HISTORY AS IT HAPPENS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 83, 24 January 1941, 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.

Wednesday, January 8 A British Ministry was announced for the study of reconstruction and post-war problems, under the responsibility meantime of Arthur Greenwood. Other Cabinet changes were the creation of an Import Executive and a Production Executive to allocate the available resources of raw materials and labour. "The Times" said that the new Cabinet Committees caused disappointment, and that the maximum of civilian effort and sacrifice was not utilised, " The Government is fumbling with a policy on the whole economic side of the war." Tobruk had a further heavy bombardment together with the aerodromes and ports to the west. The British mechanised forces advanced to within fifteen miles of the town, and took possession of the aerodrome of El Adem with many damaged aircraft. Destroyers, torpedo boats and other small units of the French Navy passed the Straits of Gibraltar in two’s and three’s unmolested by the British, a manceuvre designed to remove the navy to Africa safe from German hands. The British blockade was relaxed to permit the American Red Cross to send to unoccupied France condensed milk and vitamin products. for children. Danish miners on arrival at Copenhagen reported that American troops have occupied Greenland and American police were posted in one town. Bitter fighting broke out between rival factions of the Iron Guard in Rumania. Greek destroyers entered Valona roadstead unmolested, shelled targets, and returned to their ports safely. Valona has also been attacked by the R.A.F. Thursday, January 9 Reports from America stated that 100,000 British troops are on the Abyssinian border of Kenya waiting for the end of the rainy season. The German radio announced a rumour that England intended to invade Eire through Ulster, and that if this should happen Germany would react in the same way as in the case of Norway. Thirty-five thousand additional Italian soldiers embarked from Valona_ indicating the Italians’ desperate plight. From Pogradec to the coast the Greeks advanced without much resistance. President Roosevelt ordered all warships to be manned at war-time strength and authorised an increase in the active strength from 192,000 to 232,000. The Navy was reorganised into three fleets, the Pacific, the Asiatic, and the Atlantic. An Australian armoured corps and an armoured division for the A.I.F. was announced by Mr. Menzies, involving an expenditure of several millions of pounds, Friday, January 10 A formal and urgent demand by Hitler for control of the French Mediterranean coast and the right to establish naval bases and dockyards was rejected by Marshal Petain, according to Swiss reports. "Le Temps" reported. that a desperate food shortage was spreading sickness

and disease through Paris. Through lack of vital fats thousands of children are the victims of malnutrition. Saturday and Sunday, January 11 and 12 Leaders of the United States Administration introduced simultaneously in both Congress and Senate President Roosevelt’s plan for further aid for the Allies. The powers under the Bill are virtually unlimited, and the President could sell, transfer, exchange or lease any defence article. Criticism was directed against the scope of the President’s authority. Russia and Germany signed an agreement covering commercial exchanges and matters of common concern such as frontier delimitation. The Greeks captured Kelceyra (Klitrisra) which was found sacked. Dr. Dalton, Minister of Economic War-_ fare, issued a warning that Hitler would soon open a more active phase in hostilities. Monday, January 13 Reports from East Africa show the precarious hold of the Italian Army. Haile Selassie at Khartoum received Abyssinian tribesmen in conference. General Soddu, the Italian Commander in Albania, resigned. The Chinese Government concluded a new barter agreement with Soviet Russia for military supplies in exchange for tea. The Bulgarian Premier declared his Government’s determination to safeguard Bulgarian independence and freedom, He said that Germany had taken no steps to bring Bulgaria under foreign domination. Tuesday, January 14 The United States Secretary of the Treasury announced that the British had negotiated with American investment trusts for the liquidation of Britishowned direct investments. Japanese newspapers stated that President Roosevelt’s " Aid to Britain" Bill was tantamount to an open challenge to the Axis. British merchant shipping losses of the first week of the New Year were among the lowest for any week since the war began. It was authoritatively stated that Britain was prepared to facilitate the evacuation of Italian women and children from East Africa if Italy desired. Wednesday, January 15 In a naval and air clash in the Mediterranean one Italian destroyer was sunk and 12 enemy ’planes shot down with damage to three British warships. German and Italian ’planes made extensive dive-bombing attacks on part of the fleet. The "Daily Telegraph" stated that the R.A.F. was shifting the air frontier from over London to over the Continent. The British Government announced a plan for conserving the use of refrigerated ships by bringing meat to England from the Argentine in order to avoid the lengthy voyage to and from New Zealand, 3