HISTORY AS IT HAPPENS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 78, 20 December 1940, Page 2

HISTORY AS IT HAPPENS

In this section. weekly will appear a day by day record of the events of history in the making. As some time elapses in the publication of "The Listener’’ this diary is one week retrospective.

Thursday, December 5 The Greek War Ministry announced the capture of Premeti. The Greek army was reported close to the coast in the south at Santi Quaranta. British and Turkish Governments concluded arrangements to facilitate trade in the sterling area at the existing Turkish rate of exchange. The Soviet informed Japan that she would continue to recognise the Free Chinese Government. The Prime Minister of New Zealand reviewed the international developments during a secret session of the House of Representatives. Friday, December 6 Following an appeal made by the Minister of Customs that women should buy fewer silk stocking, stores throughout New Zealand reported a rush on hosiery counters. Marshal Badoglio resigned as Chief of the Italian General Staff. The Greeks entered Santi Quaranta. The R.A.F. bombed the Royal Italian arsenal at Turin. An armoured division operating as part of the new British Expeditionary Force concluded large scale manoeuvres in England, The Carnarvon Castle was in an inconclusive action with a fast German raider in the South Atlantic. The new British C.LC. in the Far East, Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, hinted that British forces and fortifications in the Far East were being heavily strengthened. The Governor-General refused a request from the New Zealand Farmers’ Union that he should withhold the Royal Assent from the Small Farms Amend‘ment Bill. Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8 It was announced that New Zealand had reached a-third of the £1,000,000 total wanted for the All-purposes Patriotic Appeal. Admiral Domenico Cavagnari_ resigned as Chief of the Italian Naval Staff. President Roosevelt pledged the support of the United States for Greece. England had a day and night of freedom from raids on Saturday, but on Friday Bristol had been heavily bombed. The R.A.F. bombed targets in France and the low countries. Discussing the United States loan to China of dollars, the Japanese newspaper " Hochi " said: "This is joo to challenging war with a ; The London " Times," the deadlock created in India by the continuance of the Congress Party’s campaign of civil disobedience, suggested that a new approach to the problems was necessary; principally, though not entirely, from the Indian side,

The Director of Publicity in New Zealand deplored the wide circulation of unfounded rumours about shipping losses in local waters. The German Air Force directed the main force of its raid on London as "severely, although not as violently" as in September. The resignation was announced of Count Vecchi as Governor of the Dodecanese Islands, Monday, December 9 The Greeks were seriously threatening Elbasan. Athens celebrated the final occupation by Greek troops of Argyrokastron. Clashes between the French in IndoChina and Thai forces became more serious. Tuesday, December 10 News arrived that British Imperial Forces had attacked in Western Egypt and were driving a wedge between the Italians at Sidi Barrani and their lines of communication to Libya. The Greeks continued their advances up the Albanian coast and had then occupied one-quarter of Albanian territory. Stories about London’s raid on Sunday describe widespread damage and many casualties. From Copenhagen it was announced that 350 Danish Nazis had been arrested after a three-hour fight with the police. The Canadian destroyer Saguenay arrived in port damaged by a torpedo received during action to defend a convoy from a submarine in the eastern Atlantic. The Prime Minister inspected the workshop of the Wellington Emergency Training Committee where 45 men were being trained in munition making. Wednesday, December 11 The capture of 4,000 prisoners was announced from Egypt 36 hours after the beginning of our surprise attack on the Italians in the Western Desert. The Carnarvon Castle left Montevideo an hour and three-quarters before the end of her 72-hour time limit. Discussing what he called "a struggle between two worlds" Herr Hitler said in his speech: "I shall fix a time for the final decision, but I am cautious." London announced that British war expenditure during the previous week had reached the record figure of £15,739,000 a day. Lord Lothian announced in Washington that Britain had reluctantly rejected plans to help American organisations to send food to German-occupied countries in Europe. London announced a British loan for Free China of £10,000,000. Chungking reported that Japanese forces were falling back in the Han River region after suffering 20,000 casualties. Two pilots were killed in a R.N.Z.A.F, crash at Leithfield Beach.