a Squadron -cormnand.er statior..ed irt the bardanelles. He and another officer• Flight Sub... :=,j.e·~1t6nant Gilbert Formby sm;viie, made an air attack on Ferrijik Smylief s machine vms shot dmm by neaV;y' anti.-.aircraft Tho :pilot planed dovm to a VO'!';/ low nJ.titud.e over the /ob~ective 9. objective and sinm.ltaneously released all his bombs except one which remained jammed in the bomb rack. Smylie continued his deccent to ,force-land in a marsh. he scrambled from the machine, :noticed the one bomb still unexploded in the rack, and set f'ire to his aircraft, knowing that the bomb would explode and completely destroy it. Meanwhile Davies prepared to make a landing to save Sr.zylie; iri s_:pite of the near approach of a party of the enemy. Smylie feared that Davies would land too near the burning aircraft and be destroyed by the exploding bomb. So, vvhile Davies was still circling to land~ Smylie aucceeded in ex:plodinr:, the bomb with revolver fire. Davies coolly landed his aircraft at a safe distance 1"'rom the blazing wreck* snatched Smylie from under the noses of .t;b:e enemy patrol and returned to his base. J,:, By this heroic action he added the v.c. to the n,s,o, h8 had earned earlier in the war. Smylie received the Distinguished Service Cross. Davies was promoted to Wing Commander; and in 1919 was awarded the Air Force Cross1 Today Richard Bell Davies is a Roar ,Admiral commanding Naval Air Stations. DOWN TO E,ARTH. Quito a number of ail•craftmen -v-vi th the .Advanced .Air Gtriking F9rce in France are doing a bit of 1'digging for victory"• They a):ic making their own allotments in tl).e villages where they are billeted, and are already hopef'ully anticipating an e~eellent harvest of vegetables, Radishes and lettuces seem to be the ~aVo'UJ?ite sowings. KEEPING THE PARTIES GOING. "Cast no cloutl" may be the seasonable a&age, but f'o:r;t more than five thousand industrious people the slogan is still "Cast onl cast on~". The R.A.F. have had good ~eason during /this 10. this harsh winter to feel gratitude to the 1,700 work parties (each of more than a dozen knitters) who have supplied tho much noeded •,-;ooJ.Jm comforts. But their task is not finished now that spring is here. Without castinr~ a slur on the British summer it must be repeated that r:1ovcs~ socks and scarves are still rieoded. Parties o:f knitters arc urged not to disband.9 but to "keep tt,oinp,tt so that fieXJ~ t'1lturnn the su:i;:iply will be adeg_uate, 16/3/40 The Secretary of the Admiralty regrets to announce that Ho M. TPa-vvler PERIDOT 9 Skipper 'No Ho Burgess 9 R6 N., Ro , sank on the 15th March as a result of striking an enenw mine., filhere were no casualtieso +++++++++++++++ 16/3/40 -No 10 B.E.F. LEAVE The War Office states that the reports that Special Easter Leave to Paris is being given to members of the B.E.F. are untrue. No leave other than the normal six-monthly leave is being given. J!.AR OFFICE S. W. 1 ·~ AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN. 16/3/40 -}12_. 11. BRITISH BOMBERS OVER POL.AND. The Air Ministry announces: During the past twenty-four hours air reconnaissance activities have included an extensive night flight over Polish territory by aircraft of Bomber Command and an engagement between an aircraft of Coastal Command and an enemy bomber. During a running fight in which the enemy was repeatedly attacked; damage was seen to be inflicted. The enemy aircraft finally escaped in the clouds.• 00000000000 46/3/40 -No 12 PRESS NOTICE Capt~:lnCoB~Ballard R~N. (Retired) has been awarded a Naval Pension of £100 a year in the vacancy creat ed by the death of Rear Admiral C. A~ W. Hamilton (Rtct. ) on the 21st January, 1940. ADMIRALTY, S. W. 1 • +++++++ 16/3/4Q. -No. li~ PRESS NOTICE Engineer Renr J:..dmirnl H. S. Rn.shbrookev C. D. n,, (Ratircd) h~s boGn awarded n GrGGnwich Hospital Pension of £100 a. yenr in the vacaney cnus Gd by tho death of :Cn,1inoor Rear i.dmiro.l J. R. J. Pedrick (Retired) on tho 9th I1obrunry, 1940. Engineer Roar J.dmiro.l W. V!hittingham, O. D. (Ro·~ired) hns bocn awarded o. Greenwich Hospitnl Pension of £50 n year in the vacancy enused by thG above award. ,·J)I:[(fu,.I,TY, s. W, l· ++++++++++ .l§L2L40. -No. 14. RLTIONING. PO I?J';: .)UPPLIES 1',mple suppliGs of pork nro avo.ilnblo nnQ mny be purchased on thG surrender of the n0cessnry coupon or coupons. Consumers nrc r0rnind0d that thoy o.rc not required to rl,c;ister with n pork butcher in orc1or t8 rmrchetso from him. 'l'hose who hn.ve lodgocl po.gos of oouyons with their genornl butcher mny recover them if they wish to purchnse p0rk fr om n pork butcher. ++++++++ MINISTRY_m:o FOOD ANNOUNCEHEN'r,. MORIJ HOME-GROWN .-IH:CAT FOR FEBDING LIVESTOCK. A larger proportion 0f home-grown 1Nheat is to be ma.c"1.e available for feeding to live stocl<: by an Order made by the Minister of Food amending the provisions of the General Licence a.atod 13th Januar~r 9 1940 , issued under the Homc-Grovvn 'dheat (Control) Order 9 1939. The effect of the new Order is to permit every a~~roved buyer to sell or use during a cal endar month f or purposes other than flour milling or seed not ;11orc than one-half of tho ~~us11tity r emaining from his total purchases of millable wheat from registered. growers during th2.t rnonth sfter deducting frnm such total purchases the amount of any mil1able wheat bought by him during that month for use as seed. 'l'he new Order also permits a flour miller to use during a calendar month, for any purpose, not mor e than one-third of his total purchases of millabl e rrheat durinz that month frnm other apyroved buyers. The provisi~ns of the General Licence allowing EJn approved buyer who is not also a. flour miller t o use for any ];mrpose all millable wheat bought by him from another ap:proved ·buyer r emain in force. The purpose of the Order i s to i inprove the local a_istribu:c irin of wheat for anir11al and :n0ultry f eeding, by increasing to the extent indicat ed in the Ordc;r the quantity of home-grovm wheat availabl e locally for this purpose. -------000------­ 16/3/40 No.16. REGISTRATION OF THE 27'8 An Official Denial Reports published today purporting to give the probable date of the registration of men who reached the age of 27 in 1939, nnd the probable contents of a new Royal Proclamation under the Armed Forces Act, are pure invention for which there is no foundation whatever. No reliance should be placed on statements implying that even tent ative decisicns on these matters have been made. Officnl announcements are rcgulnrly made as soon as decisions are reached. _MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND NATIONAL SERVICE 16/3/w;?..:-No 17 FRENCH OFFICIAL COMI.IUNI C?,Ug (EVENING) Paris, Mareh 16, 1940 The following communi que was issuecl this evening by the French G.H. Q. :­ Activity of both artilleries in the region of the Saar. Our outposts repelled enemy patrols west of the Vosgeso Some firing along the Rhine. +++++++ 16/-?140. __:: No, 18. PRESS NOTICE It ho.s been decided t o institute a system of monetary nwnrds to non~service personnel f or information concern~ng enemy nnvnl o.etivities. Details of the mnximum nvmrds which it is intonc1oc1 t o mako, nnd the nClture of the informn.tion for which they will be 3iven, are ns follows:­ (i) For c.ccurnte informc.tion furnished by non-sorivice personnel, nfloo.t or nshore, nnd rendered at the earliest poss ible op1Jortunity, when the inf'ormo.tion l eads directly t o the capture or destruction of an enemy war vessol, a reward not exceeding £1,000, the amount to be assessed by the J,dmirnlty according to the value of th.e, information and the nature nnd size of the vessel concerned. (ii) For accurat e nnd valuable informntion furnished by non­service personnel, afloat or ashore, nnd rendered at the enrliost poss ible opportunity, of the movements and activities of onemy war vessels includinc; those engaged in minel nying, a reward not exceGclinc; £50, the amount of tho reward to be nssessed by tho /i.drniral ty according to tho value of the in:formcttion. (iii) For accur o.te information of the position of onemy floating or moor ed minesy including the drop~9ing of parachute mines by aircraft, o. reward not exceeding £5 to the per son or vessel first forwardinG tho information9 the amount nwo.rded t o be assessed by the l.d.miralty o.coorc1ing t o oircumstCtnces. (iv) Por the first report of a mine ·wo.shed ashor e o.nd r ecover ed, n rcv;.rard of £1, which mny be incro:_1_sed (to cover tho cnse of n mngnetic or other spocio.lly interesting mine ) t o £5 at ths discretion of the /,cl..mirnl ty. ( v) For recovery of floo.ts, mine sinkers, mine f'r~.gments, or other objects of enemy origin, if of pRtterns not yet known, or if oxn.minwtion yiel ds new knowl edge, a reward of up to £5 nt the discretion of tho Ld.mira.lty. 2. It is contemplc.tod thnt the maximum m1ie.rd for 111.:formntion l end1nrr t o the cnpturo or destruction of an enemy war vessel would be ln.'.l.c1o only in very exceptiono.l circumst ances c 3. Cl a.ims for awards under hoadings (i), (ii), (iii) 11.nd (v) should in all cnsos be forwarr1ed to the :.clrnirnl ty :for decision ns to tho nrnount, if any, to be 2r2ntoc1. Tho hdrniralty will also deoicl..o h ovv any award mndo t o o. merchnnt ship should be divided bot woon the f.Jn.ster o.nd members of tho crow. In forwnr c1ine; claims reoo1 vod, Navo.1 .".uthoritics should furnish Clll avnilnblo information of t ho circumstances and make any recornrnondo.tions they consider suitn1JlG.. 4. Claims under headings (iii ) nnd (iv) should bo sottled loco.lly, unless it is consi dered thC'.t the :-'.mount pitic1 should exceed £1, when proposals should be submittGd for approval. J,w::i.rcls made J locctlly 0re to be reported to tho J,cl.mirnl ty. King's Ro:.?;Ulations o.nd I.cl:niro.l ty Instruct.ions~ J.rticlc 907, par ngr o.ph 1 i s to be rogo.rdod as in abeyance. 5. '.l.1he mmrds authorised by this or der arc not pc:>.yci.ble to service per sonnel, which is intended to include mobilisod personnel of the N'o.vy, Jlrmy rmd .1.J.ir Force, full-time members of the Observer Corps · .:-md the Constgunrd, Gnd other members of civil services -2 ­ whoso no~no.l duties co.n be held to inolude tho roportinc: of onorily nctivitios. Rowo.!'ds will howo'1'or 2onorn.lly 1Jo pni d' to F,124 personnel of the R.N., personnel of chnrtorod (non-commissioned) ships, and to other persons who, thou0h oooupy1ng public posts, ho.ve no officiQl duty to report onomy activities. In co.se of doubt, the circumst~nces should be raoportod. 6. Pastors ndvertising the scheme of nwards will shortly be printed o.nd will, it is intended, be exhibited at su1t able plo.ces in coo.st o.l t owns f'.t homo, including Hnvo.1 Henc1q_uo.rt ers, Customs Houses, Mercnntilo M~1rinc Offices rmd Cc< •St~nJ'd St o.tions, Copies will be supplied to No.vo.1 i.u"!:ho~&t.ies a.t homo without demo.nd~ o.nd arro.ngoments will be mo.do by the J.dmiro.l ty with the Dopartnwnts concettnocl for exhibition of the posters o.t non-no.val buildings. No.vo.l J.uthor i tios o.broe.d requiring copies should apply to tho /ilmiro.lty (MilitQ~Y Brnnch). 7, J.11 payments mnde under this Order are cho.x-gco.'blc to Vot o 11, Subhead K. i.DM! ll<\L'l'Y 15th L'In:rch, 1940. ++ ++++++++++ AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN R. A. F. OVER HLLIGOLAND BIGHT. -------·--·---·--~-""------. The Air Ministry announces: Ail'cra:rt of the Bomber Command of the Royal Air Force earr-ied out reconnaissances of the Heligoland Bight this morning. Opposition v-vas experienced, from enemy fighters and A.. A. ground de:ren.ces ·but our aircraft completed their tasks a~d.re~urned safely. ++++++++++.­ 16,3.40 No 20 OFFICIAL ADMIRALTY COMMUNIQ,U~ The Secre t ary of the Admiralty regr et s to announce that H.. M. 'Drawler "MAIDA", Ski:•~>per R. N . Uttinc; R.N.R hcrn been sunl~ by an enemy mine today Saturday, The Commanding Officer and. five ratings are missing and ar e feared to have been lost. Next of kin have boon informed~ +++++++++