KEEPING PEACE IN BALKANS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 281, 22 August 1940, Page 10

KEEPING PEACE IN BALKANS

Anxiety Of Germany

REPORTED ORDER TO HUNGARY

(Bv Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received August 21, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 21.

The Belgrade correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says Germany is reported to have ordered Hungary to go on with the talks with Rumania at Ttirnuseverin at all costs.

The Germans, it is believed, are so anxious to maintain quiet in the Balkans that they have influenced the Italians to confine their antiGreece campaign to the newspapers and the radio. Three factors which arc stated to be influencing Berlin are the failure of the air offensive against Britain, the late Balkan harvest, and the Axis suspicion of Russia regarding the future of the Balkan spheres of interest. MADE IN ITALY Torpedo Which Sank The Helle . (Received August 21, 11.55 p.m.) ATHENS, August 21. A torpedo fragment removed from the Greek cruiser Helle bore the words "Turin, 1930,' revealing that the submarine responsible was Italian. GUNFIRE ACROSS CHANNEL A Few Rounds Probably Fired By Nazis (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 20. It was learned in London today that the report that a German high-velocity gun had fired a few. shells on the southeast coast of Britain from France was probably true. It is recalled that Big Bertha, the huge German naval eight-inch gun which had a range of 80 miles and fired projectiles each weighing 2601 b. on Paris in the last war. had little effect after the first few days of surorise. Though it was fired every third day for 1-10 days, only 250 persons were killed, many of these during the earliest period. The disadvantage of using guns of such large calibre inelude their shortness of life. Big Bertha could onlv fire 60 rounds, though new steel processes might now make the life of such a weapon somewhat longer. Also, the body of the projectile must be exceptionally thick, leaving little room for the explosive, tlie amount being actually less than in the shell of a low-velocity howitzer. Other disadvantages are inaccuracy aud difficulty of observing, which must be done by an aeroplane practically undisturbed by defending machines. It would be possible to construct a gun with a range of 100 miles —London being then within reach of the French coast —but the only result of its use would be its nuisance value and there would be no military advantage. GERMAN WARNING American Ship In Grave Danger WASHINGTON, August 20. The German Embassy issued a warning that the transport American Legion is in grave danger and would continue to be so for the next twelve hours because the mines laid “are no longer in our control.”

OLD U.S. DESTROYERS Easy To Recommission WASHINGTON, August 20. A naval authority said that 50 United States destroyers could go to England within a week should Congress accede to Mr. Churchill’s request to hand over 100 of the 123 over-age vessels. To be recommissioned they would need only fuel, ammunition, and supplies. All are armed with 4in. guns and 21in. torpedo-tubes, similar to those on British ships.