LONDON LETTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 200, 23 August 1940, Page 5

LONDON LETTER.

the french marine. Wheat to feed Germans? LONDON, July 10. The French Navy will not act against Britain. What of the French merchant feet? How much aid will Hitler get from the shipping and shipbuilding yards of France? That.country possessed the second largest navy in Europe; in merchant vessels, however, she was relatively weak. Her gross tonnage of ships over 100 tons amount to 2.9 millions, compared with the 11.5 of the U.S.A.. 21 of the British Empire, •nd 68.5 world total. Germany was estimated to possess 4.5 million tons. Japan, Norway, Italy and Holland all have' (or had in 1939) larger merchant fleets than France. Even though the prize is not a big one, the ships will be useful to the enemy—if lie can get them. The bulk of French ■hipping, however, is outside European waters and is unlikely to fall into German hands. The capacity of French shipbuilding yards is small. In the ten years ending 1938 they produced only 3 per cent of the total world tonnage. No doubt the Germans will strive to increase the output, but their, ability to do so depends largely on their access to raw materials. France is rich in iron ore and bauxite, but deficient in the chief alloys needed in the production of steel —manganese, nickel, cobalt, tungsten and chromium. The British Empire has all these vital inetals in abundance. Food Position in France. Will the German people gain by die conquest of France, from the point of ▼iew of food supply 1 At the beginning of the war the country had substantial #u,pflies of live stock, and much of it

was in the territory since over-run by the invaders. In 1938 the French had 15,500,000 head of cattle, 10,000,000 sheep, 7,000,000 pigs and 1,500,000 goats. The meat shortage in Germany may be partly relieved in the near . future, though there 'may be more meatless days for the French. As regards other basic foodstuffs, however, there is little likelihood of France sending much to Germany, unless she herself starves. Even in normal times she does not produce enough for her own requirements; wheat, oats, maize, potatoes and other foods roust all be imported. The 1938 wheat crept for instance, was a bumper one— 9,000,000 tons—but it was still necessary to buy 400,000 tons from abroad. This year's crop is estimated to be at least 20 per cent down, and an important factor for future production is the necessity to import fertilisers. ' ' M.P.'s in the Forces. A number of members of Parliament, of all' parties, are serving with H.M. Forces. Two of them have been missing since the evacuation of the B.E.F. from France. There is no official knowledge of the fate of these M.P.'s. For the time being their constituencies are without representation, and no steps can be taken to elect a successor until an official pronouncement' is made, v A soldier M.P. who managed to escape —he was one of the last boatload out of Bordeaux—landed at a West Country port in his own constituency. Motoring through the division on his way home he was stopped by some of his constituents, Local Defence Volunteers, who demanded to eee his identity card. His plea, that he was their M.P. was not accepted in lieu of the card, which was missing, and he was sent back to the port for proof of his identity. New "Distressed" Areas. The setting up of defence zones created many problems for the people living in the coastal regions, from which holidaymakers and casual visitors are barred. Because of the ending of holiday trade, many resorts face bankruptcy. Defence areas, it is contended, are now "distressed" areas. Hotels, boarding-houses, and others engaged in catering ere badly hit, as are entertainment industries. Inevitably, rents and rate* will remain unpaid. Local councils are pressing- the Government: for: an immediate 'i moratorium. " . -~ : ,

Many of the banned towns still house evacuated children, who will have to be removed inland; at the moment their parents cannot visit them. A less serious poser put to the authorities in one district involved the request of a cricket team outside the zone to enter it in order to play a match with a coast side; the request was refused. The L.S.D. of Humour. Rumours which spread in Britain after the fall of France produced a £53,000,000 slump in the shares of four companies concerned with war production. Similarly, stories of damage to aircraft factories and munition works have had adverse reactions on the Stock Exchange. Rumours are proved baseless, the stories false, but in ■ the meantime the shares have suffered. Home railway stocks have depreciated by 50 per cent, and many industrial and mining shares have weakened from the same cause. The Stock Exchange, it is said, is a sensitive barometer of the war. It is in the national interest to keep the markets steady. Stockbrokers want actionl taken to stop the rumour-mongers, who unwittingly may give information to the i enemy. If, for instance, after an attempt to bomb an aircraft factory there is a slump in that factory's shares, then the Germans can assume that the attempt was successful. Hunting and Racing. Should hunting continue in wartime? Farmers in England are complaining that while they are experiencing difficulty in getting, enough feeding stuffs for their pigs and poultry, the hunts have big stocks of meal. At least one hunt, the; North Somerset, have decided to stop for , the duration. Their hounds have been destroyed and members are training to hunt enemy parachutists instead of foxes. • i Others are expected to follow their example. It used to be urged by apologists of hunting that the sport was vital to the! country because of the training it provided for future cavalry officers. Mechanisation has disposed of that particular argument. One reason advanced for the continuance of horse-racing is the part it plays in one of Britain's oldest industries—the breeding and export of bloodstock. The industry, which employs 100,000, is worth £7,000,000 to the country, according to recent figures. Efforts are being made to avoid a complete stoppage. •