NEWS BY RADIO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1939, Page 8

NEWS BY RADIO

BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY & OTHER FORCES STATEMENT BY SECRETARY FOR WAR. UNITY OF 'COMMAND IN FRANCE. The following reports have been rebroadcast by the New Zealand National stations: —

In a Parliamentary statement on the British Expeditionary Force. Mr L. Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for War, said that 158,000 British soldiers had been transported to France within the first five weeks of the outbreak of war. The equipment transported to France totalled .25,000 vehicles, including tanks,' some of which were more than 15 tons in weight. Britain had more than fulfilled the undertaking given to France to despatch a specified force within a specified time. This contingent would not be the last to arrive. This colossal task of transport ' and organisation had been successfully carried out without a single casualty. On an average three convoys have crossed the Channel every night. Only 20 per cent of the force is infantry, ' compared with 60 per cent in 1914. Fifty Bren guns and 16 anti-tank rifles and other weapons are included in each battalion. The British forces were definitely engaged in fortifying their positions in the line. The army in Great Britain comprised the best part of a million men. Mr Hore-Belisha said there would be great calls on Britain’s man-power. Nearly 50,000 volunteers had joined the army since the beginning of the war. The procedure would be to call men up with classes, with , a quota of volunteers. The auxiliary Territorial services were being ex, panded. Unity of command was assur? ed, the British Army in France being under the French Command. FINNS IN MOSCOW. The Finnish delegation has arrived in Moscow and talks are expected to commence tomorrow. The evacuation of Helsingfors is continuing. Many offers of assistance are being made by citizens and all schools have been closed. Soviet troops are said to have been moved up to the Finnish frontier. People are hoping that the United States will urge Russia to take a moderate stand. The Soviet advance in control of the Baltic is causing great concern in Norway and Sweden, who, •t is stated, have now arrived in the danger zone. ABORTIVE AIR ATTACK. The attack by German bombers on a ' British cruiser squadron on Monday lasted for five hours, during which period more than a hundred bombs were dropped. A few splinters from < one bomb fell on a British cruiser, but : other bombs fell wide, some of them a mile away. The attack was as pro- ■ longed as it was unsuccessful. No Brj- < tish ship was damaged and there were < no British casualties. MERCHANT TONNAGE. Mr Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, said Britain was now 58,000 tons better off in merchant ship? ping than was the case when he lust made a statement about the submarine campaign. Since that statement was made Britain had lost 5000 tons and had taken 13,000 tons from the enemy, while 50,000 tons of new ships had t come upon the water. £ It is officially announced in Paris I that the French Navy had seized 150,- I 000 tons of goods destined for Ger- £ many. 1

A trade treaty has been- signed between Great Britain and Russia which provides for an exchange of timber for certain British goods.