WAR EVENTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 October 1939, Page 5

WAR EVENTS

MR CHAMBERLAIN’S SURVEY EFFECTIVE WORK OF BRITISH FORCES. IMPORTANCE OF THE TREATY WITH TURKEY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY. October 26. In the course of his weekly war review in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, said the outstanding event ol the past ’week in foreign affairs had been the signature ol the treaty with Turkey. “The treaty had been received with profound satisfaction throughout the Empire and in France and it is a great encouragement to us to know that it has been widely welcomed in many other parts of the world, ' said Mr Chamberlain. “That doubtless is because the world sees in it a guarantee for the maintenance of peace in at least one region of the world. It is a purely defensive instrument, threatening no one and designed only to oppose resistance to aggression. We are proud to feel that under its provisions we now share mutual responsibilities with the Turkish people, for whose patriotism, probity and valour we have long cherished a high regard.” The statement, which concluded with observations on Herr von Ribbentrop’s speech, began with a survey of operations on land and sea' and in the air. Mr Chamberlain said that during the past week there had been no operations of importance on the Western Front. Minor adjustments of positions had resulted in the French and German forces being now on the line of the common frontier. A steady stream of reinforcements and reserves of material for the British Expeditionary Force continued and defences in the British sector were being continually strengthened. The aircraft of the fighter command had again been in action.

Having described successes in the defence of convoys, the Premier passed to reconnaissance by the coastal command units, which had been almost continuously at work. Among successes during the week were the detection of mines in the path of convoys. which had saved ships from danger, and the sighting of seven Üboats. Of the U-boats sighted, four were attacked and there was good reason to believe that at least one was severely damaged, while another was destroyed by warships directed to the scene by aircraft. In a tribute to anti-aircraft gunners, Mr Chamberlain intimated that it was now known that in the raids on Rosyth and Scapa Flow they had brought down two German bombers and there was reason to think they had caused such damage to others as to prevent their reaching home. At sea there had been an intensification of the U-boat campaign, but despite one or two strokes of good fortune the enemy had not been able to maintain the rate of sinking at first achieved.