RAIN OF BOMBS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20994, 22 December 1939, Page 6

RAIN OF BOMBS

FINN TOWN ATTACKED INHUMAN METHODS PATIENTS INJURED (United Press Assn.—E.ec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Dec. 22, 3.15 p.m.) HELSINKI, Dec. 21 Stalin’s airmen celebrated his birthday by raining 6001 b high explosive bombs on Finland’s chief southern town, destroying two Helsinki hospitals, damaging three seriously, and injuring patients who were too ill for evacuation. Raiders simultaneously bombed several towns within a 25-mile radius from the capital, attacked Hanko and its approaches, machine-gunned two Turko-Helsinki trains and bombed the Porvoo and Turkus working class districts, setting fire to many homes and killing or wounding many people.

They are also reported to have swooped on the important industrial centre of Tampere with similar results, and visited Nasa, which is 300 miles from the nearest Russian air base. Planes were very active on the Karelian Isthmus, bombing Waipuri, also participating in a battle for the Mannerheim Line, which entered the third week with daylong onslaughts of infantry, artillery and tanks. TERRIBLE PERSECUTION CONDITIONS OF CZECHS NATIONAL COMMITTEE FORMED 300,000 NAZIS CONCENTRATED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Dec. 22, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 21 Viscount Halifax and Dr. Benes exchanged letters establishing a Czechoslovak National Committee in England. Dr. Benes, in a statement, said he hoped shortly to form two divisions. He added that the persecution of Czechoslovakia was indescribable. Germany had concentrated 300,000 soldiers, excluding the Gestapo, a portion of which were maintaining order, while others were singled out for operations against other countries.

NATIONAL SAVINGS 3000 NEW GROUPS FORMED £35,000,000 IN THREE WEEKS STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT (Official Wireless) (Received Dec. 22, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 21 Sir Robert Kindersley, president of the National Saving Association, stated that there have been as many new savings groups formed during the past three weeks as in a year during the last war. The total sales of new national savings certificates have during the three weeks reached nearly £35,000,000, while 3000 new savings groups have been formed in the same period. Sir Robert took the view that, even so, the possibilities of increasing the number of savings groups are immense. GERMANS IN TYROL TO DECIDE OWN FUTURE DISCUSSION WITH MUSSOLINI (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Dec. 22, 3 p.m.) ROME, Dec. 21 Signor Mussolini received Herr Himmler. The news agency says they had a long and cordial conversation. Herr Himmler and the Italian Under-Secretary for the Interior signed an agreement under which Germans resident in the Tyrol will vote by December 31 whether to return to Germany or assume Italian citizenship. MUNIFICENTGIFT CHEQUE FOR 150,000 DOLLARS TORONTO CITIZEN’S GENEROSITY •United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Dec. 20 A munificent gift by a citizen of Toronto has enabled Canada to meet the cost of its first war hospital, now being erected in Buckingnamshire. Hearing that 150,000 dollars would cover tne entire cost of this, a private citizen, who remains anonymous, sent a cheque for the whole amount. The gift was made to the Toronto branch of the Red Cross Society. A total of 805,000 dollars was raised in the first fortnight of a Do-minion-wide campaign to provide 3,000,000 dollars for Red Cross work. By ttov« and of last month the fund, which was inaugurated on November 12, has already reached 2,988,799 dollars.