FOLLOWING HER MASTER

Evening Star, Issue 23728, 8 November 1940, Page 6

FOLLOWING HER MASTER

BULGARIA PERSECUTES JEWS FREEMASONRY FORBIDDEN SOFIA, November 7. (Received November 8, at 12.50 p.m.) The Minister of the Interior has introduced a Defence .Bill which comprises three sections. The first is mainly directed against Freemasonry, and forbids secret organisations receiving material or. ideological support from abroad. The second disqualifies Jews from holding governmental or municipal positions, from serving in the army, or owning land, from connections with newspapers or films. The third is aimed at anti-national propaganda. Jews in Bulgaria total 5,000,000. IMPORTATION OF WOOL AMERICAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT WASHINGTON. November 6. The War Department has opened the way for larger imports of wool by suspension of the requirement that only domestic wool should be used in military orders for clothing and blankets. It said that the domestic wool supply was unable to meet the abnormally large requirements of the defence programme in all grades of wool for military .equipment; consequently the quartermaster-general was authorised to accept bids for material manufactured entirely of foreign wool or mixed foreign and domestic wools. FRENCH NAVAL SQUADRON MANOEUVRES COMPLETED LONDON, November 6. The Gorman News Agency says the French Mediterranean squadron completed manoeuvres off the south of France, and Admiral Darian expressed satisfaction with the success of the operation. STRICT NEUTRALITY RUSSIA'S POLICY MOSCOW, November 6. M. Kalinin, in a speech on the twenty-third anniversary of the revolution, said: “ Russia intends to pursue strict neutrality. Our sea trade has suffered, but when .almost the whole world is involved in war it is a great joy to know that we are standing aside. Wo must thank Comrade Stalin for this.” FUNCTION AT EMBASSY IN T&KI0 CABINET MINISTERS ATTEND TOKIO, November 7. (Received November 8, at 12.15 p.m.) Messrs Matsuoka, Toko, Oikoua, and other Cabinet members attended the twenty-third anniversary celebrations of the Russian revolution at the Soviet Embassy to-night. Hitherto high Japanese officials have seldom visited the Embassy. The party was the first since the conclusion of the anti-Comin-tern Pact four years ago. " PEACEFUL EXPANSION " ACQUISITION OF TERRITORY MOSCOW, November 7. (Received November 8, at noon.) M. Timoshenko, in a speech from Lenin’s tomb, in the presence of M. Stalin and M Molotov, said the frontiers of Soviet Russia had been expanded by the peaceful solution of external problems—the return of Bessarabia and Bukovina, the incorporation of Latvia, Esthonia, and Lithuania. The world would have to acquiesce in that expansion. Russia must remember Stalin’s orders to be constantly in a state, of mobilisation and see that she was not taken unawares. “ Such an army could smash any enemy,” said the radio announcer, when units of the Red army marched past Lenin’s tomb for-80 minutes.