CRUISER SUNK

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21367, 11 March 1941, Page 5

CRUISER SUNK

ANOTHER ITALIAN LOSS STRUCK BY TORPEDO BRITISH SUCCESS (Official Wireless) (Received March 11, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, March 10 An Admiralty communique states an Italian cruiser of the Condottieri "A” class has been torpedoed and almost certainly sunk by a British submarine. The cruiser was escorted by two destroyers. She was seen to be hit and for two hours afterwards destroyers were seen to be alternately circling around and stopped, evidently picking up survivors. The Italian Condottieri “A” class cruisers are ships of 5069 tons, mounting eight six-inch guns. The class originally consisted of four ships. One of the class, the Bartolomeo Colleoni, was sunk by H.M.A.S. Sydney and destroyers on July 19. The Italian cruiser is presumably the vessel referred to in a recent Italian communique which reports the loss of a cruiser “from unknown causes.’ BRITISH SHIPPING DEBATE ON PROBLEMS SECRET SESSION PROBABLE iUnited Press assl —Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 9 When Parliament meets again it is expected in political circles that time will quickly be given for a debate on shipping problems in a secret session, says a British official wireless message. The Prime Minister, Mr Churchill, is not likely to take part, but searching questions will be answered by the four Ministers concerned, the Minister of Shipping, Mr R. H. Cross, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr A. V. Alexander, the Minister of Labour, Mr Ernest Bevin, and the Minister of Transport, Lieutenant-Colonel J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon. The feeling is also growing that the proposals by the president of the Board of Trade, Captain Oliver Lyttelton, for “concentration” of industrial production, which would entail the closing down of a number of small firms for the duration of the war, needs explanation and Parliamentary discussion before members can feel reassured that its application will be accompanied by fair treatment of all interests involved. DISTRESS IN BELGIUM MR HOOVER’S SCHEME REJECTION BY BRITAIN (United Press Assn.—-Elec. Tel. Copyright) WASHINGTON, March 9 In announcing the rejection of Mr Hoover’s proposal for soup kitchens in Belgium, the British Embassy, in a statement, declared that His Majesty’s Government believed it would be false humanitarianism to admit foodstuffs to any German-oc-cupied territory and is determined not to weaken the blockade. Replying, Mr Hoover said the. stark fact was that millions of children and weak adults are threatened with stunted bodies and death in the occupied lands unless they are relieved. The food situation is far worse than the British statement indicated. In Belgium the ration is now less than half that necessary to maintain life. RAID ON BOULOGNE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright; LONDON, March 10 The Royal Air Force made an intensive raid on the Boulogne area to-