WAR REVIEW

Evening Star, Issue 23382, 27 September 1939, Page 9

WAR REVIEW

THE PRESENT POSITION STATEMENT BY MB CHAMBERLAIN WORK OF MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC WARFARE CUTTING OFF GERMANY'S MAIN SOURCES OF SUPPLIES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 26. (Received September 27, at 11 a.m.) In a House of Commons statement on the present position of the war, Mr Chamberlain said: “ My first task today is ■ to give a report to the House of the second meeting of the Supreme War Council on September 22—this time in England. It was a great pleasure to be able to welcome M. Daladier and his colleagues to our shores. The Council met in the morning and again in the afternoon, I am glad to he able to inform the House that we found ourselves in complete agreement with the French representatives on the course to be followed to meet the developments since pur meeting on September 12, and to give effect to the Allied plans. Agreement was also reached on the procedure for co-ordinating and perfecting the arrangements to be made by the two Governments on the question of munitions supplies. PARTITION OF POLAND. “ Since my last statement on September 20, the effects of the action of the, Soviet Government on the position in Poland have become clearer. The Soviet .forces have everywhere rapidly advanced, and on September, 23 a Ger-man-Soviet communique was published in- Moscow, according to which the German and Soviet Governments had established a demarcation line between the German and Soviet armies, running roughly north and south from East Prussia, through Warsaw, to the junction of the Hungarian and Slovak frontier. It will be noticed that this line brings the Soviet forces np to the suburbs of Warsaw, leaving the greater part of Galicia and of the Polish oil wells in Soviet control.” " Communiques issued by the Red Army do not, however, suggest that the Soviet troops have as yet occupied all the territory allotted them under this arrangement, which amounts to more than half the total area of the Polish Republic.” ECONOMIC WARFARE. After reference to the cowardly assassination of M. Calinescu and brief references to the progress in the air and on the Western Front, where “ the French have continued to make progress in certain localities and,have succeeded, notwithstanding the increasingly energetic German reaction, in maintaining all their gains intact,” and to the dominions, whose war preparations, he said, continued with gathering momentum, Mr Chamberlain turned to the work of the Ministry of Economic Warfare, to which he devoted a large part of his statement. Whereas in the last war the Ministry of Blockade was not set up until 1916, the new Ministry had been under organisation for the past two years, he said. The object was to disorganise Germany’s economic structure and cripple her power to prolong hostilities. Mr Chamberlain continued : “ A word of warning against over-optimism is necessary. Germany already possesses stocks of varying size of raw materials, which she requires to import, and quick results cannot, therefore, be expected. But our command of the sea means that from the day war broke out Germany was cut off from many of her sources of supply, and the figures for the first three weeks of the war show that we have seized about 256,000 tons of goods, as to which there was evidence that they were contraband and consigned to Germany. These include some 62,000 tons of petroleum products, 65,000 tons of iron ore, and 37,000 tons of manganese ore. German propaganda meanwhile has been active, alleging that our contraband control will have no effect on Germany, as she is self-sufficient, but will, on the other hand, completely strangle neutral trade. “ I do not know which of these statements is further from the truth. The fact is that we made plain at the beginning of the war that we were anxious to take into account the bona fide trading needs of neutral countries, and that Britain would gladly consider any suggestions the neutral Governments might put forward for this purpose. Friendly discussions are now taking place with a number of Governments, and Britain hopes in certain cases to come to arrangements with them which will still further simplify the procedure of contraband control. The facts speak for themselves, and neutral opinion will, I am sure, make its. own comparison between Britain’s clearly-declared policy on the one hand and, on the other, the thinly-veiled menaces of Germany towards neutrals, menaces which in the past few days have been translated into action by the sinking of three neutral ships under circumstances constituting » clear breach of international law. NAZI INHUMANITY. “ Much play has been made in German propaganda of the inclusion of foodstuffs in the category of conditional contraband, and it is represented that we arc thereby conducting an illegal and unhumane blockade. But in this respect a vital blockade is in no way different from a land siege, and no one ever suggested that the besieging commander should allow free rations to the besieged town. In any case, the German Government should be the last to make such an accusation at a time when German submarines are attacking all shipping coming to these islands with a complete, and

callous disregard for humanity aiid therrules of submarine warfare to which ' Germany had solemnly agreed.” The Premier spoke at length of the industrial organisation of the nation for war, and the part employers and labour, as partners with the Ministry; of Supply, could play. Mr Chamtierlain concluded: “ Never have our people been more united or more determined. They are resolved—and this simpls fact cannot too often be stressed—to rid themselves once and for all of the perpetual threat of German aggression, of which Poland is the latest instance. We and France entered the war to rid ourselves and, the world of that menace, and our peoples are united as never before in the resolve to - achieve that purpose.” MINISTRY OF INFORMATION LABOUR LEADER'S CRITICISM LONDON September 26.' (Received September 27, at 12.35 p.tn.)l The House of Commons cheered Mr Attlee when he spoke for the first time since his illness. He paid tribute to Polish heroism, and added that he was disturbed because the economic side of the war had not found recognition in the composition of the War Cabinet, which should be composed of people dealing with functions, not depart-, ments. “ Our resources have not been mobilised,” he said, *‘‘and the personnel not utilised as it should be. I have complete faith in victory, but the morale of our people will .be maintained by telling them the truth. Too little of the truth is dangerous. The Ministry of Information, tends to be a Ministry to withhold information.” DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED ONLY 43 JOURNALISTS OUT OF A STAFF OF 1,000 LONDON. September 26i ■ (Received September 27, at 12.30 p.m;)] Lieutenant-colonel Sir E. .W. M. Grigg stated in' the House of Commons, amid jeers from all parts of the House, that only 43 ■ journalists- were employed out of a staff of 1,000 in the Ministry of Information. The Minister realised that the situation required investigation. (Loud cheers.) Mr Hore-Belisha stated that it was not the policy to send overseas anyone younger than 19, but at. present none under 20 was going. Mr Oliver Stanley announced Britain’s intention of maintaining trade with the Baltic States and Finland as far as the war permitted. ; Lord Strabolgi, in the House ’of Lords, vigorously raised the question of censorship, the upshot - being that Lord Stanhope promised inquiries. Lord Strabolgi referred to the Ministry of Information passing reports of the Queen’s return from Scotland, then cancelling it, and then releasing it. H* asked how long this sort of thing was to continue. The Labour Party was most dissatisfied with the whole conduct of the Ministry of Information, and demanded a change. , Lord Macmillan said the 8.8. C. was independent arid not under his control. Lord Strabolgi: That’s very alarming. Wo thought Lord Macmillan was in charge.

Lord Stanhope said his impression was that the Postmaster-General, remained in charge.

SUPPLIES FROM DOMINIONS 1 Mr Chamberlain, in the House o* Commons, said: “The dominions’ air strengths are now being made ready for use overseas. Munitions, raw materials, and foodstuffs from the dominions are being made available in an ever-increasing volume.” NEW ZEALAND BUTTER BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S PROFIT LONDON, September 26. (Received September 27, at 1.5 p.m.)’ In the House of Commons, Sir George Schuster urged that, in view of the fact that the Government was making £250,000 profit on butter, New Zealand, which was helping the Empire, should share in this gain. The Minister for Food', Mr W. S. Morrison, promised to do his best t<» overcome the butter difficulties. H# suggested awaiting the national regia* ter. GENERAL PUTSCH'S FUNERAL ORATION BY NAZI COMMANDER BERLIN, September 26. (Received September 27, at 11 a.m.T Field-Marshal Goering represented Herr Hitler at the funeral of General von FritSch, whom General von Braiichitsch in an oration described as most loyal to the Fuhrer, the people, and the army, and one of the best Prussian* the army ever had, AUSTRALIA'S WAR BILL OVER SIXTEEN MILLIONS TO DATE CANBERRA, September 27. (Received September 27, at 11.45 a.m.)l The Assistant Federal Treasurer, Mr Spender, issued a statement showing that defence liabilities incurred by tha Commonwealth Government since the outbreak of war amounted' to about £16,800,000. The enlistment of 20.000 men in the special defence force cost in the vicinity of £4,500,000 a year for pay and allowances and camp expenses, apart from equipment.