FEELING THE STRAIN

Evening Star, Issue 23495, 8 February 1940, Page 10

FEELING THE STRAIN

german economic system SMRTACE af VITAL COMMODITIES (Britah Official Wireleea.) RUGBY, February 7. (Received February 8, at noon.) Reports reaching London reflect the strain on the German economic system. In the textile industry, for example, independent evidence suggests that many German mills are working at only 30 per cent, capacity, and the depletion of cotton stocks is compelling the use of mixtures such as cotton and spun silk, eottonised flax, and! artificial silk. The shortage of rubber is believed to he more serious, and Germany is understood to be attempting to obtain tyres indirectly, both by purchase through adjoining neutral countries, some of which are producers, and by offering car* without tyres on specially advantageous terms to those countries on condition that they import , tyres from elsewhere. SOLDIER RHODES SCHOLAR AWAID FM AUSTRALIAN SYDNEY, February 8. (Received February 8, at 1.80 p.m.) Lieutenant Basil Holmes Travers an arts student of Sydney UniIwersity and now in the Second A.1.F.. 'has been chosen as the '1940 Rhodes The scholarship will be held Wver until the end of the war. - EMPIRE AIR SCHEME HEW ZEALANDERS RETURNING LONDON, February 7. February 8, at 12.45 p.m.) New Zealand Air Force members, Squadron-leader R. J. Cohen and Flight-lieutenants A. B. Greenaway and L. C. Morrison, are going to the Dominion in connection with the Empire air training scheme. SHOT AT DAWN FATE OF ALSATIAN SPY PARIS, February 7. (Received February 8, at noon.) Karl Roos, the Alsatian Autonomist (leader, who was convicted as a spy last was shot at dawn. FIRE AT AERODROME EIGHT PLANES DESTROYED LONDON, February 7. Fire destroyed eight aeroplanes and Sve aero engines at a civil aerodrome i Romford, Essex. EMERGENCY REGULATIONS SOUTH AFRICAN BILL MALAN’S MOTION DEFEATED GAPE TOWN, February 7. (Received February 8, at 1.30 p.m.) Dr Malan’s motion calling on the I South African Assembly to refuse the of the Emergency Regula|*ion Bill was defeated by 76 votes to

fcCTMTIES OF NAZI ORGANISATION lEVEALED BY PRIME MINISTER CAPE TOWN, February 7. ((Received February 8, at 1.15~p.m.) The Assembly re-endorsed General Brauts’s war policy by a majority of 20 |«rhen the Emergency Regulations Bill 'passed the second reading. ' General Smuts, revealing the activiEes of the Nazi Auslander organisaon, said it had absorbed the bulk of jfte money collected in South Africa for jibe relief of Germans. Descendants of piermans were compelled to join it, eherwis© they were boycotted and deulters’ relative* in Germany were Mireatehed with confiscation of their property and imprisonment. The organisation possessed a secret newspaper, also an arbitrator, who usurped (the jurisdiction of the regular courts, tthe Government, operating on a list of Bazi membership, had expelled, infcroed, or would intern, all included p> it. The Government had taken over begolations from Mr Pirow, who had fanned martial law against his British WW citizens. Nobody would he comjnandoered to assist the countries in (be far north, hut Kenya and Tanganyika would not be left in the lurch. South Africa, which would soon have Ms own fleet, could not always rely on ttie British Navy. Meanwhile aeroUansfe >ad mechanical transport had titered the situation. The Union must lefend herself far from her borders. The Union waa not immediately endangered. Us defence force numbered 60,000, while adequate volunteers were available. Only the latter would in the treat of necessity leave South Africa.