CITY IN RUINS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 4, 29 September 1939, Page 9

CITY IN RUINS

Hospitals Wiped Out Daventry announces that a wireless message picked up from Warsaw said that an armistice had been agreed on at noon and negotiations for an honourable capitulation were taking place. The city was ruined. Nine hospitals full of "wounded had been wiped out, ammunition was running short, and it was impossible to expect early help from the Allies. A pitiful message concluded: “This message will be the last for some time.” It was stated that every church lay in ruins.—By radio. RUSSIAN ADVANCE MOSCOW, September 27. The latest bulletin from the Soviet army commanders indicates 'that the Soviet troops are now 35 kilometres south-west of Bialystok and 40 miles south-west of Drogobich. The Russians claim to have captured 36.500 prisoners.

BOMBS ON CIVILIANS

Difficulty Of Neutral Inquiry (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 27. The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Butler, answering questions in the House of Commons as to whether the British Government would consider approaching the German Government for the purpose of appointing neutral commissions to investigate reported cases of bombing of civilians, as had been proposed by the former President of the U.S.A., Mr. Hoover, among others, replied: “While Britain has every sympathy with the objects of this proposal and with that made by Mr. Hoover, she considers that the difficulties of bringing a scheme into operation and of its functioning successfully would be almost 1 insuperable. I would remind the House of what the Prime Minister said on September 14, that, whatever be the lengths to which others may go, Britain will never resort to deliberate attack on women and children or other civilians for the purposes of mere terrorism.”

CONTRABAND GOODS

Interceptions By British And French (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 27. More than 70,000 tons of goods were intercepted and detained by British contraband control during the week ended September 26, states an evening bulletin of the' Ministry of Information. These figures include 23,150 tons of iron ore, 14,200 tons of petroleum products, 7200 tons of manganese orc, 7600 tons of oil seeds, 6000 tons of bauxite, 2000 tons of fodder, 2100 tons of miscellaneous foodstuffs, 1300 tons of fibres, 1300 tons of oils and fats, 1000 tons of cereals, 590 tons of rubber, and a number of consignments of chemicals, cotton, wool, gums, resins, timber, hide, skins and fertilizers. These goods were detained on the ground that there was evidence that they were contraband consigned to Germany. A Paris report says the French fleet took more than 100,000 tons of contraband in the first three weeks of the war, not including cases where it acted in conjunction vyith the British fleet.

Nazi Report Denied.

A Ministry of Information bulletin states:—

“The German wireless broadcast a statement that the British Government intends to cut off supplies of paper for Latin American countries unless thennewspapers agree to adopt a proBritish attitude. “It seems hardly necessary to point out that the British detention of contraband goods applies only to goods going to Germany, our enemy and not to those goods destined for South America or any other countries.” A Dutch mission will go to London on September 29 to negotiate for relaxation of the contraband rules.

DECREE IN FRANCE

No Criticism Of Allies

PARIS, September 27.

A decree forbids criticism, either printed or spoken, either of Britain or of Poland. This is the first time such a law affecting another country has been applied in France.

BRITISH PLANE INTERNED IN ICELAND

LONDON, September 27. A British war plane was forced down iu Iceland. The plane and the crew of nine were interned. The plane lost its bearings in a fog while on patrol duty.