BRITAIN AND FRANCE UNITED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22941, 10 February 1940, Page 13

BRITAIN AND FRANCE UNITED

Prosecution of War • Objectives

COMPLETE IDENTITY OF VIEW

, Turning to Finland, Mr Chamberlain said that, the success which had hitherto attended Finnish arms had evoked the admiration-of the world. “We rejoice to think that the help i which has been given l from this j. country has been of real value to i Finland, and lam glad,to say that! further aid is now on its way,” said J the Prime Minister. “The announce- i ment after the meeting of the Balkan Entente indicated the determination of these countries to do everything/in their power to. maintain the stability and security of south-eastern Europe,” said Mr Chamberlain. “The decision is most welcome, especially if, as I believe is the case, the other States in southeastern Europe have this important object equally at heart. The British Government warmly sympathises with these efforts, which it sincerely hopes may be attended by success.” Greek Delegation . The Prime Minister also referred to the friendly discussions with the Greek financial delegation which had resulted in satisfactory agreements on a number of financial and economic questions of mutual interest to the two Governments, including the settlement and service of the Greek external debt for the duration of the war. The Prime Minister said that there had been no change in the military situation on the Western Front. In the air, winter conditions had exposed men and material to the sternest test, which had' been borne unflinchingly. Mr Chamber-: lain mentioned the very skilful combined operation by which 'naval patrol vessels and a Royal Air Force flying-boat had succeeded in destroying a submarine which had ventured to attack a convoy. Genpan, Attacks The German air‘attacks on British and neutral ships of ' increased intensity were claimed by the enemy j as a great l victory in the war against British shipping. These raids were generally carried put on days when low, thick clouds covered the shipping lanes. They were made by aeroplanes singly or in pairs at widely separated points, and it appeared that instructions, had been given to enemy pilots to do their utmost to avoid contact with the British defences. “But on February 3 our fighters were given their opportunity.” said Mr Chamberlain. “The German’ i wireless took the unusual course of admitting that three enemy aircraft i out of a comparatively small number operating had been lost, and we j know that at least one other was so badly damaged that it probably was unable to reach its base.” Enemy’s Brutality The Prime Minister insisted that the successes claimed by Germany for this method of attack bore no relation to the facts. Mr Chamberlin went on to condemn the callous brutality of the enemy and dwelt in particular on the attack on the lightship, East Dudgeon. “T’he only survivor of the crew of eight tells the story in these words.” said t lie Prime Minister. “ ‘We were not 1 alarmed, | because on previous occasions the | German pilots waved to us and left j us alone, but on this occasion a | bomber dived and suddenly sprayed! the deck with machine-gun bullets, j Later it dropped nine bombs, the last of which hit the ship.’ The dead bodies of seven of the defenceless crew were found next morning on " the seashore. , The killing of fishermen, merchant seamen, and lightship crews in the circumstances which I related is not war but murder.” . The Prime Minister concluded: “No one who studies figures can doubt the determination of the British Empire to throw all its resources into the fight against the I rule of aggression. We cannot tell how long thd fight may last, nor what stern *rials may yet await us, but we have ho reason to be dissatisfied with the opening phases of the war, and we face the future with calm determination and unshaken confidence.”

Germany’s Oil Supply. —German efforts to solve the problem of oil transport from Rumania have thus far failed, states the newspaper “Pester Llovd.” The newly-formed Rumanian Petrol Commissariat told i a Gown an negotiator in Bucharest. , that 3000 Govern ment-owne* 1 petrol j ’-ail ' —errors' were onlv sufficient for I home nuroossa Neil her the CoraI missarwt rer the Government oosj semes the right force private cornI oani' , <; to send their tn-'chs across the frontier.—Budapest, Feb. G.

(»»rna* o»iicu.L \tikxlbss.) (Received February 9, 7.20 p.m.) RUGBY February 8. During: his review of the war in the House of Commops to-day, the Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) spoke of the background to the recent meeting of the Supreme War Council in Paris. This larger meeting seemed to him even more valuable and more businesslike than on previous occasions. "I have indeed the impression as the weeks go by, that the council is steadily growing in importance and has become, not merely a convenient means of harmonising the view of the two Governments, but vital in the successful prosecution of the war. M. Daladier has said that the council would now conduct its business almost as if it were the Cabinet of a single government. “That is not to say that the Government of either country has In any way surrendered its responsibility,” continued Mr Chamberlain, “but an understanding has been reached which will prove an essential factor in the eventual victory of the Allies. This time I returned with the conviction that the bond between our two countries is something greater than even the close alliance which common purpose and dangers have enforced. It has become a deep arid lasting friendship between the two peoples. “A short aiid .sufficient answer to every enemy who may endeavour to sow- dissatisfaction * between us is the phrase which I have Heard so often on the lips of our French colleagues: 'We are as one.’ ”

■ j ACTIVITIES OF THE LEAGUE ; NEW ORGANISATION SET UP TECHNICAL AND POLITICAL DIFFERENCES. (BRITISH OFFICIAL 'WIRELESS.! {Received February 9, 7.30 p.m.).RUGBY, February 8, The Non-Political Conference ofthe League of Nations, which held its first meeting yesterday ait The. Hague, elected Dr. Colijn {Holland) as .President of the 10 States - represented! The meeting was for the purpose of exploring the possibilities and'merits of ultimately separating the technical from the political activities of the League, and is 'only the nucleus of an organisation which it is hoped to create. , . . “The Times” states: “It has been repeatedly shown' : that political prejudice rather than technical disagreement has been the obstacle to acceptance of the Secretariat’s plans. The more clearly, therefore, it may 1 now be possible to separate its technical from_ its political work, the more likely is it . that effective results will be obtained and that the non-aiembsr States will collaborate.” . . The League Organising Committee agreed to form a central' Social Economic Committee. GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA CONDITION GRAVE . (Received February-9, 7.30 p.m.)‘ OTTAWA. February' S. A.bulletin states that the condition - of the Governor-General of Canada (Lord Tweedsmuir) is causing grave anxiety'. Lord Tweedsmuir received concussion in a fall.An evening bulletin stated that Lord Tweedsmuir’s condition was unchanged. His youngest soi, Lieutenant Alistair Buchan, was summoned tp bedside, and cables wore sent to relatives in England. • Government House attaches were ordered to remain on duty throughout the night.

FORCED LANDING MADE — —• * -

. AUSTRALIAN AIRLINER PILOT’S SKILL PRAISED (Received February 9, 8.10 a.m.) MELBOURNE. February 9. The Douglas air-liner Bungana, bound for Perth with 11 passengers and a crew of three, made a forced landing 200 miles north-west of Melbourne yesterday. The pilot explained that one engine caught fire at an altitude of 6000 feet and a landing had to be found. The machine was nearing the ground when the engine dropped out of the aeroplane and the other engine caught fire. The Bun ran a landed safely in a .wheat paddpck and crashed through a fence. Th« machine was damaged, but nobody was hurt. The oasseagers. who were thoroughly alarmed, voiced grati- , tude for the shill of the pilot in bringing them to safety in sensaj tional circumstances.