NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Franklin Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 20, 21 February 1940, Page 8 (Supplement)

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

ALTMARCK’S COURSE A FAVOURITE ROUTE CUT BY BRITISH NAVY When the British tars clambered over the sides of the German prison ship Altmarck in a Norwegian fiord they did more than release hundreds of their countrymen; they cut a favourite Nazi way home. Slipping down the Norwegian coast and then making a quick (lash over towards the security of Hie German minefields has been the method of reaching borne ports for a number ot German ships since the war began. Karly this year Hie Hatnburg-Amerika huer SI. Louis reached home safely. She was the liflli and lasi of the company's fleet to escape the blockade. Four Months Abroad. The St. Louis left America on J jgust 27. when war with Britain was known to b imminent. She wandered abroad for four months and no word of her course borne was made public iii the official statement about Iter arrival.

However, it is known that she was cue of 10 German merchant ships to lake refuge at the Russian port of Murmansk, and that she escaped down Hie Norwegian coast in the same manner as Ibe Bremen. Other crack ships of the line, all of more than 21.000 tens, lo get: home, were the New York, the Hamburg, and the Hansa. The New York is reported to have made the same voyage lrom Murmansk.

Tlie Columbus, third largest of the German merchant, ships, was. scuttled, and Ibe Cap Norte was captured by Hie British Navy. Repressing the Jews.

While loudly abusing t lie British, the Nazis are not forgetting their old technique of repressing the .lews, and a recent issue of ration cards in Germany indicates that they are being manoeuvred near the starvation line. The ration cards carried them up to February It and they louml that lhe> bad Inst 4 4 ounces of meat in four weeks and all supplies of podded vegetables such as peas, beans, ancl lentils.

They were also denied some general ration cards recently issued to other .Germans to enable them to obtain extras whenever the Nazi regime linds itself able to grant them. From lime to time, for instance, a small quantity of sweets may be purchased if a special ration card is produced to be clipped. Jews must have the letter “J stamped on their cards, and a tradesman is thus able to declare that be tins no stocks of what Jews ask for, or discriminate against them in other ways. Registration Refused. Poultry and fish, for example, are obtained after registration with a particular dealer, but dealers w’Jl not register Jews at all. Jews are also barred from appearing in shops before noon and after ‘1 p.m. Most ol the supplies on the market have been .-'Old out by noon, or in any event all the best tilings have gone.

Every German must now have a clothes card to obtain wearing apparel. .lews have been denied these cards on the ground that they have been so well-to-do in the past that they undoubtedly must have reserves upon which they can draw.

The Jews say that the seven years of the Nazi regime have been a period in which their standard of living has been dropping continuously, until today they have been left virtually without any spare clothing ol an> description.

Repairs Impossible. Those who still possess decent clothes say they will not be able to keep them intact for long because tliev cannot buy thread and yarn, and do not know how their slices will he repaired after the soles are worn ihrough. Jews have to remain indoors alter s o’clock at night, but this is not quite the hardship it appears, because they are barred from theatres, concerts, and the opera. The crowding of Jews In one apartment have held that a Je\x who invites other Jews to ids apartment. thus giving offence to a nonJewisli tenant, may have his lease cancelled. The drive to rid Germany of the Jews goes on.

The Bomb as Weapon. With all the discussion about the H'lVcl of bombing on Britain it might be expected that the inhabitants ol Ibc t'nited Kingdom would he all tor ,mi<d skies. But if the poll recently , omplelnd by the British Institute ol Public opinion on the subject o bombing is representative, there is a majority for taking the war in Hie air In Germany. The instiliile questioned sections ol Ibe community of voting age. and the matter was put to them in this torm. “Would you like to see the R.A.F. bombing military objectives. even if il means that the Germans may bomb

buck?" The survey covered ltd* Parliamentary constituencies. The final figures gave r>2 per cent of the voters answering "Yes." 41 per cent answering “No,” and 7 per cent unable to come to a decision. I ho “don’t knows" are said to be extremely low when the figures of other pleb- . iscit.es are studied. . Voting Analysed. Supporters of the Government were (in per cent in favour of bombing, •h* per cent against it. Opposition supporters were 48 per cent, for it, and 44 per cent, against. Men were more ruthless than women. Sixty-two per cent of the men voted for sending over the bombers, and only 41 per cent of the women. Forty-eight, per cent ot women opposed this course. I That section of the survey which ' sought the reasons for the decision given brought out the fact that Brij tons have confidence in their Air Force 1 and believe that the defences could ! cope with German reprisals. A typii cal comment, quoted from a Jl-year-old electrical engineer, was. “I think we are superior in the air and can defend ourselves adequately. I Manx said they thought the R.A.F. was invincible, others that bombing would shorten the war. Others again said the Germans would bomb Britain when they made up their minds to do , u and that we “should get on with • the war.”