SUNER DISPLACED

Evening Star, Issue 24291, 4 September 1942, Page 3

SUNER DISPLACED

SPANISH MINISTERIAL CHANGES WHAT SIGNIFICANCE ? (British Official Wireless.) (Roc. noon.) RUGBY, September 3. The changes in the Spanish Government and Falange announced from Madrid have caused great interest in London. The principal change is the replacement of Senor Suner as Foreign Minister and president of the political commit-

Affairs

tee. Suner, long known for his extreme views, is replaced as Foreign Minister by General Jordana, and in the Falange his position is taken by General Franco. General Asensio replaces General Varela in the War Ministry, and Senor Perez replaces Colonel Galarza in the Ministry of the Interior. Don Eamon Ferrano Suner, Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, was described after the first year of war, when he was Minister of the Interior, with control of propaganda, as being pro-Fascist and as strongly antiBritish, and employed in working for an early abandonment of Spain’s aloofness in favour of joining the Axis Powers. His Fascist ideas were learned from Italy, where he was educated. Ho was the head of the Falangist Party, and, after his brother-in-law, Franco, the most important man in Spain. JAPANESE EQUIPMENT INTERESTING ASSORTMENT COLLECTED STUDIED BY ALLIED TECHNICIANS (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) (Rec. 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 5. The Japanese war equipment captured at Milne Bay is now being studied by Allied military technicians in Australia. It bears the anchor symbol of the Japanese navy, indicating that it was used by marine . assault troops. The technicians say the equipment is comprehensive, but some of it is of poor quality. Items flown from Milne (Bay to Australia include a gas mask, rifles, submachine guns, a flamethrower, and grenades. The gas mask is much inferior to the standard British and American types. The automatic rifles are old models limited to about 130 rounds a minute sustained fixe. The flamethrower is capable of throwing a flame 30 feet. It would weigh 701 b ready for use. Other automatic weapons captured included a light gun similar to the Bren, but of smaller calibre, and a tank gun with telescopic sighting attached. The Japanese tommy gun is a replica of the German Steyr, a shortbarrelled weapon of 500 yards range. The thoroughness with which the Japanese troops arc fitted out is evidenced in the assortment of articles found in a soldier’s haversack. It contained a phial of anti-mosquito grease, a small camouflage net, field dressings, and a tin containing concentrated food. One of the most interesting articles was a water purifier, which consisted of a long narrow tube with a composition box. The end of the box was perforated. Presumably the sucking of water through this apparatus ensured its purification. Accompanying the purifier was a box of chemical tablets. It has also been revealed that Japanese planes shot down over Port Moresby are being brought back to Australia for salvage purposes. Their aluminium and other metals are used in building Aus-tralian-made planes. AIR LOSSES BALANCE TILTS AGAINST AXIS (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. noon.) (RUGBY, September 3. The Axis lost 8,985 aircraft in the three years of war, against a loss of 6,231 by the U.A.F., according to figures issued by the Air Ministry. The fact that during the past year the R.A.P. lost 3,114 aircraft is the measure of the extent to which the R.A.P. as a whole has been able to turn from the defensive to the offensive. The position is particularly favourable in the Middle East, whore the R.A.P. has been particularly active. In this theatre during the past year the Axis lost 1,417 aircraft, against the 11.A.P.’s 1,114. GROWTH OF R.A.F. (British Official Wireless.) ((Rec. 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 3. To compare the R.A.P, at the outbreak of war and to-day was to compare the acorn and oak, said Mr Herbert Morrison, speaking in London. Paint-hearted friends and gleeful enemies used to point out that Britain was in a very weak geographical position—a small island with a great arch oi German bases curving around her. Now how did that look ? Maps had not changed, and the German bases were still there, but there was a difference in the meaning of the geographical pattern. When the British attack did come, he said, it would be a bitter struggle, yet we should know that the balance of offensive initiative had passed over to the United Nations, never again to leave it.