TANKER SUNK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23575, 8 February 1940, Page 9

TANKER SUNK

| STRIKING OF MINE GERMANY'S PLANS attacks on shipping report FROM BERLIN By Telepraph—Press Association—Copyright / (Received February 7, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7 The British Tanker Company's oil-tanker British Councillor, of 7048 tons, struck a mine and sank a in. the North Sea. The crew of 45 were rescued and six were sent to hospital. A Spanish steamer landed at Las Palmas, Canary Islands, 54 members of the crew of the British •freighter Armao Star, which is not listed in Lloyd's Register. A message from Berlin says a German officer described tho recent Nazi raids on shipping as a general rehearsal for a spring offensive, in which swarms of aeroplanes and waves of submarines would participate to end the war in a few months. Aeroplanes had chased away the British High Seas Fleet, and Hull and Newcastle were now blockaded. It transpires that the Canadian Pacific cargo liner Beaverburn was torpedoed off the i south-west coast of England. ' The company states that, subject to confirmation, 76 of the 77 members of the crew were saved. The missing man may also be safe, but has not yet been located. An official statement says the sinkings due to enemy action in the week ended February 4 were: —Eight British ships of a total of 25,069 tons and six neutral vessels, of a total of 17,546 tons. . It is pointed / out that tho average weekly gain since the outbreak of the war by new construction, purchase of foreign ships and captured German merchantmen, amounts to about 20,000 tons. NORWEGIAN WRATH v ; . ; 7 SLAUGHTER OF SEAMEN OUTCRY AGAINST GERMANS (Received February 7, 6 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 6 The Oslo newspaper Dagbladet says: "Norwegians feel quivering, burning wrath ? about the German warfare against neutral shipping. What happens is so incredibly brutal that words cannot be found for it.* . "The Foreign Office protests to Germany in. much the same terms as. it protests to other belligerents about holding up ships for an examination of mail matter, but the slaughter of defenceless sailers excites us in a way ■which cannot be compared with the offeree taken over other encroachments." '' ■ TROOPS FOR OVERSEAS AUSTRALIAN QUOTAS 2400 MEN A MONTH RAISING OF REINFORCEMENTS 'i (Received February 8, 12.45 a.m.) . ' MELBOURNE, Feb. 7 Monthly quotas of 2400 men will be raised to reinforce the Australian Imperial Force, said the Minister of the Army, Mr. G. A. Street, to-day after a meeting' of the War Cabinet. The first group of these reinforcements has been recruited and is now in train- ' ing.

Recruiting depots have been established at the various camps where militiamen are 'now undergoing their three months' training, as it is specially desired that militia non-commissioned officers should be induced to join the reinforcements for overseas.

Although tho official drive for recruits for the Empire air scheme has ' not been begun, 60,000 applications for enrolment have been received at the i>oyal Australian Air Force depots in tho various State capitals. RATIONS OF MEAT BRITISH ALLOWANCES (Received February 7, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 6 In the House of Commons to-day Mr. S. Morrison, Minister of Food, announced that meat rationing would commence on March 11 at a rate of Is 10d a week for persons over six years, and lid for children under six. , Edible offals, such as liver, kidneys, tongues, etc., and manufactured meats, *"ould not be rationed. Butchers express the opinion that the meat ration will hit the working classes severely. The allowance means 6 little under l jlb. of meat a week at the present avorage prices. There are practically no supplies of cheaper cuts, which, the Government Ba ys, should be bought. A family of three persons will be able to obtain the following meat for the total value of their coupons:—Four pound of best English sirloin or 81b. of boiling cuts from the best home-killed beef, 51b. of imported sirloin or 101b. of imported boilinir outs of beef. Similar quantities ail d qualities of mutton and lamb can also bo obtained. DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION for enemy (Received February 7, 6 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7 The Prime Minister, Mr. ChamberIv 111 ' \ n House of Commons, said in spite <}f the drastic penalties Provided for espionage, the Government was considering the introduction of legislation to provide for the imposi!on of the death penalty in the most serious cases of leakage of information Possible uso to the enemy.