WAR NEWS IN BRIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1940, Page 8

WAR NEWS IN BRIEF

SWISS MILITARY TRAINING. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] ZURICH, December 1. A national referendum has rejected a bill providing for military instruction for Swiss youth. NEW STOCKINGS. LONDON, December 1. The “Daily Mail” says that women will show bare knees if they wear the new knee-length woollen ' stockings which Yorkshire experts are devising. The stockings have a rolltop, and some of them also have ornamental tassel garters. » RUSSIAN INDUSTRIES.

LONDON, December 2. The Moscow newspaper “Izvestia” states that Russian industry has overcome serious difficulties encountered earlier in the year as a result' of the international situation, and claims that during the last two months the coal industry and the Azerbaijan oilfield have fulfilled their quotas. The { improvement is attributed to enthuI siasm for the new eight-hour day and 'also to the tightening up of labour {discipline. BRITAIN’S COST OF LIVING. LONDON, December 2. The “Financial Times” wholesale prices index shows a rise of 46 per cent, in the cost of food and of 42.5 per cent, in the cost of materials. It adds: “The increase in the price of food and materials is now 43.8 per cent. It would probably have been greater if many of the controlled commodities were uncontrolled.” NEW CALEDONIA (Recd. December 3, 1.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, December 3. Captain Broche of Tahiti, named by General de Gaulle as commander of the forces-in New Caledonia, in place of Colonel Denis, has taken up duty at Noumea. He will recruit volunteers for General de Gaulle’s forces.

MR. ROOSEVELT’S CRUISE WASHINGTON, December 2. Mr. Roosevelt left for a secret destination in Florida, where he will board the Tuscaloosa for inspection of the Caribbean defences, and possibly also some of the bases recently acquired from Britain.