PROGRESS OF HOSTILITIES

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20909, 14 September 1939, Page 8

PROGRESS OF HOSTILITIES

REVIEW BY MR CHAMBERLAIN UNITY OF BRITAIN, FRANCE AND POLAND MENACE OF HITLERISM WILL BE REMOVED (Official Wireless) (Received Sept. 14, Noon) RUGBY, Sept. 13 A statement on the international situation was made in the House of Commons this afternoon by Mr Neville Chamberlain. He started by referring to the meeting of the Supreme War Council, which he attended in France yesterday. The object of the meeting, he said was to make possible at the earliest stage in the war a direct and personal exchange of views. The present situation was fully examined and the measures to be taken in the immediate future discussed. Further meetings would be arranged as and when necessary to ensure the closest possible co-operation between the two countries on all major aspects of the conduct of the war. “I am glad to be able to assure the House that the people of France and the people of Britain are alike determined not only to honour to the full their obligations to Poland, but also to put an end once and for all to the intolerable strain of living under the perpetual threat of Nazi aggression,” said the Prime Minister. “Our French allies are, like ourselves, a peace-loving people, but they are as convinced as we are that there can be no peace until the menace of Hitlerism is removed.” Mr Chamberlain referred to the present situation in the Empire, Europe and the theatres of war, and added: “I cannot give the House details of all measures of defence which have been adopted in overseas parts of the Empire, but on behalf of the Government I can say that both in the military and civil spheres steps which in some cases are of far-reaching nature have been taken. An increasing number of foreign states have declared their neutrality, but in no case, has this led to any relaxation of the armed vigilance which characterises Europe. For the moment the eastern theatre war is still the main centre of operations. The Germans appear to be endeavouring to force a decision in this theatre before they are compelled to transfer formations to the west to meet the threat of allied intervention. That these hopes have so far been frustrated is due to the indomitable spirit of the Poles.”

On the West Front “In the west the French begun a methodical advance. Hitherto these operations have been local, with the object of straightening out the line and gaining contact with the main enemy positions. This is an essential and important preliminary phase about which the ’French naturally are reticent, and it is sufficient to say that it has been completely successful. Mr Chamberlain said: It was true that British, troops are already in France, although they have not been in action, and he promised that when this happened all possible information would be issued. A number of Royal Air Force squadrons were now operating from French soil. “Further successful reconnaissance flights over Germany have been carried out by the bomber command in this country and much useful information has been gained in the course of these flights of the activities behind the German frontier. Defensive patrols proceed continuously and the fighter command remains in a state of instant readiness. The coastal command has continued to carry out extended reconnaissance, and the anti-submarine patrols have carried out a number of attacks. Speaking of the sea activities, the Prime Minister said: "The auxiliary naval forces are now passing rapidly into service, and the Fleet has been joined by three destroyers of the Polish Navy, which have proved to be very efficient and are taking part in the strenuous life of our light forces. “The main object of the British Navy must be, as in the last war, to ensure the freedom and safety of the seas.” The Submarine Campaign The Prime Minister referred to Germany’s 1917 submarine campaign and added: “In the present war the German attack upon our merchant shipping was begun by an act of ruthlessness against a passenger ship, contrary to all rules of maritime warfare and the convention that Germany herself signed, and is being continued. A certain number of British merchant ships have been sunk, and our losses undoubtedly have been somewhat severe. British Vessels Surprised Continuing the Prime Minister said: “The Germans placed their U-boats and supply ships previous to the outbreak of war in the best strategic positions, and it is not surprising that some of our vessels have been caught and surprised by submarines before they wer© able to reach port. It is impossible to apply the convoy system while many ships to be convoyed are still on the high seas. We are, however, pressing on with putting that system into force, and it is daily operating with ever-increasing efficiency. In the last war out of some 16,500 vessels which were convoyed to and from this country on fhe Atlantic only 102, or .6 per cent, were sunk by submarine action while on convoy, but the convoy system was only applied in the summer of 1917 after we had been at war nearly three years. That is not the case today. The convoy system is being applied immediately, and as soon as it is in full working order I have no reason to suppose that it will prove to be less decisive than it was 20 years ago. “At the outbreak of the war the total German tonnage ships at sea or in neutral or Allied ports, the Baltic ports excepted, was in the neighbourhood of 1,105,000. Practically all that shipping lias now been cleared off the high seas. Some have been captured and much of it lias interned itself in neutral ports.” Work of New Ministry After dealing with the organisation of the civil defence services in Britain,

Mr Chamberlain said he proposed to say a few words about the work of the Ministry of Information, on which the Lord Privy Seal would make a detailed statement in due course. "The work of the Ministry of Information,” said Mr Chamberlain, “is the most difficult type of work that can be assigned a Government department.” “Such a Ministry must continually seek to steer between giving information which might help the enemy and destroy our own troops and withholding information with the risk of creating the impression that terrible things may be happening of which the public has no knowledge. “In the second place, the Ministry of Information is necessarily a department whi'ch cannot begin its real work in any real sense until the outbreak of war and then at a moment's notice it has to spring into its fullest activity. It can scarcely be expected that in the face of such formidable difficulties as these errors will not be made and some of them will be serious enough to cause trouble and exasperation to the whole press. “I regret such incidents and I should like now to express my appreciation of the patriotic way in which the press generally in this country has cooperated with the Government and sought to play its part in the common struggle. Plea to the Public “I have already declared to the House the desire and intention of the Government to give the fullest possible information to the public and to do all that we can to prevent any feeling in the minds of the public that it is being kept in the dark. “That is the principle to which, through the Ministry of Information, we shall seek to give effect. “Improvements in machinery can, 1 have no doubt, be made, and the debate to-day may help us to discover what some of these improvements should be, but I feel that in these early days 1 am entitled to ask the House and the country for patience and toleration while we are endeavouring to correct what lias gone wrong and build up a satisfactory and efficient service.” SLOVAK DESERTERS INTERNED IN HUNGARY FORCE OF 10,000 SOLDIERS United Press Assn.— Elec. I’el. Coon rim*, (Received Sept.. 14, 11 a.m.) BUDAPEST, Sept. 13 The radio announced that 10,000 Slovak soldiers walked into Hungary. All were interned. FOOD FOR GERMANY FROM BULGARIA AND YUGOSLAVIA RESUMPTION OF EXPORTS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received c?ept. 14, 11 a.m.) SOFIA, Sept. 13 Bulgarian exports to Germany, which were held up because of lack of rolling-stock, have been resumed as a result of Germany supplying waggons. A daily total of 260 waggon-loads of food-stuffs is on route to Germany through Yugoslavia.