UTE MESSAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 December 1940, Page 8

UTE MESSAGES

RAIDER IN THE EAST.

[BRITISH- OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, December 30. ■ During daylight it is officially stated, bombs were dropped by a single enemy aircraft at one point in East Anglia arid- Kent. The damage. was' slight, and there were - few casualties; MR? ROOSEVELT’S PLANS. WASHINGTON; December 30. Mr. Purvis arid; Mr. Morgenthau lunched with Mr. Roosevelt; who outlined plans for implementing full, aid to Britain. - Mr. Purvis- later said that Mr; Roosevelt’s loan or lease plan hadopened a rieW chapter on this subject.

GUILDHALL DAMAGE.

LONDON; December 30.

The four walls of the banquetinghall at the Guildhall stand bare to the skies. The stone floor, whereon Kings walked-, is buried under debris. The mighty figures of Gog and Magog- were burnt, also the famous tattered regimental flags. About 15,000 people were in London’s greatest shelter, when the building above caught fire, but the flames. were extinguished. Some thousands came to this shelter from adjacent shelters, because the buildings above were burning. SOUTH PACIFIC RAIDER. KOBE, December 30. The’Nazi sea-raider, active in the South Pacific, is believed to be an 8000-ton cruiser, according to the crew mf the' Japanese liner, Kitano Maru, on their return from Sydney. They state that when the. liner arrived at Sydney, three British ships had been sunk in the Indian Ocean, and four others lost near Australia. The survivors believed that a warship, and not a converted, cruiser, was responsible.

It is recalled that four German 8000-ton cruisers were laid down in 1937. FURTHER GREEK ADVANCE. (Reed. December 31, 2.16 p.m.) SOFIA, December 30. The Greek radio states: Along the coast, the Greek troops occupied many villages and fortifications, and made a brilliant success at this point, capturing a height strategically most important, as it blocked the way to an advance on Valona, whose early capture is expected. On Klissura front the Greeks captured considerable prisoners, including the newly arrived Bersaglieri from Italy, and much war material. They occupied northern heights at Klissura. On the northern front, despite a blizzard, the Greeks had- new successes, capturing heights and taking prisoners. On this front, they are advancing north of Pogradec. GERMANS IN RUMANIA BELGRADE, Dec. 30. Reports from travellers from the Rumanian frontier that the Germans are digging trenches, preparing fortified lines in Rumania, about fifteen miles from the frontier, facing the Jugo frontier, along the entire length of Rumania, have caused uneasiness. German artillery emplacements, according to an unconfirmed report, have been built opposite Prahovo. Travellers estimated that 100,000 to 300,000 German troops have arrived in Rumania since December 6. Seventy trains daily are carrying materials and men through Hungary to Rumania.

• JUNKERS FOR ITALY BELGRADE, Dec. 30. Travellers from Slovenia report that groups of Junkers are flying daily from Germany to Italy. NAURU RAIDER. CANBERRA, December 31. Mr. Hughes stated that the flying of the Japanese flag on the raider that shelled Nauru, could not be anything but compromising and unprecedented, at a time when Japan was attempting to strengthen relations with Australia. Reports received by the Naval Board from Nauru, made it impossible to doubt that the raidei* was sailing under the Japanese flag right up to the time of the attack. ‘ “Our information places it quite beyond doubt, not only that the Japanese flag was flown, but also the ship had the name' of a wellknown Japanese vessel conspicuously painted on her, and was dressed in all ways to resemble a Japanese ship. It was not until the raider manoeuvred to bring her guns to bear on the island that the Japanese flag was replaced by the Nazi flag. Simultaneously, Nazi flags were dropped, and displayed over the sides of the ship and from the mast, but while the ship was shelling the island, the Japanese ship name was not obscured. I imagine in this case, the Germans will have a great deal to explain to Japan.”