INCENDIARY BOMBS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 139, 13 May 1940, Page 8

INCENDIARY BOMBS

DROPPED IN BRITAIN. ' RAIDERS DRIVEN AWAY. LONDON, May 10. It is learned that four incendiary bombs were dropped at_ Chilliain, near Canterbury (Britain) early to-day. The bombs were dropped from German ’planes flying over at a high altitude. The Air Ministry announces that a German flying-boat was shot down and another severely damaged in the North Sea yesterday. In addition, the Coastal Command shot down another and damaged a third. A fourth Dormer also has been damaged. The second Dornier definitely known to be shot down was subjected to live relentless attacks at the hands of a Coastal Command flight which drove it to r within sft of the sea. Zig-zagging so low that the air stream from the propellers made a wake on the surface, the Dornier suddenly flopped on the water with its engines out of action. While British aircraft circled round watching, four Germans climbed out of the Dornier and, standing on a float, held up their hands in surrender. One British aircraft flew away* to call a British warship. In another combat between an aircraft of the Coastal Command and a Dornier the British crew had made four diving attacks when the German pilot gallantly turned his machine and flew straight at the British aircraft, forcing the pilot to turn sharply to avoid a collision. The Dornier was last seen with black smoke streaming from its engine. Very fierce anti-aircraft fire in the Thames Estuary began at 4.40 a.m. and lasted 20 minutes after the sighting of five German ’planes. Gunfire shook adjacent buildings and shrapnel fell in the streets of riverside towns. The ’planes continued their course eastward, apparently heading for Chatham. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs (Dr. van Kleffens), coming to London in a seaplane, was forced down in the sea at Brighton because of shortage of petrol. He reached shore in a dinghy. A radio broadcast from Madrid says the British have closed the Straits of Gibraltar and Italy is massing troops on the French frontier. FRENCH CABINET. RESHUFFLE ANNOUNCED. * LONDON, May 10. The War Cabinet is again meeting. A Paris message says the Premier (M. Reynaud) has reshuffled the Cabinet, taking in representatives of all parties. MM. Marin and Ybarnegaray will join the War Cabinet. A Brussels message says that M. Degrelle, the Rcxist leader, and M. Declerg, the Flemish Nationalist leader and two Flemish Nationalist deputies have been arrested. MR CHURCHILL’S POST. The German radio states: “This post of Chamberlain, who is always walking with a prayer hook in his hand, is taken over by Churchill, the most brutal representative of the policy of force, whose programme is the dismemberment of Germany. He is .a man whose hateiul 'face is wellknown to all Germans.” GERMAN MINELAYING. LONDON, May 10. The Berlin radio at 9.20 p.m. announced that in order to safeguard German troops against enemy operations mines had been laid outside all Netherlands and Belgian ports. Shipping was advised to be careful approaching these harbours. The Berlin News Agency states that a U-boat sank a British submarine off Terschelling (one of the Frisian Islands). A German speed-boat sank a destroyer in the North Sea. REMARKABLE SCENES. SANGFROID OF DUTCH. AMSTERDAM, May 10. When the wireless announced that Holland and Belgium had appealed to Britain and France, also that the Dutch were- determinedly resisting the invaders, the atmosphere changed miraculously. British and French shook hands with Dutchmen in the streets. Then came an astonishing demonstration of Dutch self.-control. People streamed off to the offices arid factories, men, women and girls pausing only to snatch up special, editions. Patrols and guards at strategic points were rapidly increased during the morning and barricades were erected across the streets. Ail* raid shelters were opened. The invasion did not prevent housewives carrying out their morning routine of beating carpets and washing the steps outside their houses, but busloads of children departed ■ from Amsterdam. The Stock Exchange has closed, and the banks are paying out only the equivalent of £7. On the eve of the invasion all the airfields were evacuated and the Dutch air fleet scattered along the country roads in order to deprive the German bombers of targets. Enormous cement cylinders, stone blocks and disused motor-cars, covered the i runways of the deserted airports and would prevent ’planes landing. The Dutch have mined a hundred miles of roads. Tanks guard the broad roads, aiming to prevent the Germans landing 'on them. Dutch censorship was imposed during the morning, out the Hilversum radio announced .that French, Belgian and British ’planes were sighted over Holland. It also announced that Holland’s frontier army was fighting well and that the German parachute troops had failed in their task. Other bulletins at short intervals called oii the people to keep a sharp

look-out for further parachuters and warned the people to ignore German radio suggestions that German-Dutch negotiations were proceeding. A Singapore message says the Governor of the Dutch East Indies, broadcasting, declared that a state of war existed, and all Germans above the age of 16 would be interned. The majority of Germans taken from their offices were unaware that war existed. GERMANS ANNIHILATED. The Dutch Foreign Minister (Dr." Van Kleffens), in a broadcast from London, said: “Holland is fighting hard and not without success. She has a vast empire overseas and considerable resources which she now puts at the disposal of our common cause—the destruction of the Germans’ spirit of wanton aggression.” As the Dutch High Command has concentrated its defences to block the main German drive in Gelderland towards Arnhem, Dutchmen throughout the country, fiercely engaged in little wars of their own, are reported to have achieved the annihilation of many if not most of the German parachute troops dotting the country. An evening communique announced that the Germans had reached the Yssel River only in the sector east from Arnhem, about nine miles from the German-Netherlands frontier. It added that parachute soldiers had been surrounded and mopped up. BATTLE AT ROTTERDAM. The situation at Rotterdam was most paradoxical. A battle continued in and around the city, while the central streets presented their Sunday evening calm, with citizens sipping aperatifs at curbside cafes. Air raid alarms continued throughout the day, but no bombs were dropped on the city. The Germans here first seized the Maas and Bourse railway stations, also an important bridge, and established a strategic machine-gun post in the business area on the north bank of the river. They also occupied houses on the south bank. The Dutch have now apparently ousted them from most of their positions and have surrounded the remainder. They have captured at least forty. A Dutch destroyer steamed up the river, backed into' the harbour basin, and shelled the German machine-gun posts. German ’planes four times attempted to bomb the destroyer without result. STILL KEEP OUT. MR ROOSEVELT’S VIEW. WASHINGTON, May 10. President Roosevelt, at a Press conference, said personally he was fully in sympathy with the views of Queen Wilhelmina and her proclamation rallying round Holland to fight the German invasion. Mr Roosevelt said he saw no change in the situation to warrant a revision of his belief that the United States could stay out of the war. He refused to go into further details, because the subject was speculative. He warned the reporters not to interpret the word “speculative” under any conditions to mean that the United States may be involved. The Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) indicated that he was consulting the Latin American countries concerning the status of Dutch possessions in the Western Hemisphere. Fie added he had not communicated with ’Japan regarding the Dutch East Indies. For the eventuality of the United States entering the war, the chairman of the Securities Exchange Commission (Mr Frank) has worked out a finance plan to produce a 20,000,000,000 dollars’ war chest. .

Tho programme, resembling a forced loan project, is based on the assumption that the national income is 80,000,000,000 dollars and that there is no unemployment. It would require Congressional anproval. The War Department is asking for 500 new “flying fortresses,” to cost 400.000 dollars each ; also additional anti-aircraft guns, because of the impressive demonstrations of air power in the Norwegian campaign. The Senate by 45 votes to 36 lias passed the Townsend Bill, prohibiting further Treasury purchases of foreign silver. The measure was opposed by the Administration. The Department of Agriculture has announced the beginning of tlie corn exports subsidy programme immediately. The department announces the sale of 20,000,000 bushels of Government maize to the United Kingdom under the new programme. It is reliably but unofficially stated in New York that the State Department has been informed that the Nazis have seized the freighter Charles R. McCormick at Bergen with a cargo of war materials and relief supplies for Finland. The aviation authorities report that Britain and France have ordered 2000 additional warplanes, increasing the recent purchases to more than 4000. A Tokio message says the Foreign Office spokesman (Mr Suma) said Germany’s invasion of tho Netherlands had brought no concern to Japan over the Netherlands East Indies. Japan was following a policy of strict non-involvement. There was no evidence to indicate that the European move would affec-t the East Indies and no indication that Britain was planning protective custody.