PREPAREDNESS IN EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22516, 26 September 1938, Page 12

PREPAREDNESS IN EUROPE

ALL COUNTRIES READY FOR ACTION MOBILISATION AND DEFENCE PLANS (UNrTED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTRIOHT.) (Received September 25, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 24.

Mobilisation plans have been completed and distributed throughout Rumania in readiness for immediate implementation. A Bucharest message says the Ministry of War has assumed control of all individual enterprises in Rumania.

Five thousand Jugoslavs demonstrated outside the Czech Legation in Belgrade offering their services to fight for the Czechs. A Budapest message says the Hungarian army manoeuvres have been indefinitely prolonged. More British warships are expected ai Alexandria. Troops are guarding the railway to Libya. A message from Paris .says all the reinforcements have been sent to the German frontier and none to the Italian frontier. Within an hour after, the proclamations ordering mobilisation thousands of reservists in mufti were flocking to the colours, crowding stations and awaiting transport to their regiments. Those called up are chiefly artillerymen, air mechanics, sappers, and electricians, mostly required for the .Maginot Line. Railwaymen on the eastern lines have been individually warned to stand by. M. Daladier issued a decree that the Government would take control of the railways, giving priority to military transport, and that the 44hour week law would be suspended. Hundreds of British tourists going home were unable to" obtain accommodation in - the trains. A Berne message says negotiations are proceeding between Switzerland and Germany to rectify'the frontier where small enclaves on both sides of the border have created an unsatisfactory condition. Swiss troops on annual manoeuvres have been ordered to remain with the colours.

The Belgian Government has called up technical and artillery units. The Netherlands army manoeuvres have been called off, but the troops will remain in their garrisons in a state of preparedness. Swedish naval conscripts and artillerymen to man the coast defences who were due to be released next week have been retained in service. TRANSPORT PLANS IN BRITAIN

PRECAUTIONS FOR NATIONAL

EMERGENCY

RUGBY, September 23.

It is understood that the Minister for Transport (Dr. E. L. Burgin), in anticipation of the responsibilities which would be placed on him in a national emergency, has reviewed the necessary measures to secure the most efficient use of road transport. The Minister consulted a committee, consisting of four leading men in the road transport industry, together with a representative of rail-way-owned road transport and a Labour representative. This committee developed a detailed scheme, the essence of which is to make the maximum'use of existing experience and ability in the industry. The Minister decided that the boundaries of the present traffic areas should be modified to accord with the plans of the food, defence, and air raid precautions departments. Each area will be divided into a number of districts, with a district transport officer, who will b>- an executive officer on whom will fall the main burden of disposing of the available transport in these districts to the best national advantage. LABOUR SYMPATHY FOR CZECHS BRITISH LEADERS VISIT LEGATION LONDON, September 23. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr C.iR. Attlee) and Mr Arthur Greenwood called at the Czechoslovakian Legation and personally expressed to the Czech Minister (M. Masaryk) Labour's sympathy, and, they believed, the whole of Britain's, for Czechoslovakia after the British and French "betrayal." The "News-Chronicle" states that Mr Attlee and Mr Greenwood assured M. Masaryk of the full support of British Labour whatever happens.