DOCKS BUSY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 October 1940, Page 5

DOCKS BUSY

IN SPITE OF RAID EFFECTS SWEDISH CORRESPONDENT’S TESTIMONY. DAMAGE IN NO WAY DECISIVE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 22. Confirmation of the way in which London is standing up to air raids comes from a special correspondent of a Swedish newspaper who preferred to go alone through the damaged districts in east London rather than take the special tour arranged. “At the docks,” he said, “I discussed the problem thoroughly with ordinary people. The air raid on October 7 did damage at the docks, but vessels were still lying discharging cargoes at the quays. Factories have fires under the boilers and chimneys smoke. I was amazed that so many srqall houses remain undamaged. Trains switch about on the railway lines, motor-cars use the roads and vessels travel the river fully loaded for collection by coastal convoys.” The correspondent’s impression of London after six weeks of bombardment is—the damage is in no way decisive. GERMAN REPORT LONDON, October 22. A German communique says: “Planes penetrated over Germany last night and dropped a number of bombs without causing military damage. “German bombers started numerous new fires in London and other towns. Several British motor torpedo-boats attacked a patrol boat with machineguns. The patrol boat returned the fire, supported by coastal batteries. One enemy vessel was sunk and the others turned back.” BRITISH CHILDREN SIX THOUSAND IN CAMPS. (Received This Day, 11 a.m.) LONDON. October 23. The Health Minister (Mr M. MacDonald), in the House of Commons, said six thousand children at present were in thirty evacuation camps. HEAVY MIST IMPOSES CHECK ON RAIDERS. HOUSES DEMOLISHED IN ONE LONDON AREA. (Received This Day. 11.0 a.m.) LONDON. October 23. A heavy mist, blotting out the Straits of Dover, is believed to have been partly responsible for the marked slackening of night raids on London. High explosives demolished a number of houses in one district and several persons were buried under debris. A time-bomb exploded in a London area after it had been dug up. Members of the demolition squads were at lunch. There were no casualties and the damage was not serious.