A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 10

A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

German invasion plans are in the news again as the result of statements by people lately in Paris. This city, they say, is an ai med camp, and it is suggested that it is being used as the principal base for the projected invasion. It is said that the Germans are preventing movement of civilians to and from Paris in an endeavour to keep their plans secret. It is also reported that the Germans are laying their hands on all fnod stocks they can find in France and that there are still French officials who look to Britain for ultimate succour. A Swiss message says that traffic between occupied and unoccupied France has again been stopped. Additional illuminating figures concerning aerial warfare aie available. The Minister of Air has announced that 701 German aircraft have been shot down since August S, during which time Britain lost 192 fighters and bombers. British losses in personnel wcie fewer than 300, German losses more than 1500. According to the “Daily Mail,” semi-official figures show that since May I(Hhe R.A.F. has made 598 raids on 178 places in Germany and 206 in German-occupied territory, dropping about lb 8,000 bombs. It is known that certain German industrial areas have been devastated and that enormous damage has been done to a wide lange of military targets. Wednesday’s German raid on Britain consisted of a good many visits by single machines or small formations —a reversion to the o.d hit-and-run tactics. Thirteen enemy machines were brought down and one British fighter lost. British aircraft were, for once, prevented from making night attacks by bad weather, but daylight raids were made on a number of aerodromes and Coastal Command planes damaged a German destroyer. An interesting development is the unsuccessful use by the Germans of artillery against a British convoy. Bulgaria and Rumania have come to an agreement over the future of the Southern Dobruja and Bulgaria is to receive back from Rumania two provinces, representing land she owned till 1912. Bi itain thinks the settlement equitable. There is said still to be a wide divergence of opinion between Hungary and Rumania concerning Transylvania. Greece is reported to have called more men to the colours and to have cancelled all military leave as a result of Italian Hoop concentrations on the Albanian frontier, so this dispute, which seemed to have cased, has flared up again. The Greeks arc said to have shot down an Italian plane near Athens. Opinion in Egypt in favour of entering the war on Britain’s side seems to be growing, but the Premier repeats that the country’s policy remains one of keeping out of the war till she is directly invaded. In high official circles in the United States the leasing from Britain of sites for bases-and the transfer to Britain of over-age destroyers have been further discussed. Congress has decided that American ships may enter the war zone to evacuate children;