WORLD OUTRAGED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20988, 15 December 1939, Page 8

WORLD OUTRAGED

NAZIS AND COMMUNISTS MR CHAMBERLAIN’S VIEWS THE WAR FOR RIGHT (Omcial Wireless) (Received Dec. 15, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 14 ! In the House of Commons, Mr Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the courage and determination of the Finnish defence. | By an act of aggression the Soviet j Government had outraged the con- ; science of the whole world. The j German Government had publicly ranged itself on the side of the aggressor, whom it even attempted to assist by a violent campaign against the Scandinavian countries for their moral support of the Finnish cause. At the outset and before the appeal at Geneva the British Government , had decided to permit the release and immediate delivery to Finland by manufacturers of a number of lighter aircraft, which were urgently needed. The Government intended similarly to release other material to assist the Finnish Government. Generous help for Finland had been forthcoming from several other countries, including the United States. 1 Several European countries would have supplied more material but for the difficulties made by Germany regarding transit. The Prime Minister, after reviewing the League proceedings, said the opportunity had been seized by the Nazis and many were acting unconsciously in their service by deflecting attention from the primary objective of the Allied war effort—the defeat of Nazi Germany, Germany the Prime Offender “We must never lose sight of that objective,” said Mr Chamberlain. “We must never forget it. German aggression paved the way for the Soviet attack on Poland and Finland and Germany alone among the nations even now is abetting by word and deed the Russian aggression. We must give what help we can to spare the latest victim, but meanwhile it is only by concentrating on the task of resistance to German aggression, thus attacking the evil at the root, that we can hope to save the nations of Europe from the fate which otherwise will overtake them.”

Progress of War Reviewed Reviewing the progress of the war at sea, on the land and in the air, Mr Chamberlain touched upon the King’s visit to the troops in France. He said:— “The British troops have now taken their place in a sector of the Maginot Line side by side with the French. Certain British units are now facing the enemy in an outpost line, whence patrols have maintained touch with the enemy. The British commander is under orders from the senior French Formation Commander, but has himself French troops under his command, thus giving fresh proof of the mutual confidence the armies of the Allies have in each other.” After reference to the work of the Air Force the Prime Minister proceeded to speak of Empire co-oper-ation and ended with a declaration that the Allies are fighting to defend Christian principles and ideals. The British Casualities Mr Chamberlain said approximately 2100 of all ranks lost their lives on active service in the first three mofiths of the war, compared with 12,500 between August and October, 1914.

CRITICISM BY SOVIET

“ANGLO-FRENCH MANOEUVRE” CONTROL BY ALLIED CAPITAL (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrig-ht) LONDON, Dec. 14 The Moscow radio to-day claimed that the method of election of the League’s Russo-Finnish Committee was “an Anglo-French manoeuvre,” carefully selected from anti-Soviet representatives of countries dependent upon British and French capital. SYMPATHY FOR FINLAND TRAGIC AND UNEQUAL CONTEST < United Press .^Fsn.—Elec. TeL Copyright) LONDON. Dec. 13 On behalf of the British group of the inter-Parliamentary Union, the secretary has written to the president of the Finnish group conveying to their comrades and colleagues of the Finnish group a heartfelt expression of profound sympathy in the tragic and unequal contest which has been forced on them.

RUMANIAN OIL

GERMAN DEMANDS MET REVALUATION OF REICHMARK (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) BUCHAREST, Dec. 13 Rumania has agreed to persistent German demands that she should increase her oil shipments to the Reich, also that she should revalue the reichmarks. The Rumanian lei, which stood at 41 to the reichmark. will now stand at 52. Germany had demanded a drop of 15, but King Carol decided on 11. This is the second increase in German oil purchases this year, the other having occurred as the result of the trade pact which was signed after a Nazi delegation had visited Bucharest.

Rumania's decision to devalue the lei is considered to be a compromise. All the problems concerning the export of oil to Germany are not yet solved. German groups have bought substantial holdings in the large oil refineries. It is Germany’s first foothold m the refineries.