STREAM OF SHIPS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21243, 14 October 1940, Page 8

STREAM OF SHIPS

THE BRITISH NAVY GREATLY INCREASED THE FRENCH COLLAPSE (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrlfrbt) LONDON, Oct. 12 1 The First Lord ol' the Admiralty, Mr A. V. Alexander, speaking at Manchester, said the task of the Navy had been greatly increased and complicated by the loss of the French Navy and valuable French bases, which had made it far easier for the enemy to conduct his U-boat campaign. The whole convoy and escort work consequently fell on British ships alone. They had also to contain the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean, a situation never reckoned with, but the strain had been met. The menace of the magnetic mine had been overcome. Great convoys of food, raw materials, arms and men from the Dominions, and reinforcements to ! garrisons overseas, had sailed and arrived with clockwork regularity. j Demands for special service came from the Army and Air Force, and ; from those charged with safeguard- I mg Britain’s shores from invasion. : That task had to be done with forces far fewer than the naval staff could j wish to have, but it had been done. ; “Every time you eat you ought to \ say. ‘Thank you’,” said Mr Alexander | I "Now I am glad to say that a stream | of new ships is coming steadily from the yards. “Ws Cannot be Beaten’’ “I am continually asked if I think we can win—although less often ! j now. A great many problems have to \ be overcome and a great many j dangers faced. There may be many ! new fields to be entered. Suffering and tribulations are certain, but I see the situation in sharp contrast to those nights early in June when it was touch and go if we lost the whole j of the British Expeditionary Force or not, when even friendly observers doubted our ability to stand the strain. “Contrary to the gloomy anticipa- i tion and fears of those days, how- j ever, the Battle of Britain is not ; preceding according to Hitler’s plan. I Given a continuance of unity and 1 endurance in pressing forward we cannot be beaten. SUCCESSFUL RAIDS ATTACKS IX AFRICA ITALIAN PLANES DAMAGED ! (T tilted Pre« As«n.—Elec. Tel Copyrlirhtl (Received Oct. 14. 3.15 p.m.) I LONDON, Oct. 13 A Royal Air Force communique is- ' sued at Cairo states: We yesterday raided military objectives at Bardia. At least six direct hits were scored. Enemy planes were seriously dam- ' aged. Big fires were started at Derna and I Tobruk. WOOL FROM BRITAIN i RESERVE IN UNITED STATES FAR-REACHING RESULTS MORE TRANSACTIONS LIKELY 1 I ifnited Press Asn..—Elec. Tel. Copyrlg-M) ! (Received Oct. 14, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 13 1 The past week has been marked by enormous transactions in commodities, principally between the : United Kingdom and the United States Governments, which will have 1 far-reaching effects. The creation of a wool reserve in the United States is the outstanding ! , event. It is estimated that £12,500.000 ! I is involved in the deal, which differs j 1 from the preceding tin and rubber I agreements, which were barter deals j against cotton, involving about £05.000,000. It is noted that the American wool • “reserve” represents an average year’s importation into the United State.-. Some quarters are of the opinion that there is another angle to the deal, which is specially interesting. It would be a convenient outlet for the shipments previously going to Japan in the event of political developments. The United Kingdom Government i appears beginning a substantial j purchase of tin for the purpose of a stragetic reserve. Reports of this have caused a sub- j str.ntial rise in the local price for the 1 the commodity, and have, it is be- ' lieved interrupted official buying, j because the Government is not pre- I pared to go beyond certain levels. Furthermore, it is predicted that the British steel control will shortly annoirnce important rises in price. BRITISH SOVEREIGNS FOR SALE IN SYRIA EFFECT OF THE CRISIS i | 'United Pre-ig Assn.— Eire. Tel Copyist) (Received Oct. 14. 3.15 p.m.) I CAIRO. Oct. 13 I A strange feature of Syria’s economic life is the sudden appearance of British sovereigns, of which the street money-changers are displaying bowl lulls in Damascus and elsewhere, selling them for the equivalent of about £2 5s each. This is believed to be part of the gold distributed by Lawrence of Arabia and now brought to light by the crisis. v j ,