BRITISH EXPORT TRADE

Evening Star, Issue 23700, 7 October 1940, Page 3

BRITISH EXPORT TRADE

FACTORIES IN FULL PRODUCTION FAILURE OF BOMBING RAIDS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 5. Loudon’s share iu the export trade is not being affected by enemy action. This emerges as a result of careful inquiry made by tho Board of Trade. Reports from the,, member firms of export groups and from trade associations in Greater Loudon show conclusively that German air warfare has signally failed to interfere with these industrial enterprises or stop the despatch of their goods for export to the markets of the world. An overwhelming majority of London firms engaged on work for tho export max-ket are keeping up full production and making deliveries to contract time for despatch to customers overseas. Even in the most heavily bombed areas works which have been hit have been able to, adapt themselves quickly to front-line conditions and make arrangements whereby production can go ahead. QUICK REPAIRS. A typical example is a works in East London, employing 1,200 people, where bombs have fallen on one or other section of the works. Tho big .carpenters’ shop, the general stores, a large paint shop, and the metal-working shop were damaged, stocks of raw materials were destroyed, and the principal generator put out of action, and yet the managing director was able to report only two days afterwards that, as a consequence of resourceful organisation, their output was already back to nearly 70 per cent, of normal, and increasing daily. This works, incidentally, has substantially increased its export trade since the war began by supplying its products, not only to markets in the United States, the Britisli dominions and colonies, and elsewhere which it supplied before the war, but to others, especially in South America, which formerly obtained their supplies from Germany. Another works in the same area reports that within 30 hours of the almost total destruction of its premises the production for export orders had been transferred under a prearranged shadow plan to another factory in another part of England, and the output is being fully maintained. MUTUAL ASSISTANCE SCHEMES. The Manufacturers’ Trade Association, with more than 600 works in the Greater London area owned by member firms, states that less than 1 per cent, have suffered damage from bombs. Within a week arrangements had been made whereby all works were able either to resume full production or to transfer their operations to_ other premises under a mutual assistance scheme similar to that worked out by most export groups. The London Chamber of Commerce has a membership of some 9,000 firms engaged in every branch of light and heavy industry, but fewer than 20 of these firms have notified the chamber of the necessity to move to temporary addresses owing to damage caused to their premises by bombing. In one industry the chamber organised a mutual assistance scheme under which some 80 firms agreed -to assist one another in the event of dislocation caused by bombing. So far not one of the firms has found it necessary to call for assistance.

ALSACE-LORRAINE

UNCONDITIONAL RETURN TO GERMANY SECRET CLAUSE IN ARMISTICE LONDON, October 4. General de la Rimiust, whom General de Gaulle appointed Governor-Gene-ral of French Equatorial Africa, has issued a statement that the real terms of the French-German armistice have been hidden from the French people, and they provided that Alsace-Lorraine should immediately be unconditionally returned to Germany. WEYGAND AT DAKAR. The General added that he possessed documents revealing that the Vichy Government had authorised Germans to Hy to Dakar, where they commanded the operations against Genera! de Gaulle. The Berlin radio said it was reported from Vichy that General Weygand was going to Dakar next week to organise counter measures against the de Gaulle movement. Later a French radio message from Tunis stated that General Weygand arrived at Dakar and was enthusiastically received-

BRITISH AIR CHIEF

SIR CYRIL NEWALL'S SUCCESSOR SIR CHARLES PORTAL APPOINTED LONDON, October 5. The Air Ministry has appointed AirMarshal Sir Charles Porta} as an additional member of the Air Council, and also as successor to Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall, who has been appointed Governor-General of New Zealand, as Chief of the Air Staff. Sir Richard Pcirsc will succeed Sir Charles Portal as Air Officer Commanding the Chief Bomber Command. [Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal lias been Air Member for Personnel on the Air Council for about a year. He served in the European War, gaining the D.S.O. and bar and the M.C. He commanded the British forces at Aden in 1934-35, was an instructor at the Imperial Defence College in 1936-37, and served as Director of Organisation at the Air Ministry in 1937-38. He is aged 47.] GERMAN SHOT DEAD ESCAPEE FROM INTERNMENT CAMP OTTAWA, October G. The Director of Internment Operations in Canada lias announced that a posse shot dead Ernest Menllcr. a German merchant soanian. who escaped from an internment camp in North-west Ontario.

TOLL OF FIRE-FIGHTERS

FIFTY DEATHS LAST MONTH IN LONDON LIST OF INJURED TOTALS 501 LONDON, October 6. (•Received October 7, at 8 a.m.) Fifty officers and men of the fire brigade and auxiliary fire service lost their lives fighting bomb fires in London in September. A total of SOI were injured, some seriously.

FRENCH AIRMEN PUNISHED

REFUSED TO PARTICIPATE IN GIBRALTAR RAID LONDON, October 6. (Received October 7, at 8 a.m.) The Tangier correspondent of the British United Press says that a number of French airmen were court martialled at Casablanca for refusing to participate in a raid on Gibraltar. UNION RECOGNITION WORKMEN'S PETITION DECLINED OTTAWA, October 6. (Received October 7, at 8 a.m.) The Federal Conciliation Board, adjudicating between the John Inglish Company, manufacturers of Bren guns, and a group of employees, declared that a war emergency justified the declining of the workmen’s petition for union recognition. The Labour representative, concurring with the judge, asserted that at this juncture speed iu the production of war materials was paramount.

CAPTURED GERMAN FREIGHTER

ESCORTED TO PORT OTTAWA, October 6. The. captured German freighter Weser, with a prize crew on board, has arrived at Esquimalt, Vancouver Island, under naval escort. CENTENARIAN'S DEATH OLDEST WOMAN IN BRITAIN LONDON, October 6. The death has occurred of Miss Mary Davey, aged 108, Britain’s oldest woman. She was assistant at a Brighton bakery for 70 years till she was over 90.

BELGIAN PRISONERS OF WAR

RELEASE BEFORE WINTER LONDON, October 6. ‘ The Times ’ correspondent iu Belgium says that German newspapers in Belgium announce that Belgian prisoners of war iu Germany, except professional officers, are being released before the winter. The Germans apparently do not wish the responsibility of feeding them during the winter.

AIR SUCCESSES

CONSERVATIVE BRITISH FIGURES SIGNIFICANT ADMISSIONS FROM NAZIS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 5. During yesterday’s daylight and night operations the enemy admitted the loss of live aircraft, says an Air Ministry bulletin. In this period the British claimed three enemy aircraft destroyed. Two others were reported as “ probables,” although not claimed, and will not be claimed as definitely destroyed. The enemy’s admission shows that at least two more aircraft were in fact brought down. This goes to prove that a large number of enemy aircraft have been so badly damaged by British fighters and anti-aircraft guns that they do not return to their bases. " PROBABLES ” NOT CLAIMED. Following almost every engagement over this country enemy aircraft are reported as “ probables ” which are not definitely claimed or announced as enemy losses. When these numbers are small the enemy is apt to make a fairly genuine admission. If ho did tlie same on the occasions when a large number of his aircraft are destroyed the results might be very startling. For example, on one occasion when 185 enemy aircraft were destroyed, the reports showed 42 “ probables ” and 75 damaged in'addition. On another date when 89 aircraft were destroyed, there were .34 “ probables ” and 53 damaged. ENEMY FIGURES VALUELESS. Announcing an astronomical figure for the total of British losses since the beginning of the raids on Britain, German and Borne broadcasts give the same figures, but render their value useless by the fact that Rome reveals the Gorman Nows Agency as the source of its information, while the German News .Agency cites the Italian news paper ‘ Popolo di Roma ’ ns its own source.

AMERICAN AIRCRAFT PRCRUCTION

20.0*00 PLANES OH ORDER NEW YORK, October 5. The United States War Department lias awarded a 37,770.000-dollar_ contract to the North American Aviation Company (Incorporated), thus complotinuc the programme for the construction of 18.041 aircraft, which was immigrated on July 1. and_ bringing the total of planes ordered since early in the summer to over *20,000.

SATURDAY’S AIR BATTLES

23 ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED RAIDS ON RESTRICTED SCALE LONDON, October 5. Figures issued by the Air Ministry at 8 p.m. show that 23 enemy aircraft were destroyed to-day. Nine British aircraft are missing. Two of the four British pilots reported missing later returned to their bases, so that Britain lost only two fighter pilots, as against tho personnel of the 23 German planes destroyed. A number of enemy air attacks wore made on Britain between dusk last night and the early hours of this morning, but these were on a restricted scale. The attacks were mainly directed against London. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states: “ A number of bo/nbs were dropped on south-east England, and some fell in other parts of the country. In London and the suiTounding districts some houses were destroyed and other buildings damaged. The casualties reported are not numerous, although they include some fatalities.”

FALSE BROADCASTS

ITALIAN PROPAGANDA EXPLODED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 5. The Sultan of Shibr and Nukalla, which is an independent sultanate in the eastern section of the Aden Protectorate, and is in treaty relations with the British Government, has made the following statement:— “ Italian broadcast stations have been reporting from time to time that heavy .British bombing has been carried out in Hadhramaut and that this has caused unnecessary unrest among tho Arabs. I strongly contradict this statement, as it is far from the truth. In the first place, there is no necessity for the British Government to bombard Hadhramaut. The existing relationship of the Hadhramis with the (British Government is very friendly, and each and every one of the Hadhramis, including myself, is satisfied with tho same, and "they ax - e astonished to hear such false, baseless reports. lam living in Hadhramaut and know what is going on in every nook and corner of Hadhramaut each day, and I am compelled to make this statement, as my conscience pricks me when I hear the continuous false reports broadcast by the Italian broadcasting stations. I would add that the Arabs in Quaiti State and Hadhramaut generally are very happy under their existing friendly relationslxip with the British Government.”

GERMAN DISTORTIONS

ANOTHER FLAT CONTRADICTION LONDON, October 5. The Governor of Nigeria has received the following letter from Abn Kugar. Sultan of Sokoto and spiritual head of the Moslems of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria:—“l wish to inform you that we heard recently that the German wireless said that the ‘ slave-driven ’ natives of the English colonies are compelled by force to contribute to a win-the-war fund. That is a lie, and I would like to ask Hitler whether it is by force also that we gather in our mosques and schools to offer up prayers from our hearts day and night for the success of the British arms and for the downfall of His Majesty’s enemies. When we in Sokoto heard of the vvin-the-war fund we took counsel together and agreed that everyone who wished should make a contribution which seemed proper. I have the honour to inform your Excellency that £6,211 11s Id has been collected from all sections of the community and forwarded to the (Bank of British West Africa at Lagos. This spontaneous contribution from the people of the Sokoto emirate is a token of their loyal prayers for victory. We hope that it may be possible to buy a fighter aeroplane, and that it may be called Sokoto, so that it may become our representative in defending the United Kingdom and fighting the Empire’s enemies.” SUDAN’S CONTRIBUTION. The Sudan Government’s gift of £IOO,OOO for the purchase of a squadron of fighter plaes is officially stated to have been made to signify in practical form the gratitude of the people of Sudan for the benefits conferred by the British Government and their confidence in British victory. The Minister of Aircraft Production (Lord Beaverbrook), in a message to the Sudan Government, describes the gift as an inspiring demonstration of loyalty and devotion, and adds: “ it rejoices our hearts in the hour when the valour and might of the nation are mobilised to overcome its enemies. Wo send your aircraft to battle and our gratitude to you. When victory brings peace once more to the world we shall not forget those who helped us so nobly in the day of peril.” MANY CZECHS ARRESTED TH£ GESTAPO ACTIVE LONDON, October 5. According to Czech sources in London, September witnessed extensive arrests in Bohemia and Moravia of Czech intellectuals and workers. The Gestapo, in the main, imprisoned people who in the German opinion were, or might be, in contact with the Czecho-Slovakian Government _ in London. Ilecent information reaching these Czech sources intimates that a second wave of arrests followed the _ “ illegal ” celebration of the third anniversary of the death of President Masaryk. Most of those arrested are students, and members of the Sokal Gymnastic stalf were arrested by the Gestapo while in Gejkovice, in Moravia. Many members of the local Sokal were taken into custody, and the gymnastic building occupied by the Gestapo because the gymnastic exhibited a picture of President Masaryk on the anniversary of his death.

HOUSE OF LORDS

BOMB EXPLODES NEARBY LONDON, October 6. A bomb exploded outside the House of Lords near the statue of Richard Coeur de Lion. Superficial damage was done to the windows and the structure of the House of Lords.

NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES [Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 6. The following casualties are officially announced: — Sergeant Charles Hugh Leblanc Newbery, 11.N.Z.A.F., missing after air operations. His father resides at 300 a Sehvyn street, Christchurch. Sergeant Colin Mackenzie Laird, R.N.Z.A.P., missing on air operations. His mother is Mrs J. Laird, 15 Parkes Avenue, St. John’s Hill, Wanganui. Pilot-officer Harry Wright Morgan, missing on air operations. His sister resides at Oxford, North Canterbury. NEV’ PLYMOUTH, October (5. Information has been received by Mr and Mrs D. A. Hughes, of Iliverlea, South Taranaki, of the death of their son, Sergeant Air-gunner David Ernest Hughes, in a flying accident in England on October 3. Sergeant Air-gunner Hughes left the Dominion three months ago°after training in New Zealand. AIR HERO'S MODESTY GIVES CREDIT TO PILOT LONDON, October 5. Among the many congratulatory messages received by Sergeant John Hannah on being awarded the V .C. is one from the Lord Provost of his native city Glasgow, who also invited Sergeant Hannah to visit him at the City Chamber. Discussing the action which earned him the V.C., Sergeant Hannah said: “ it seems to me that the most credit ought to go to Pilot-officer Connor. People do not fully realise that whilst I was doing my best with the fire he was sitting up aloft, as cool as a cucumber, taking no notice of the flames, which were only 2ft to 3ft away from him, nor of the sounds of bullets which were either whizzing close to his head or hitting the armour-plating just above him. . . , “ Pilot-officer Connor, in a broadcast,” Sergeant Hannah continued, “ said that bo was able to feci the heat of the fire, and I am sure that he must have done so. This must have been very hot, and yet, through it all, ho managed to pilot our aircraft right out of the barrage so that I was able to get on with my part of the job without interference from heavy shells and tracer bullets.”-

BRITISH LIHER TORPEDOED

WARSHIP RESCUES SURVIVORS LONDON, October 5. A. British warship has picked up and landed at a northern British port survivors from the Highland Patriot ; which was torpedoed in the Atlantic while on a voyage from South America. Twentyseven officers, 109 members of the crew, and 33 passengers were rescued. The British warship saw dense smoke on the horizon, raced up, hoping to attack a German raider, and found the lifeboats, from which it embarked the survivors. It was reported that three men were killed in the engine room and four others who were hurt were taken to hospital. ’ The passengers .included a number of Britons en route to join the forces in England, also two stewardesses and two women passengers. A U-boat fired two torpedoes. The first set fire to the ship, which blazed for several hours before sinking. The second narrowly missed the lifeboats, which were manned in seven minutes. The Highland Patriot in January had a two hours’ fight with a U-boat, which fired) five torpedoes before it was driven off by the ship’s guns. The Highland Patriot in January Mail Lines, was built in 1932, and was a twin-screw motor passenger and cargo liner of 14,172 tons.]

INVASION RAFTS

CONSTRUCTION 8Y GERMANS LONDON, October 6. A Swedish newspaper quoted by the Moscow radio to-day states that its correspondent in Holland _ reports that large rafts are being built in the Netherlands and other European ports to carry troops to England. GREW OF. GRAF SPEE FOUR ARRESTED IN CHILE ’ VALPARAISO, October 6. The police arrested four members of the crew of the Graf Spec from a' Japanese mail boat. They had been hiding in Valparaiso for several days.

AIR TRAINING * GREAT EMPIRE EFFORT (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 5. Official figures issued supplement day# to-day news of the war drive in every part of the Empire. Particularly striking are the figures summarising tn« great Empire air plan. Of the 67 training schools planned in Canada, t!ia main home of the scheme, over 22 r :•« already in operation well ahead of schedule, and there are between 2,00(] and 3,000 pupils in training. There are 16 supplementary schools. Of 88 aerodromes 60 are new, and the schools will be staffed by 40,000 men. In three years the cost will o® • 607,000,000 Canadian dollars, and th® output will be 25,000 pilots and ere"» yearly. In Australia the intake of recruit® >' to March, 1943, will be 57,000, and there will be 36 training schools when the plan is in full operation. In New Zealand there will he full provision for the training of 900_ pilot® yearly, and for the initial training of 2,000 pilots and crews.

CANADIAN FORGES

500,000 MEN UNDER ARMS OTTAWA, October 5. The Canadian Defence Department lias announced that Canada will have an army of 500,000 men in permanent and noil-permanent service by next summer. Men ou full-time active service at ! home and overseas now number 150,000* and, non-permanent active . mijitin nearly 112,000. while 29.750 are being called up under the National Resource* Mobilisation Act as the first of 240.000 to be summoned during the next 12 months.