LATE NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23940, 16 October 1939, Page 8

LATE NEWS

THE WESTERN FRONT “PLAYING A WAITING GAME" (By Radio) DAVENTRY, Oct. 15. The correspondent in France of one of the London Sunday papers said there was no doubt that both sides were playing a waiting game. It would be most difficult to spring a surprise on the French General Staff, as the completeness of its military organisation had to be seen to be believed. This morning’s French War communique states that there is no change in the position on the Western Front. During the night raids were made by enemy reconnaissance patrols between the Luxemburg frontier and the Saar, while artillery was particularly active on both sides at Saarlautern. U-BOATS IN THE CARIBBEAN READY TO RAID SHIPPING An American report states that at least one more U-boat is ready to raid shipping in the Caribbean Sea. It has been refuelled by German ships from South American ports. Two at least have taken aboard large quantities of petroleum and their captains have given the impression that something is going on that they wish to conceal from the authorities. GERMAN SUBMARINE LOSSES AT LEAST SEVENTEEN A Paris estimate places the German submarine losses so far as at least 17. Others are believed to have been sunk, but this number has been definitely established. RUSSIA AND FINLAND ULTIMATUM NOT EXPECTED Though the Russian claims on Finland are not yet known, the belief is held in official circles in Helsingfors that no brusque demands will be made, nor will there be anything in the way of an ultimatum. If a defensive alliance is requested, as some reports infer, this would not be acceptable to Finland as it would not conform with her ideas of neutrality. AEROPLANE OVER BERLIN IDENTITY NOT ESTABLISHED A message from Berlin states that gunfire and bomblike explosions north-west of the city broke out at 9.30 p.m., lasting 10 minutes, and at 10.45, lasting 15 minutes. Searchlights raked the skv and the radio went off but the siren was silent. It was announced officially at 1.25 a.m. that an •rnknown plane flew over so high that it could only be detected by the engines. It has been authoritatively reported in London that the R.A.F. was not involved in any raids on Berlin, although the Berlin correspondents of Danish newspapers declare that a number of British planes were over the capital for two hours on Saturday evening, flying at a great height rom the direction of a military camp at Dobritz on the northern-eastern outskirts of Berlin.