NEWS BY RADIO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1939, Page 6

NEWS BY RADIO

SINKING OF ROYAL OAK MR WINSTON CHURCHILL’S DISCLOSURES. SHIP TORPEDOED IN SCAPA FLOW. The following Daventry reports have been rebroadcast by the New Zealand National stations: — In a statement on the sinking of the battleship Royal Oak, Mr Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, said the- Royal Oak was sunk by a U-boat, while at anchor in Scapa Flow, at 1.30 o’clock on Saturday morning. It wac still a matter of conjecture how the submarine penetrated the defences of the harbour, which was immune from attack in the last war. It must be considered a remarkable exploit of skill and daring. It appeared that the submarine fired a salvo of torpedoes, one of which hit the bows and the muffled explosion was put down to an internal cause. Twenty minutes laterthree or four torpedoes were fired in quick succession and the Royal Oak capsized and sank. The battleship was at the extreme end of the harbour and many officers and men were drowned before rescue ships could reach them. Mr Churchill said the loss of the Royal Oak did not affect the margin of security in heavy ships. An intensive search, of the harbour had not revealed any results. All possible precautions had been taken at Scapa Flow and a board of inquiry was investigating the disaster. In reply to a question in the House of Lords.'it was stated that the Admiralty had no reason at present to know that the U-boat had been destroyed. SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN. Mr Churchill also made another statement about the war at sea. In the first six weeks of the war, 13 of 60 German submarine had been sunk, five seriously damaged and possibly sunk and seven others damaged. . These figures wore probably an under-state-’ ment. Besides that two-thirds of the U-boats which had been raiding had been attacked .by depth charges. The French Navy had' also had successes. Last Saturday and Sunday the campaign against merchant ships was again intensified, four ships, including two French vessels, being sunk. Three others which were attacked escaped. Last Friday, four German submarines were certainly destroyed, including two of the largest and latest ocean-go-ing type. Since the beginning of the war, 174.000 tons of shipping had been lost by submarine, mihe and accident and in the same period Britain had captured 29.000 tons of enemy ships' and 104,000 tons of new British shipping had been completed. THE WESTERN FRONT. The Western Front had remained stationary throughout the day. stated a French war communique. Local activity occurred on the whole front and at certain points there were sharp infantry engagements. Yesterday two of the biggest attacks so far seen occurred, the first on a four mile front, which was decisively repulsed and the second on a twenty-mile front east of the Saar. The latter attack was supported by heavy artillery fire. In spite of these two attacks, the French are still fighting on German soil. Five or six German divisions took part, but at no point did they reach the first' French line of defence. The French merely withdrew from the first line of outposts, which were simply to maintain contact with the German lines. The minefield behind the outposts must have caused heavy losses among the German troops. It is pointed out that the position on the Western Front is very different from the trench fighting in the last war. It is much more fluid on both sides. The Allied High Command is not disposed to regard minor tactical points as ground which has to be held at all costs. TURKEY AND RUSSIA. The development of negotiations between Turkey and Russia still remains quite obscure. The Turkish Foreign Minister is now expected to leave without signing a pact. A Russian statement says this does not mean that the talks have broken down but it merely marks the end of one stage in the negotiations. The Turkish Foreign Minister has left Moscow. The Turkish Prime Minister, in a statement about the negotiations, issued from Ankara, ' said that when the Turkish Foreign Minister left for Moscow both governments had already exchanged views on several important points on the treaty proposed. The regulations had not so far been successful, the reason being that the Soviet Government had presented completely new proposals. It had not been possible to reconcile these new proposals with the basis which had already been laid down, between Turkey, England and France. On the point of view of Turkish security, the guarantees offered were not. considered equitable to the obligations to which Turkey was asked to subscribe. Relations with the Soviet, continued as in the past, on a friendly foundation. SOVIET & FINLAND. The president of the Supreme Soviet Council has assured President Roosevelt that the present negotiations between Russia and Finland recognise the independence of Finland and are aimed at the strengthening of friendly co-operation between Russia and Finland for the security of both countries. Russia was making no demands on Finland inconsistent with Finnish independence. There was much German anti-air-craft activity at Emden but no British air raid has occurred there and it is possible that Netherlands planes were the cause of all the bother. The Netherlands has protested against German guns shooting at Netherlands patrol planes near Emden. A British reconuaisance flight was carried out over western and northwestern Germany in daylight. One machine has not come back. The French have decided to demobilise the 1909 class and when this is completed the 1910 class will also be released. The Swedish Foreign Minister has emphasised the determination ol the Scandinavian countries to follow their own destinies and to remain neutral. The four power conference opens tomorrow.

A German commission has arrived in Moscow to discuss the repatriation of Germans living in parts of Poland occupied by Russia. It is also thought that the repatriation of Germans in other areas may also be discussed. General Hertzog has issued a statement denying that he had ever attempted to justify or approve the methods and actions of Herr Hitler,