OMINOUS SILENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1939, Page 7

OMINOUS SILENCE

NEWS FROM GERMANY DELAYED ACUTE PHASE PERCEIVED IN FRANCE. ITALIAN PRESS ATTACKS MR CHAMBERLAIN. x->y Tetegrapn-—Press Association—Copyrtgc.u LOINDGiN, August 25. Mr Chamberlain was at ms uesk at 7 a.in. touay alter a tew hours sleep, ivir iscten was one of me nrst callers, and men Lord rialilax and Borel Cadogan arrived, it is reared that the departure of the journalists xrom Berlin will result m u serious lainng-ort of news. Inere has Deen an ominous silence during most or mis morning due to a congestion in me lines, wmcn has now caused tnree nours delay. Faris maintains an imperturbable calm whicn does not conceal ns anger over rtussia’s duplicity, on mis the "Petit Parisien" says: "The betrayal is complete. Tne propnet oi pan-German-isrn and tne double-dealer of Bolshevism m league today are like two thieves plotting their next coup." The French newspapers agree that the crisis has entered a very acute phase, for which Russia is to be blamed. Tne British Embassy in Paris, has urged English tourists to return home as soon as possible. This has coincided with a statement from the Foreign Office in London advising the cancellation of holidays on the Continent. Poland is grateful for Britain’s reaffirmation of unqualified support. Political circles are of the opinion that President Roosevelt's suggestion of dir* ect negotiation with Germany would be acceptable, but only on a give and take basis. Anything else would smack too much of Munich. The Italian Press attacks Mr Chamberlain's speech, which is described as full of equivocations, deductions and hypocrisy and repeats that a catastrophe can occur at any moment and can be avoided only by Poland backing down. EMERGENCY BILL DRASTIC POWERS TAKEN IN BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 25. By the Emergency Powers Defence Bill, twelve clauses, passed today, the Government takes wide and drastic powers. It provides that the King may. by Order-in-Council. make necessary regulations for public safety, defence, maintenance of public order, and the efficient prosecution of war and for maintaining supplies and essential services. It does not. however, authorise the imposition of any form of compulsory military service or industrial conscription.