SWIFT ARMING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23620, 2 April 1940, Page 7

SWIFT ARMING

I' SWEDEN'S HASTE " FIGHTERS ORDERED '.'WORK NIGHT AND DAY MUNITIONS FACTORIES By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received April',l G. 20 p.m.) LONDON. April I Sweden has ordered from the '/United States 39f> fighter aircraft capable of a speed of 400 miles an hour, .and 400 aero engines, says the Copenhagen correspondent of the Daily Herald. The Government has also ordered . . that work must go on by night and day in all arms factories. A thousand men are converting the large island of Gotland, hitherto unfortified, into one of the strongest military bases in the Baltic. It is being equipped, with numerous coastal batteries and aerodromes. NORTHERN STATES CONFERENCE ON FINLAND POSSIBLE DEFENSIVE PACTS (Received April 1,. 0.20 p.m.) LONDON, March 31 The Rome radio announced to-day that Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian .Ministers are meeting in conference' at Stockholm regarding the reconstruction of Finland. A message from Stockholm says the i Finnish delegates departed after the I conference. The discussions included i the organisation of labour for rebuilding in Finland, and also the possi- !" bilities of defensive agreements. , AN2ACS' IN EGYPT ' KING'S GRACIOUS ACT MESSAGE OF WELCOME' - COPY FOR EACH MAN .K / > CAIRO. March 31 The King, at his own expense, is presenting every member of the Aus- ' tralian arid New Zealand forces with a signed copy of his message of welcome, which was read to them on their arrival in Egypt. Eight thousand New Zealanders, headed by Major-General Freyberg, attended a special service in the Cairo Cathedral to-day. Dr. L. H. Gwynne, . . Bishop of Egypt, who preached, re- . called that he had preached to the & Anzacs in France in the last war. | . The troops gavj a stirring rendering of the 46th Psahn, after which they marched past enthusiastic crowds. RUSSIA'S POLICY t WET BLANKET FOR NAZIS TURKS HOPEFUL FOR PEACE (R&eivud April 1, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 31 Diplomatic observers in Berlin, says a despatch from Zurich, unanimously report that 'M. Molotoff's speech was a wet blanket for. the Wilhelmstrasse. Bibbentrop is. reported to have been surprised that M.. Molotoff used the expression "neutral" instead of "nonbelligerent." In Turkey, attention is focussed upon the Russian Foreign Minister's declaration that the Soviet does not in- • tend to take an active part in the war. , Official circles, consider there is a good prospdet of maintaining peace in this . part of the world, and believe Gorman efforts to create hostility between B-ussia and Turkey have been frusi trated. *

French newspaper comment on M. Molotoff's speech, although not lacking in sarcasm, no longer includes uncompromising demands for the breaking-off of relations with ~Russia. TURKEY AND ALLIES DARDANELLES NOT OPEN (Received April 2, 12.40 a.m.) ISTANBUL. April I Official sources deny the report to the effect that Turkey has agreed to open the Dardanelles to the Allies, and state that Turkey takes her stand on the Montreaux Convention. SETBACK FOR NAZIS TURKEY bans newspaper ' LONDON, March 31 Nazi propaganda has received a setback in Turkey by the banning of the German newspaper Turkische Post, which was first published in 1925, says the Istanbul correspondent of the Times. ' ' v A "good neighbour" pact between Turkey and Syria 'has been signed, says a message from Ankara. SOVIET BUDGET VAST ARMY EXPENDITURE (Received Apfil 1. 11.20 p.m.) MOSCOW. April 1 The Commissar for Finance, M. Zvereff. presented to the Supreme Council of the Soviets the Budget, totalling £7,188,000,000, on the basis of 25 roubles to /the pound. The total is one-fifth more than last year's. The military budget is £2,280,000,000, compared with £1,600,000,000 last year. Thunderous applause greeted the Budget announcement, M. Zvereff statl"g that it would he necessary to in!f Crease the Budget as loim as capitalism a od "encirclement" lasted. TAXATION IN MALAYA (Received April 2, 12.10 a.m.) - SINGAPORE, April 1 A War Taxation Bill introduced in the Federal Council in Kuala Lumpur to-day is expected to produce 8,000,000 dollars annually, for tho Imperial Exchequer. Rubber and tin export duties are increased to 2£ per cent.