FOREIGN MINISTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23818, 20 November 1940, Page 10

FOREIGN MINISTRY

CHANGE SUGGESTED PROSPECTS OF MR. EDEN LORD HALIFAX'S POLICY LONDON, Nov. 35 jVHr. Anthony Eden, Secretary for Wan;, is likely to become Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the near future, according to the special representative of the Sydney Sun. Visdount Halifax is at present Foreign Minister. .Mr. Churchill appears to be most impressed h.v Mr. Eden's work, the correspondent adds, especially in the Far Fast, where his round visit, particularly 011 the diplomatic side, has certainly been successful. In addition, he has a\hvays been very popular at the Foreign Office, where his resignation was much regretted. Criticisms in Press . Lord Halifax's resignation has been predicted in any times lately, and it i.i known tjiiat he wanted to retire when Mr. Chamberlain went. Mr. Churchill urged him then not to press his request at what he thought an inopportune moment. .Mr. Churcftill, who admires many qualities possessed by Lord Halifax, is still reluctant to part with him. There have been some criticisms of Lord Halifax in a section of the press. The News Chromicle has openly urged his resignation, - and the Daily Mail, in view of the (succession of Britain's diplomatic setbacks, has been unfriendly to the Fjoreign Office. The Russian Aspect Another factor jthat has not helped Lord Halifax has . been a whispering campaign that he stands as an obstacle to an Anglo-Russiiin rapprochement. It is believed that Moscow likes Mr. Eden. Jt certainly liked him during his visit a few years' 1 ago. Mr. Eden is one of the most controversial figures in tihe British Ministry to-day. Some regjard him as one of the many possible future Prime Ministers.

]\lanv of his Conservative colleagues harmed his future after his resignation by dubbing him "the glamour bov." but progressive Conservatives, Labour members and Liberals have always liked him and his policy. RESCUE AT SEA ITALIAN AIRMEN SAVED APPRECIATION OF TREATMENT' By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright British Wireless LONDON, Nov. IS Even in modern Avar, with all its horrors, chivalry is not yet dead. An Italian flying-boat Avas shot clown in recent operations and two members of the crew of five were The other three, a naval sub-lieutenant, a sergeant-major and a wireless operator, managed to scramble into the collapsible dinghy, but their chance of survival was exceedingly remote, as the dinghy quickly deA-eloped a leak. A Sunderland flying-boat on patrol spotted the tiny boat and, as it was so far from land, decided to investigate. Although there Avas a nasty swell at the time, the Sunderland alighted on the sea, but efforts to get alongside the dinghy Avere unsuccessful. Eventually a rope Avas throAvn to the Italians, and one by one they were hauled on board the flying-boat. This incident could not be allowed to interfere Avith the normal reconnaissance of the aircraft, which Avas then carried out, but the British creAV saAA" that their prisoners Avere provided with hot food and dry clothes. Later, Avhen the Sunderland had finished its patrol, the prisoners were landed, and they expressed their gratitude for the chivalrous mariner in which they liad been treated.

The said that they had often been told that the British treated prisoners welt, "Now we have seen for ourselves that is perfectly true," he said. "We. thought that our end had come. It was ail so sudden. The British machine-gun fire was overwhelming."

REPRISALS URGED "PEPPER POT" TACTICS DOCTOR'S EXPERIENCES LONDON", Nov. 15 Advocating "reprisal raids" against German cities, Dr. W. H. Ogilvie, of Guy's Hospital, London, stated that there was no evidence of aiming by German raiders beyond the "aim" achieved by shaking a pepper pot. "My work takes me through many parts of London and I have a pretty accurate knowledge of where bomb damage |has been done," he said. "There has been no concentration near railways, power stations or factories. "A policeman asked me to certify the death of an old* man and a girl who bad just been killed on the roadside in a peaceful London suburb. The German who killed, them had not been below the clouds after crossing the coast. A" single bomb from an altitude of five miles killed 24 women in a hospital. "It is not Christian to undertake reprisals, but we should adopt temporarily the German methods of air warfare and begin Royal Air Force raids from a similar height on military targets after we have given public, warnings. Such action would have a deterrent effect and would also provide a rest for pilots who have had a bad time carrying out accurate low-level bombing." MINESWEEPER'S FIRE ENEMY MACHINE DESTROYED British Wireless. LONDON, Nov. IS The Admiralty states that the paddle minesweeper Southsoa shot down an enemy aeroplane which attacked her on Sunday morning. There were no German survivors. The Soutlisea suffered neither damage nor casualties.