FOREIG.N PRESS REVIEW DAILY SURVEY OF WORLD COMMENT ON THE WAR COMPILED FROM TELEGRAPHIC REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION . No. 30 18th February, · ....................................................................., 1940 U.S.A: GERMAN PEOPLE'S ANTI-RUSSIAN ATTITUDE A move by Herr Hitler to oppose Russia would be greatly welcomed by the German people~ 1 ¥his v:lew was expressed in an article in yesterday's NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE, entitled "Is Hitler Making a Present to Stalin?" ''What is going to happen arnund the Baltic?'' it was asked. "Will Hitler finally join Mussolini in the latter's opposition to Russia's policy? This course of action would grea~ly please the German people, whose sympathies are entirely with the Finns, no matter how many treaties their Fuehrer might sign with Stalin." A tribute to the British Navy was paid in an edlitorial article in this paper, which i:;tated: "The Exeter, with the Aja."'C and Achilles, have fulfilled tradition once again and reminded the world that the British Navy is still there, Her re-appearance dispels the German legend that British warships were lying permanently disabled off the Falklands." The conclusion of the Russo-German Trade Pact has occupied the attention of a number of .American papers, and in this connection, the LOS .ANGELES TIMES declared: "To make such an agreement is one thing, but to carry it out is another. Unless experts are wrong, the organisations of both countries will feel considerable strain to make even a beginning in carrying out the acccrrd," The INDI.ANAPOLIS STAR stated: "Hitler made his pact with Russia largely in the hope of getting food and other materials needed for carry­ing on the war, Stalin is now at war himself and Russia is hard put to it to feed its own soldiers and people, How can the Soviet Union, with its run-down system of communications, furnish materials to feeal: the German war machine? How can Germany with its own railroads already creaking under the weight of troops and ammunition~, modernise the Russian rail system so that it may transport the needed supplies?" The difference in donestic conditions in the United States and Germany was referred to in the TOLEDO BLADE, which, describing the return of a w~man to New York from the Reich, stated: "She is now revelling in her kitchen and still marvelling at the luxury of cooking with butter, sugar and eggs. Uppennost in her mind is the German food rationing system which allowed her one egg a month,a quarter of a pound of butter a week, 200 grammes cf sugar and 300 grammes of ground horse-meat. Beef, perk and fresh vegetables are unknown on the average German1 s table." 18;2;40 Commenting on the latest Nazi statement that Germany will not hesitate to sink neutral ships, no matter what nationality, the CLEVELAND NEWS declared: "The announcement from Berlin that American vessels are considered fair game for submarines in certain circumstances, threatens a repetition of events which led the United States into war. The Nazi chiefs must know that this is not a Tf~.0;7 of diverting American sympathy to their own cause. They must realise that we remain formally neutral, in spite of personal feelings and considerable suppression of our national pride. Unless the Nazis can be persuaded to abandon their claim, weg,,all be back to where we were 23 years-ago." NOI(WAY: COMMENT ON .ALTMARK INCIDENT. Commenting on the Altmark incident the NORGEG HANDELS OG SJORFART8TIDENDE yeetcrday described the affair as "something which Berlin shrieks out to be a frightful breach of Norwegian neutrality" and set against it the case of German trawler~ violation of Norwegian fisheries and the disappearence of Norwegian ships. In an earlier issue this paper condemned the Nazi methods of waging .wa~ at sea and added: "The Tempo's case is revolting. Shooting at life-boats cannot be excused." The MORGEJIPOSTEN vvrote: "The German Legation Dementi stat:ilg that sinkings were due to U-Boatshas had a peculiar light th:fown on it since closer details of the sinki~ have been revealed. It does not appear to be 1 quite unthinkable 1 that German sailors shoot at crews in their boats." The TIDENS TEGN ~-:.i '~.st _,Q,~;nliin.u~.rus7.y shew:~.ng us the direotion in which t o r c:.w. 11 18. 2. 40. HOLLAND: NAZI }1ili:T~-!ODS "A BOQl&P.ANG"• The belief that Nazi sea methods will reu.ct unfavourably for Germany has been expressed in the Dutch Press. The NIEUVfS NOORDEN wrote: "Berlin's intention is clear -it is to force the small neutrals into active opposition to the British control but the neutrals will hold fast to their ideals of justice, The German ~ethods will prove a boonerang." HET VADERLAND stated: "German propaganda spends fortunes on the neutrals. If submarine commanders continue like this, it will be thro•r.ing money into the vrater. " SWITZERLAND: CHAOS ON GEm,:.:\N RULWAYS. The chaotic conditions on the German railways have been described in a message published in the BBRNER T.AGWACHT, the Social Democratic organ. "The chaos is particularly noticeable in the Cologne area" declared this journal~ "Passenger traffic there is being daily more restricted. In Berlin the conditions of the railways upset all calculations. At D.lesseldorf an Arrey-Supply Officer declared that if the chaotic conditions of the railvra.ys continued it would be impossible to maintain the replenishment of aI'IllY stores at the front for the great offensive." Referring to the Federai Councii's suppression of Dr. Rauschning's book the JOURNAL DE GENEVE, the Conservative newspaper declared: "The suppression provokes the inevitable conclusidn that the Reich attaches importance to Rauschning's revelations. The average Siiviss has sufficient commonsense to decide for .himself and would be much obliged if the honoured foreign representati'!ie would kindly allow him to read what he Wishes." The NEUE ZUERCIIBR ZEITUNG stated in a Berlin me:ssage: "The news that German submarines sank 58,000 tons of shipping in a single day is regarded in Berlin as a considerable success. "The real importance would be better recognised if the proportion of neutral shipping vras known." BELGIUM: "BRITISH ill.A lvL1.STERY MUST CONTINUE". "Neutral..shipping is being menaced with destruction and it is in its interest to see that the Briti.sh mastery of the seas continues." This statement was made in LE P.:': UPLE, the Left-wing orgo..n, in corronenting on the torpedoing of neutral vessels. VOORUIT, another Socialist newspaper, stated: "Nobody can deny that the German attitude to the neutrals is, to put it mildJ.y, more than brutal. · The Germans have apparently forgotten the lessons of 1914-18". 18. 2.40. SWEDEN: ALLIED HELP FOR FINL.AND? There is a possibility that the Western Powers will agree to Finland's request for assistance, according to the Swedish newspaper FOLKETS DAGBLAD. ·· In a dispatch stated to emanate from a reliable source, this Left Wing newspaper wrote: "About a fortnight ago the Finnish Government appealed to the Swedish O.,,vernment for effective help against the Russian attack. Luring recent days the matter was discussed by the Swedish Government. Th€ Priffie Minister replied negatively. Therefore, and on account 0f the int~nsive Russian pressure in the ~(.::i.relian Isthmus and elsewhere, tbe Finnish Government intends to rec;.uest the support of the Western Powers. "According to our information, the possibility exists that the latter will comply. Neither the Foreign Affairs Commission nor the Defence leaders were consulted by the Swedish Government before deciding." The FOLKETS DAGBLAD stated that it considered that it was its duty to publish the information and regarded the Swedish Governmentis action, if true, as incomp.P.!ehensible. It vvas added that 9•1 percent of Swedish public opinion favoured effective Svvedish help ±'or-~,~ to help repulsa the Russian attacks and to save Sweden :from wa:r. T~e AFTONBLADET printed a similar report as originating from well infarmed Helsinki circles, J.. view exprest:ied in NYA DAGLIGT _i.\LLEHANDA wris that it would be extremely difficult for English volunteers t o help Finland, as Briton's were not accustomed to Finnish conditions. Canadians were more likely to be useful as they were more accustomed to Arctic conditions. "Furthermore, there are d'ifficulties to be faced in transporting troops ac~oss the North Sea," it was added "Naval detachments will oe compelled to accompany troop transports and deal with Russian naval fr.trees in the Arctic, Troop transits across Sweden would be easier, but &\veden would energetically oppose such a suggestion. "If England insists, we shall be drawn into a great wa:r, but in the long run, this will scareely be to ET!gland1 s advantage." Referring to the landing of Dominion troops in Egypt, the GOTEBORGSPOSTEN wr"te: "England has erected a tower of the greatest strategic value which increases Britain's striking power, It will quieten the Duce if he tries t~ make cafital out of ~'ngland 1 s and France's pc.ssibie difficulties. England and },ranee are prepared for anything in the Near East, where experts think most important results will be reached." Turning to Mr. Sumner Welles1 mission, this p<.1per declared: "President Wilson sent Colonel House to Europe in 1916 to stucly the European situation. As a result the U.S.A. entered the war on the Allies' side. Mr. Roosevelt has never hidden the view that the U.S.A. would not tolerate a Gennan dictated peace which might threaten North and 8011th America.. • 6 ·· "Imperialistic Russia increases the threat, but the U.S.A. is not ready to join the Allies. America's economic interests demand t~at the Allies should win or there should be a reasonable peace. The United States has sharpened its :anti-Conununist attitude since the Finnish war. ~· Sumner Welles' journey has hardly diminished the discomfort now said to be ruling l.n the Kremlino" The NYA DAGLIGT ALLEHANDA affirmed yesterday: "The Swedish Government fears that Allied efforts in attempting to extend the great war front,constitute , the greatest risk that our country will become a battlefield, It may be assumed that the Finnish Goverrunent also realises this.. Finland and Sweden may become the great powers' pawns. Further help for Fibland must be in the form of volunteers and this must be greatly increased. EGYJ?T: NAZI DISTORTIONS. The Nazi habit of distorting extracts from foreign newspapers has been denounced in the Egyptian I'ress. _ .AL BASSIR cited examples from its own pages. . On January 27th this pai')er used the headline "War extendin['; to the East? Will Egypt join the Saadabacl Pact?" F'o;:u tb~.s 'hc~1c1~_ine the Nazis compceel the sentences: "Egyptian public increasingJy .indignant with British domination and attempts to make ~gypt participate in the war aeainst Germa~y. This British attempt is denounced in an article in AL BASSIR. 11 In another example AL BAS .IR said "France concentrat es powerful arnw in Syria and I0banon", The Germans substitu-~ed the word "mercenary" for "power­ ful". Commentin~ on· th:h:J AL BASSIR stated: "Indeed the difference between 'powerful' and'mercenary' is great as the latter denotes that the defenders of the F~ench Empire have been bought vvith money thus diminishing the fact that these people enlisted voluntarily t o def end Democracy and civilisation• . Eastern countries firmJ.y believe that no libc:rty, security and p:vosperi ty ·can be enjoyed by them unless the Allies win the war which they are waging against aggr"ssion, "The Nazis must understand that all Eastern peoples without exception are with England and Frnnce because they firmly believe that in Allied victory lies their happiness. A German victory would mean the extermination of their countries and liberties. 11 • 1. 18. 2. 4-0. BRAZIL: COMPENSATION FOR NEUTRlti.S SUGGESTED. A recent article in the CORREIO DA M..'iliHA pointed out the serious neutral losses due to the economic war and suggested a "vvi.de agreement with the belligerents that losses should be compensated after responsibility has been established. " 0 JORNAL stated that Mr. Swnner Welles' visit to Berlin would constitute U.S. condonation of German policy. ~illy iunerican peace proposals should be based on the Allied Septerriber ultimatum. ITALY: ROUMANI.:\.N YOU1'H LElillE:R' S VISIT. !'he visit of the Roumanian Youth Lender has been given prominence in the Italian '.Press, and messages from Bucharest were published praising Italo­Roumanjan friendship. The CURl.<~NTUL was cited yesterd.o.y QS saying: "Rome's way is the vrey of peace, and Rome t o-day is the guarantor of EuropeQn civilisation." The GIORNALA d' ITALili.~ in a Belgrade message, reported the belief that the visit is a prelude to journcy:a t o Rome by M. Gafencu and King Carol. The VREME was cited as saying: "It is ever more evident that Rome, after powerfully con­tributing t o Hungaro-Yugoslav rapprochement, now confronts the much more complex problem of re-establishing good relations bet-ween Bucharest and Budapest." The POPOLO DI R011A, in a Belgrade message, referred to Yugoslav interest in M. Sidorovitch' s visit to Rome, and quoted the Zurich correspondent of the. VRE11JE as saying "Roman circles f avour collaboration with Roumania which is considered a "!anguard ag2-inst :the Soviet and a powerful supporter of Fascist policy in the Balkans." A Berlin dis1)atch printed in the MESSA~RO reported denials of any serious transport difficulti~s between Germany and Russia and stated that several thousand waggons of mineral oils and cereals had reached Germany from the Soviet. Earlier Sofia messages t o the Italian newspapers, referring to the Bulgarian Cabinet changes, stated that despite assurances to the contrary M. Kiosseiv.'.lllhoff's fall was due not to internal causes but to his Cabinet's divided policy re­garding relations \'Tith Roumania and. the tendency of certain Cabinet ministers to lean towards Russia. FR!-i..NCE: MR. CHURCHILL'S SB~:ii:CH. :Mr, Winston Churchill's speech of welcome on Y1hat is on all sides described as "Exeter 1 s glorious and. tri umphant return" ho.s been widely quoted in the French Press. The ERc; NOUVELLE, reporting M. Go.boriaud's spe~ch in London on France's peace-aims, stated that he found an appreciable evolution of British opinion towards French i de::i.s of security. Both this newspaper and the EXCELSIOR re­ ferred to the leakage of information to Germany through foreigners in England and :Brance. 18/2/40 No.2 BO.fill]! OF_TRi-lDE ANNOUNCEMEN'l' Import Licences for Hat Hoods The Board of 'l'rade annvunce that the Import Licensing Department are n0w prepared tc• cvnsider applicati(•ns to import limited quantities of hat hoods and capelines of WU(1l felt and hat hv0ds of straw and sii:1ilar materials from firms which imported these go(1ds in the twelve :m<..nths before the war. Board of Trade. 18th February, 191.J-O. 'I'he following official communique uo.s issued today by the . French G.. H. ~· : ­ J.TOTHING OF I MPORTr1.NC:C TO REPOR':I\ -----oOo----­ MEMo TO SUB-EDITORS. RELill\°EDFORPDBLICATION AFTER §:"36 P. NL THIS (SUNDAYJEVENINGo J,s this scri.pt i s-issued in advance it is necessary to check it against the brondcast Gt 9.15 P.Mo this (Sunday) evening on 391 or 449 metres o B. B. Co TO GIVE THE FORCES 'l'HE PROGRAMMES THEY WANT, NOT WHAT OTHERS FANCY MIGHT BE GOOD FOR THEM. The B.B.C. announces that Sir Allan Powell, Chairman of the B. B,, c,.~ broadcast in the Home Service programme this (Sunday) evening at 9o15 a talk entitled "The B.B.C. programme for the Forces"o He said:­ "Today the B.B.C. is broadcasting its first full twel ve-·hour programme to the Forceso At this moment I can be hear d by home listeners as well, and I am sure they will forgive me if for a few minutes I sneak not so much to them as to members of the Navy, Army and Air Forces on active service wherever they may beo "When war broke out last September the B.B.C. had to come c-:.own abruptly to a single home progr ,:mme. All listeners understand the reason for that -the fact that a broadcast pr ogramme can rn certain conditions give guidance to enemy a ircraft, "We at the B. B, C" regretted the change as much as listeners did. But I am sure there is not a listener in the country who would haire wished a single life to be risked in or der that he or she might get a choice of programme. nwe made up our minds then that if our engineers could devise some way of putting a second progr amme in English on the air, it should be a programme for the Forces. Only those behind the scenes of wartime broadcasting can fully realise the great diff .i.culties which had to be overcome, but by their ingenuity and hard work the engin~~rs have won through, and I want in passing to pay them the highest tribute. 11Fortunately there are no set frontiers in broadcasting. Many of us at home will be able to hear pretty well the programmes which are meant f or you, and many of you, t he men and the women who are on active S8rvice, will now be able to tune in also to the home programme. Vole believe that listeners in the field and their families and friends at home will like to feel that t hey can shar e some of their listening together c / But the two -2 ­ But the two progr runmes ·will be different f:vm:J. er.ch ·other, o.ncl.. this progr 2mrne for the :L~orces will i:n so:-11e wo.ys be unlike any other prozr amme which the ~'} .D.c. ho.s yet put upon the nir. The reason for this is not th~t peo;)le change their t nstes when they :put on un!..:f!ol'm. We know very DGll that they don't. But the c .::-.11 eful inquiries which h.:i.ve been me.de ebout the needs of this entirely new service, including the visit which ~ \:;."'. O,silv1e, our Director-c+ener::i.l, r eceiJ.tly pairl to Prance, of which he told you lc.s t r1eek, ha.ve tflu"z-ht us SO!i!.ethin[; :·1ore; t:ho.t is thc,t listening conc1itions on <>.ctive service ~.:i..1e quite different from listening conGi t ions at home. It is· the c1ifference between listening in ;_;roups, if' :not in crowds, nnd listening o.lone or with your fnmj.ly at your own fireside. ~.'he B. D. c. is out to give the :.·01,ces who.t they wc.nt, and not nh ci.t nnyone else f ancies might lJe g oocl :Lor them. Thnt meo.ns , we believe, light ente1"t,-.i:;,1.111ent n.nc1 light music -and the news. There will be other i·0ems nou cmd then -an outstandinc t alk, for example -a short plny pictures of what the different i;orces 2re cloing. But let me s ny, on this first night of' t :1e new sei->V1ce, tha.t V'/e vn>.nt to make it your service, and we need y~u as Jr-.rtners 1n building up·--t.he. sor>t-·-Ot' . ;p~og:rammes th<'.t y~­co..n really enjoy. rfost of us n_t Brof'.dcc,sting IIou.se hu.:.i"e soD.s or brothers s ervii1c; r.'i th t he i:~·orces f'.nd no doubt .ue shc:ll get some home truths from them1 but :for t he most p~rt ue rely on you. So listen to t his new service and write to us ­the B. B~c. London -the simplest add1"'ess in the r.rorld. '.!:'ell us who.t you have liked 8.nc1 Fhat you he.ve disliked~ Hru:1 suggest i te:·,i.s whia.h you think would be enjoyc:.bl e. Unlike Yrho.t he.ppens elsewhere, you ,"'ire Z".11 :l:'ree to listen. You can turn on to any s t 2.t ion in the uo11 l cl.. thnt ycm sets can pick up. Cur one f".im at the B. B. c. is to rao.ke these programr11es so attrc-.ctive to you thnt they will ~onstc.ntly tempt you to tu1"n your sets on to c"".tch the:.:1. And to nll sailors, soldiers onc1 :-'..ir.ien the B~~rC• send their gr eetings And good ~ishes 2nd the ha~c th.:::t in these progrnm.nes you will f'incl mnny hours of :i.."'elo.;~c,;t ion rmd enj o;yment. }8/2/40 -No.5. THE FOLLOWING IS ISSUED TO THE PRESS BY NAVAL AFFAIRS FOR SUCH USE AS THEY MAY WISH TO MAKE OF IT, A burly Scottish seaman, skipper of a fishing trawler which had been bombed and machine-gunned by German aircraft, was asked whether} if the Gorman aeroplane had crashed into the sea after attacking his trawler, he would have picked up any survivors. Being a Scot 9 and a seafaring man, he weighed his words carefully before he spoke. Then this man, who had' so lately been 11 I a ttacked9 replied: look at it this wayc We are fighting this war for the right, and so we'd :'.o the right and pick them up." The crews of several German bombing craft have been saved after their planes have been shot down when engaged in raid against East Coast shippingo This may have happened to the very men who machine gunned the crews of the TEMPO in her lifeboats. The German6 have denied that such a thing couln be possible, but confirmation has been received from Oslo that the men of the TEMPO, a Norwegian ship bombed and sunk in an air raid on February 3, were maohino­gunned while in the lifeboru.ts. The captain added that the Norwegian flag was plainly shown and that her colours were painted on the ship-. The TEMPe was proceeding independently. · l In reply to a tiillestion in the House of Commons on February 15 as to "whether in view of the murdering of unarmed seamen by German airmcn9 he would consider ceasing to send· ships out to pick up these German airmen when the· aeroplanes were brought down in the sea", Mr Churchill replied: 11 The ordinary instincts of humanity require the rescue from the sea of drowning men or castaways, shoulfu they be observed by his Majesty's ships in the course of their c1utioo1'. It may be difficult for men who indulge in these heartless attaoks to believe this, but, as the Scottish trawler skipper said, "We are fighting this war for the right, and so we'd d.o the right and pick them UPo 11 The following is i ssued to the Press by Naval Affairs for such use as they may wish to make of it. -. -·-·-. ·-·----------­ H. M. S. REPULSE. It is customary in the British Navy to give l eave to officers and men whenever possible, and as the exigencies of the Service did not allow of the ship's company of H. r'. So REPULC)E t o be given leave at Christmas, she is now in port for this pur~ose. German propaganda claims this as proof that H. M.S. REPULSE was severely damaged ci.t Scapa Flow when H. r1. s. ROYAL OAK was sunk and from Hamburg they announce that "6ne co.n imagine how big the hole must have been". Even a British warship cannot keep the seas fo~ months with a hole in her, anc1 since the ROYAL OAK was sunk at Scapa Flow in October of 12st year H. M.S. REPULSE has been busily engaged in tightening the Allied grip in Germany, It would certainly be in the interest of Garmany herself to know on what services units of the British Navy are engaged from time to time, and it is clearly the object of this and other German claims to draw such information from British sources. NAVAL AFPAI RS 18/2/40 No. 8. ARMY OFFICERS' EIAERGE:NCY RESERVE. The War Office announce that unfounded statements have appeared recently in the Press which are liable to mislead those members of the Army Officers' Emergency ,Reserve who have not yet been informed of the result of their att,endance before interview Boards. Members of the .d.eserve who have yet to be informed as to their prospects are asked not to write to the War Office for informationo By so doing they will only delay the machinery of classifying the results of the Boarqs. The Boards are expected to close shortly after the end of this month, and the bulk of notifications may be expected during March. Any suggestion that all those who have not yet been notified have no prospect of employment is wholly inaccurate, although the employment of those in later middle age, or not in the highest medical grade, may be restricted. WAR OFPICE2 WHITEHALL. s. w. 1. 18/2/40 -No. 9 S/S ALTMARK: POREIGN OFFICE STATEMENT. Lord Halifax yesterday lodged a complaint with the Norwegian Minister against the failure of the Norwegian authorities to establish the presence of between three hundred and four hundred British prisoners on board the AL'fMARK when she was searched at Bergen. The Norwegian Minister was asked to obtain urgently an explanation of the circumstances which have given rise to this complainto He was informed that it appeared to H.M. Government that the Norwegian Government had in this matter failed in their duty as a neutral 9 and H.M. Government felt that the case against this particular ship was such that they were justified in pressing that the ALTMARK should be interned. FOREIGN OFFICE 2 S.W.l ~ot to be quoted as a 18/2/40 -No 10 Foreign Office Statement. S. S. ALTM.tiliK: THE P,\CTS. The German claim that the AltmDrk is an "unarmed rnc!'cho.nt sip" hns caused considoro.bl e o.stoni shrnent in London. The following facts ere r ecalled in this connectiono 1. There is no trace of any vessel called Altmark in Lloyds Register of Merchant Shippingo 2. On the other hand in the June, 1939, list of Coast and Ship Stations published by the International Union of Telegraphic and Wireless Corrununications of Berne -a body sponsored by the International Postal Union -the name of a Gorman vessel named Altmark appears marked with crossed swords thus indicating that she was then classed o.s a warship. The information from which thi s list is compiled is submitted to the International Union by the Government departments of the countries concernedo 3. In messages intercepted by British warships the Altmark used the call signal DTAK which is thE> call signal allotted to the Altmark listed by the International Uniono 4. Leaving asi de , therefore, such details as the f'act that the Altmark was armed, that it acted as supply ship for the Graf von Spee, and that it had for severo.l months been used as a pr&son ship for the Gorman n~tVY, it is for the Germa.n Government to explain, if it can, why t he Altmnrk was described as a warship last June and last night in the broadc2sts from Hamburg as ... "an innocent merchantmo.n;'" 18/2/40 -No. 11. FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMTitHQUE (Evening). 'Fhe following corrnnunique was issued this evening from the French G.HoQ. :­ After a very heavy preparation with trench mortars, the enemy attacked one of our outposts to the east of the Moselle, He failed entirely. On other parts of the Front, patrol activity on either sideo ----oOo---­ B,B,C. Announcement .. 18. 2 • 40 ·· N~ 12 fil.R ALLAN POWELL t S BROADCA :;T POSTPONED The B •. B.C :riegret thr.t as 9 for technicr.l rec.sons there w.".s no trrmsmissi,;n this evening r->,fter 7-40 on 342 metr0s9 the speech which the Chr>.irman of the B!B.C~, Sir Al1::.n Powell, wns to hnve bro~dc~st in the 9 p,m! News will not be given, but it is hoped thr. t it will be brofl.cl_co.st t0!1f.Q~.row (Monday) evening in the nine o'clock News. Note ta Editors; In v:le1:i' of this postj~onement r..O..vnnce 9 copies of Sir Allan Pnv1ell' s ~J:V01.dcnst which were issued throuJh the P~ess Bureau toc.ny (Issue No. ·4) shoulc1 not be ~lensed until further notice. ++++++++++++++. AL'I'MA.RK: OFFICIAL COLtMUNIQUE , The followi::J.g communication has been made by His Majesty:s Government to the Norwegian Government with regard to the manner in which the Norwegian authorities dealt with the German ship, ALTMARK~ while she ',~'8.S in Norwegian territorial waters: ~ It was notorious that the ALTMARK had participated in depredations of the Graf Spee to which she had been acting as an auxiliary. We had the best of reasons, confirmed by the British subjects taken off the Graf Spee and previ ously · imprisoned in the AL'J'MARK 5 for knowing that there we re some three or four hund1:ed British subjects aboard who had for long been living under into1erab1e cond.itionso The ALTMARK was also credibly believed to possess offensive armaments. The record of this ship must have ·been wull known to the Norwegian Government and in t he view of His Majesty's Government it was incumbent on the Norwegian authorities 9 when she entered Bergen and requested. passage th:cough Norwegi [m territorial waters, to subject her to a mos t cf:l.reful search, Hia MajeGty's Government would be grateful for full particulars as to how this search was conducted and what facts were discovered., Rt_.. ports recei.ved by His Majesty 1 s Government indicated that the examination had been perfunct orys as shown by the fact that no prisoners had been discovered. So far as the facts wer,-; at present knovv:i to His Majesty 1 s Government, it appeared to them that the Norwegian Government had failed in their dutj_es as neutrals" I f they had i n fact found British prisoners on board, what would they have done with them? Either they would have released them or they woul d at any rate have hel d them pending full examination of the position. His Majesty's Government felt, therefore, tl1at they had every right to cornpl aj_n of the inaction of the Norwegian Government" As stated above, three hundred British subjects had been kept for weeks and months in close confinement, and i f these prisone1·s had found their way to a camp in Germany, the Norwegian Government would have been responsible for the fate of these men. Meanwhile the case agai.ns t the ship j_ tself was such that His 1Vlajesty1 s Governrnent were justified in pressing that the ALTMARK should be interned" ~-. 20/2/40· No.16. THE All~ MINISTRY RE1,UESTS. ·_:HE FOI.LOV\TING CORHECTION TO Tffi.8 ;•.iEEKLY NEWS LETTEH ( EV:CNING NEWSPAPERS) NO. 5. -----13 ISSUE:Q.._S/2/40. On page 10 (Visits to B.E.F. wounded in France)9 paragraph 1 7 please delete 'very serious' and insert 'dangerous'. In paragraph 59 delete 'In serious cases' and insert 'In dangerous cases'. AIR AP:.0'AIRS. l!ivening No. b. -' -~-~-----~---~-----~------~-------------~~--~----­ NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE EVENING NEWSPAPERS OF WEDNESDAY, 21ST FEBRUARY; 1940. --~--~-~--~--------~------------~--------------­ AIR MINISTRY WEEKLY NEWS LETT.ER ~ (Evening Papers) No~ The infcrmation contained in this News Letter may be used by the Press without acknowledgment. l:f it is desired to refer to 't!_he Air Ministry as the source of the information.L.!he expression nThe Air Ministry Announces:-" is NOT to be used. OVER 80 DEGREES OF' FROST. R~ST ROOM "CRIME FUND" ''COME AND GET IT" TOTEM POLE IN FRAl;CE THE WARRANT OFFICER'S WAY V.C. 's OF THE AIR ADVANTAGES OF THE "SITZKRIEG" VISITS TO B.A.F. WOUNDED IN FRANCE precs & Publicity Branch, Air Ministry, King Charles Street, Whitehall, S.W.1. 21st February, 1940. 2. OVER 80 DEGR~ES OF FROST. The Royal Air Force can produce its own weather records from the great frost. Three weeks ago, there was an attack by Fighter Command aircraft on a Heinkel, which was sighted at 25,000 feet off the north-east coast of Scotland. The temperature during the action was recorded as between 50 and 55 degrees below zero. In other words, there were at that height between 82 and 87 degrees of frost. Fighter pilots suffer less under such conditions than might be supposed. Heat from the engine circulates through their small enclosed cabin, and by adjustment of a ventilator the pilot can keep the temperature inside at a comfortable level. The efficiency of British fighter aircraft under such severe conditions is proved by the fact that the raider in question was brought down. REST ROOM "CRIME FUND". The constant reiteration of the word "actually" so preyed on the nerves of a Squadron Leader at a Fighter Command station that he suggested a fine of sixpence for each use of this adverb, The squadron agreed. The cash collected in a fine box was to be devoted to brightening up their rest room. 3. At the end of the first week they had enough to buy a new dart board. Next week there was hardly anything in the box. The squadron had been cured of "actually". So they invented rest-room "crimes". There were fines of sixpence for using the floor instead of the ash-tray for cigarette ash, for leaving newspapers on chairs instead of on the table and for entering the room in dirty boots. The radio set, for which pilots subscribed weekly sums, is naturally a precious instrument. Anyone who mishandles it must pay a fine of 1/-. The rest room, where the pilots wait 11 at the ready" , is now a cosy place. It is close to one of the hangars. The "fine fund" is increasing f'ast. The men hope soon to be able to buy a carpet, 15 feet by 20 feet. But if' someone should "actually" make them a present of a carpet the fines would be liquidated by the throwing of a party. "COME AND GET IT". Every morning at 7 a.m. the bells of Big Ben, borne on the radio, shatter the stillness of Block E at a Royal Air Force Elementary Flying Training School. As the last echo dies away a loud voice rings through the frosty freshness of the corridors with the invitation "Come and get it". Pupil pilots still reposing in bed, or those who have already managed to crawl out, respond to this call with the same zeal that they show towards a pay parade. Out of their rooms they pour, in various stages o~ undPess. They swarm after a figure who precedes them with leisurely and measured gait. Silence falls on the assembled crowd as the figure mounts half-way up the stairs, where the occupants of both floors can hear, even if they cannot see. When the silence is complete, the "Bishop" -to give him his nickname -begins to distribute the heavy correspondence of Block E. In his hands are the pieces of paper which mean so much -letters with stamps affixed at all angles, and with mystic symbols written on the back -letters from home-letters which are received by eager hands and carried off tenderly to some secret place to be read in privacy -depressing envelopes with O.H.M.s. inscribed on them. At last the sonorous tones cease. The end of the mail has been reached. With a cheery word to the disappointfil. and some chaff with the more fortunate ones, the Bishop comes down from the rostrum. He ceases to be the centre of attrac­tion until his next morning call of "Come and Get it11 • TOTEM POLE IN FRANCE. ln a F'rench wood "somewhere in the R.A.F. area" there stands a perfect reproduction of a Red Indian totem pole. Visitors to the station9 walking through the wood~ stare in surprise at the polej which has heads of chickens 9 wolvesj bears and dogs 9 cRrved all over it from top to bottom. The animals' faces are colouredj and the eyes gleam in a lifelike manner. A Canadian officer serving with the R.A.F. has used his leisure hours to carve the pole which is regarded by his fellow-pilots as a lucky mascot. It is a reproduction from memory of the totem poles which the officer has seen in the Dominion's Indian country. THE WARRANT OFFICER'S WAY. We are told that the old-fashioned Sergeant Major is de2d. In the Royal Air Force he never existed. The methods of Warrant· Officer X9 disciplinary warrant officer at a Fighter Command station in Englandj are a good example of the iron hand in a well-padded glove, A warrHnt officer is the Royal Air Force equivalent of a ll:gimental Sergeant Major. He presides by trRdition over the Sergeant's Mess, no matter what his relative seniority. Warrant Officer X has 23 years' servicej having joined the Royal Air Force as an Aircraftmanj 2nd Class 9 in the l~st years of the last wAr. He haa seen eervice in both 6. the last years of the last war. He has seen service in both Iraq and Palestine, wears the Long Service and Good Conduct medal, has never been known to raise his voice, And looks both pleasant and contented. He will always pull up his car and give an airman a lift, or have a word with the childnen as they make their way to school. But he knows the name of every man in the stationy and just a little more about each of them than they guess, His methods are to let it be known that he would like to see a thing done, and it generally is. But if an order is wilfully disobeyed, the offender looks two shades greener after his interview with the warrant officer than he did before. In time of peace a good station warrant officer is highly desirable. In time of war, he is essential. The Squadron officers must spend all their time attending to flying duties. The Commanding Officer can give less time than usual to administration. The station warrant officer, by the use of tact and a vigorous personality, can do a great deal to fill the gap. That is why Mr. X's station is a happy one. '(. v.c.ts OF THE AIR. Ninetee.n Victoria Crosse$ were won by British airmen during the Great War, 1914-1918. Below is the second of a series of records of the deeds which won the decoration. 2. Flight Sub-Lieutenant R.A.J~ Warneford. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Warneford's career in the Royal Flying Corps was a mixture of triumph and disaster -a series of vivid contrasts akin to the character of the man himself. Warneford was born in Darjeeling, India, in 1891 ­son of a civil engineer father. He was educated at the English College, Simla 9 and King Edward's Grammar School, Stratford-on-Avon. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service from the Royal Fusiliers in February, 1915. Ho gained ·his flying "ticket" at Hendon, flying a Bristol 0 Box Kite" (Biplane). He celebrated the occasion by flying the machine round the aerodrome at a ceiling of 200 feet and landing it on his Officer· Commanding' s favourite aircraft. This incident was followbd by Warneford1 s early transfer to France. On June 7th, 1915~ flying a Morane biplane, Warneford attacked a German Zeppelin at 6,000 feet between Ghent and s. B~1~es. He dropped six bombs from close range, and the last bomb hit the airship. The force of the explosion turned his aircraft upside down. The engine cut out, and he was compelled to make a forced landing in enemy territory. After 15 minutes, he succeeded in restarting his engine single-handed -no mean 1'·.::at in those days -and returned to his aerodrome. For this action he became the first air v.c. Ten days later he was far behin1 the l .ines testing a Henri Farman aircraft when it broke up in the air. Warneford and his American passenger were killed. Warneford1 s body was brought across the Channel for burial in England• .ADVANTAGES OF THE "SITZKRIEG" • • In the stress of the last war it was not uncommon for pilots to go to France after the minimum number of flying hours had been accomplished. One of' the advantages of the present "Sitzkrieg" is that it allows ample time for all the later stages in training and for the acquisition of that sense of team-work which is perhaps the most valuable part of an airman's equipment. Some of the later training is devoted to bombing of targets from various heights, imaginary bombing of moving targets on roads and railways (chocked by a camera) diving on a fixed target and using a machine gun on it, formation flying, avoiding searchlights and anti-aircraft fire, and exercises with fighters to bring familiarity with the various methods of attack and counter-attack. In fact there is a long and intensive preparation before any of these airmen take part, in normal conditions, in action against the enemy. First there have been g_ualify­ing classes; then comes the intermediate course, which mixes theory with practice; and finally the introduction to responsible duty with an active sg_uadron. Once they arc with an active sg_uadron, the men know well that incessant practice may soon become tho real thing, As a rule, each new operational crew includes men who have already becm in action. There have, of course, been ocnasions when an entirely new crew has niet the enemy, and in each instance the result of the engagement has clearly shown that each member of the crew has mastered his job. Action brings home to tho newcomer 9 more forcibly than any lecture can, the fact that he is now one of a team and that the team d.C9es its best work only when each unit slips smoothly into place, Not until pilot, observer, gunne1" and wireless operator each knows the part he must play in tho team has each of them become an airman. 10. VISITS TO B.A.F. WOUNDED IN FRANCE. Like members of the B.E~F. men serving with the B.A.F. in France may now receive visits from their relatives in case of' very seriou.s>tj_llness. "'*(See~. d'<-C..Jw...f ) The first of such visits took place during the second week of February. The arrangements are broadly the same as those operating for the B.E.F., and have been decided upon by the Casualties Branch of the Air Ministry in agreement with the War Off'icc. There is at present no special Royal Air Force scheme, because the hospitals in France which receive sick or wounded airmen are Army hospitals. The facilities which are granted,subject, of course, to the war situation, are restrj_cted to near relatives. Two visitors are allowed and two women may go together, but a woman should not travel alone. She must be accompanied by a man. ~fu.t-QAy\A; ,,~) In serious cases~ a telegram would be dispatched to the next of kin of the sick or wounded man. The recipient may present the telegram at a police station in order to obtain a pass to London~ In London the Air Ministry will arrange for his journey to France, which will be by train and boat, not by ai~ T·hcrC:: will be special permits which will make passports unnecessary.