IN BRITAIN

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1940, Page 7

IN BRITAIN

MORE NEWS WANTED

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph-—Copyright). LONDON,. March 20. Speaking in the House of Louis, Lord Snell (Labour) said that the nation was becoming dissatisfied over a lack of information. He said Germany knew tub facts of the Sea pa' Flaw , raid in two hours, and America knew in three hours,, but Britain was not informed for nine horns. Ho said: “Our propaganda is hopelessly inadequate. The Government has little aptitude for carrying on ihe

war and bringing it to a quick conclusion.”

Lord Halifax (Foreign Secretary) replying, said that no effort was being spared to secure the best information and the best propaganda.

Mil HORE-BEL’SHA S VIEW. HUG BY, Mai eh 20 ; Speaking in Hie JL.u„e of Common* in tne debate'on the war, the former 1 ' Secretary for WaV, Mr llpfe'Bv lislia,’ said lie would draw a distinctiim" between a desire to criticise arid an' intention to analyse-.'' 1 Me deVote'd 'linnself to the questibrC of ‘whether the Allied strategy and diplomacy weie on the surest way to aehievu tlieir aims. lie reminded the House tluw in the last war Germany endured a blockade for four and a quarter years, while she was compelled to expand rcsmiices on several fronts. Comparing the German situation then and now, Mr Hon-Bel.sha pointed out advantages which, lie said the Nazis had and which mitigated the effects of the Allied blockadel. lie suggested that if the war remained passive Germany would bo able to continue for a long time to survive. If she were compelled to conduet intensive operations, he said, she would he dependent on continuous. supplies of iron ore and st el. ThpjSe, lie‘Suggested, would have been jeopardised' if' the '’Finnish war ban fmitimiWf. ’ Me thought that evt nts showed delay oh the part of tile Government in making up its mind to offer substantial aid to Finland.

Although there was a good‘case to argue that effective intervention was too strategically hazardous to undertake, Mr Hore-Bi lislia said, the Allied decision to send an expeditionary force must lx l taken as an answer to that objection.

QUEST FOB STEEL. LONDON. March lf>. The Ministry of Supply is hoping to get- tflO,ooo tons of steel by tearing up disused tram lines. Half the amount will come from Greater London.

GERMAN CLAIM

DUE TO BRITISH GUNS

RUGBY, March Iff

In connection with the German' bombing raid on the Orkneys on Saturday photographs of the village bridge of Waith taken by a British newspaper, the “Daily Express” show one cottage completely demoli's'li-ea and a bomb crater within a short distance ■of another cottage with the windows blown out by a blast. These provide an incontestable answer to Nazi wireless statements that the civilian casualties in 'Saturday's air raid were caused by the British anti-aireraft guafire. It lias not been suggested here tliaT the Nazi raiders deliberately attacked civilians. The fire was described by the German pilots as “Hell let loose,” and the raiders were forced to range over a hundred square miles of the Scottish countryside, dropping honfos obviously without any. knowledge of what they were hitting. It is fully .realised lhat blind chance caused a small portion of the bombs dropped to fall on one of the few inhabited paiViis i*i ■ tjie sparsely- ' populated area, but there is no possible doivbt that the damage was figttsed :by German airmen who were sdnie n'files vuvay from their declared objective. “The real difference between Saturday’s raid by the enemy and thosi preceding it,” said Mr Chamberlain, during his House of Commons speech, “was that it was the first attack ipadc* on land.”

Lord Halifax in the House of Lords, said in reply to questions: “1 1 < not think, on the information, that it would he true to say that there was a deliberate attack on civilians as such at the Orkncvs.”