AIR WARFARE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 118, 12 February 1940, Page 10

AIR WARFARE

Course Reviewed By Minister NAZI RUTHLESSNESS Allies’ Organization Widening (British Official Wireless.) (Received February 11, 7-5 p.hi.) RUGBY, February 10. Reviewing the course of the war in an address at Bristol, the Minister of Air, Sir Kingsley Wood, said: “Between the Thames and the north-east of Scotland our merchant ships in large numbers move up and down on their peaceful business each day. The German airman emulates his naval confederate in ruthless and murderous attacks on them. He does not discriminate between British or neutral ships. He obviously prefers those vessels which cannot defend themselves.” Sir Kingsley Wood particularly deplored the enemy machine-gun-ning and bombing of helpless fisher-

Recalling the fact that only a few years ago the nations of Europe under arrangements at Nyon condemned all attacks without warning on merchantmen as acts of piracy, he said: “It is astonishing that the German High Command seeks to condone these atrocities and authorize the attacks on lightships and the shelling of the men who man them and whose sole purpose and lives are dedicated to the greater saftey of all those who sail the seas.” The Air Minister revealed that orders to the value of some £6,000,000 covering production of the latest type of aircraft have been given to the greatly extended group organization which'was established.in Canada after the mission to that country in 1938. The British output of aircraft had doubled in a year. Incessant Patrols. Sir Kingsley Wood revealed that “during the Arctic weather of January tlie aircraft of the coastal command flew close on a million miles. The first half of January provided the most severe fixing weather ever known. Yet throughout the bitter spell not a single day’s halt was called in the vital work of the coastal command. Not a single day passed without fighter patrols taking off to guard our shores.” In another passage in his speech, in which Sir Kingsley comprehensively reviewed the course of the war, he spoke of tlie Franco-British co-opera-tion in the air. “In staff matters there is the closest contact and we have a comprehensive scheme of pooling information, our production problems we study systematically together, and secret equipment is exchanged and new developments shared,” he said. “And as a practical test of all this, on more than one occasion reconnaissance aircraft approaching this country have been pursued and shot down by French fighters.” Referring to the results in the actual combats in the air, the Minister said: “It is not surprising—at any rate to us —that that part of our Air Force which Ims been engaged in pitched battles with the enemy has shot down many more enemy aircraft than we have lost.” NOT SACRIFICED Customary Freedoms In Britain (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 10. Newspapers approve the terms of the reply which, the Minister of Home Security, Sir John Anderson, gave to a House of Commons question whether the police would prevent Fascist interruptions at public meetings addressed by Cabinet Ministers. Sir John answered that under British law Cabinet Ministers could be given no greater protection than any-

one else. "It would be a sad day for Britain.” says the ‘•Manchester. Guardian,” “if our Cabinet became, as in Germany, an assembly of major and minor prophets all outwardly respected in their own country because of police at their elbow and the concentration camp at their back.” The Minister’s reply indicated, says the "Guardian.” that the war has not caused Britain to sacrifice her eustjmtary freedoms, even those which cause some nuisance to the majority.