GENERAL CABLES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 72, 22 February 1940, Page 8

GENERAL CABLES.

LONDON. Fob. 20. The Shipping Federation lias agreed to merchant seamen having a week’s annual leave on full pay for the duration of the war. The International ltubber Regulation Committee has fixed permissible exports for the April-May-June period at 80 per cent, of the basis for 1940. British Official Wireless. PARIS, Feb. 20. M. Chautemps announces that the Government has decided that, except for children, Paris will not be evacuated in the event of air raids. Progress on the defences had ensured (idcQUcitG protection. BERLIN, Feb. 20. It is officially stated that United Steel Works, Ltd., at Essen, showed a year’s profit of £20,000,000 at the pre-war rate. BRUSSELS, Feb. 20. It is officially announced that Belgium has lost 12 ships of a total tonnage of 50,000 since the outbreak of the war. THE HAGUE, Feb. 20. It is officially announced that Dutch ’planes chased and fired on a German ’plane over Leeu warden. It fled across the frontier. SHANGHAI, Feb. 20. According to heavily-censored messages from North China, the poorer classes, driven to desperation by the food shortage, rising prices, and depreciation of the currency conducted a food riot lasting two days in Peking and Tientsin. STOCKHOLM, Feb. 20. Sweden last night had the coldest weather for 135 years. There were 70 deg. of frost. Newspaper correspondents ' aboard the American destroyer Lang have reported by radio that President Roosevelt has permitted them to say that lie is in the Pacific conducting a study of the Panama Canal and Central American defences, with special relation to distant defences. He said it would not be in the public interest to reveal the localities he was visiting. President Roosevelt added he hoped Congress would vote 15,000,000 dollars to begin the construction of a third set of locks. The Australian universities athletic team, which will compete in New Zealand, will leave Sydney early in March and return early in April. The Honolulu correspondent of the American United Press says it is understood the navy plans a mass flight of 15 bombers from Hawaii to Manila. The Duchess of Kent visited Australia House and inspected the work of the Australian Women’s Voluntary Service. Though the work has been primarily undertaken for the Australians’ hospital, supplies have been sent by the service to Finland and woollen clothing to British units. The Duchess met and talked to a number of Australian seamen who had been rescued from the Altmarck. —British Official Wireless. The French Army is abolishing puttecs, states a Paris message. Le Jour 6ays none will regret their passing, as they proved most unpractical in the last war and gave the l’oilu a shabby appearance.