DAKAR PRISONERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23850, 28 December 1940, Page 8

DAKAR PRISONERS

BELEASE BY 'VICHY FREE FRENCH ATTITUDE RECENT ARRESTS TO STAND By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright British Wireless LOXDOX, Dec. 2(> The Free French press department states: ''The Vichy Go\eminent- has announced that all or part of the French officers and non-com-missioned officers caught at the end of September at Dakar in a trap) laid for their comrades have now been released. A Vichy communique adds that they requested to be al- j lowed to serve again with the French j Army. "General de Gaulle welcomes the fact that French public opinion is now wide awake and has finally compelled the men who collaborate with the; enemy to release these brave officers and noncommissioned officers. It will be noted that until lately \ iehy intended to bring before a court-martial these very same men, guilty only of having tried to prevent at Dakar a pitched battle between Frenchmen, a calamity which, due partly to them, was happily avoided. "The leader of the Free Frenchmen highly approves of their decision to take up again duties with that part of the army which, having not- yet engaged the enemy, will beyond doubt do so sooner or later. "It is, however, to be clearly understood that the step taken by Vicbv will in no way modify the safety measures taken as regards generals and senior officers arrested by the Free French forces in the course of recent police operations in Africa. These officers, in fact, have been misled by propaganda emanating from the enemy and his collaborators to a point where they opened fire on French forces." ARMS FACTORIES USE MADE OF HOLIDAY MACHINERY OVERHAULED British Wireless LOXDOX. Dec. 26 Although arms workers were officially on holiday on Christmas Day, key men in some factories worked long hours to do vital repair and maintenance work. Machines that had hardly stopped since the speed-up following Dunkirk were overhauled and tuned up for further efforts in the new year. In the Royal ordnance factories, states a Ministry of Supply bulletin, everything had been planned in advance to ensure that work could begin again early on the morning of Boxing Day. It is reported that in a Ministry of Supply arms factory which Hitler says he bombed to bits, a bomb blew every pane of glass from the roof of a workshop where men and women had been working. They swept up the glass and went on working without a roof over their heads. Before the boarding in of the roof was completed it started to rain, but they still went on working. Women workers would not stop. They just tied umbrellas above their machines and kept at it. GIFT FROM AMERICA NAVAL SECRETARY'S LETTER (Received December 27, 7.30 p.m.) British Wireless LOXDOX, Dec. 26 The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander, has received from Colonel W. F. Knox, United States Secretary of the Navy, two pictures of Abraham Lincoln, one to hang in the wardroom of H.M.S. Lincoln, a destroyer recently transferred to the Royal Navy from the United States Navy, and the other in tho First Lord's room at the Admiralty. With the pictures the First Lord received the following letter from Colonel Knox: —"I learned with great satisfaction that you have named one of the former American destroyers, now part of the British Navy, Lincoln. Surely in a war being fought for the preservation of human liberty no more significantly appropriate name could have been chosen." Mr. Alexander in reply wrote: "It gave me great pleasure to receive your kind gift. None could hu\e been more happily chosen, expressing as it does your sympathy in the struggle for the preservation of human liberty, a cause to which Lincoln devoted his life. I hope you will do me the honour of accepting an old, rare, coloured, naval print which I am forwarding." COVENTRY GIFT TO QUEEN British Wireless LOXDOX, Dec. 20 Among the Christmas presents received by the Queen was a large basket of roses from Coventry residents in recognition of the practical sympathy shown by Their Majesties since the city was bombed. CHANNEL BOMBARDMENT LOXDOX, Dec. 27 German guns mounted on the French coast opened fire across the Channel during the hours of darkness. Although tho shelling lasted for two and a-lialf hours, there were no casualties.