DISTURBED EUROPE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18255, 25 November 1933, Page 12

DISTURBED EUROPE

RACE NICKEL IMPORTS Military expert’s WARNING LONDON. Nov. 4. The , announcement that both Germany and Prance intend heavily to increase their nickel coinage, ant} that nickel expprts from Canada to England find OaSti&ental nations generally are going- up, is rapidly causing anxiety to , supporters of- disarmament. Njekol is an essential* constituent to modem armaments. Bullets t arp nickeleoated, shell noseca'ps contain, nickel, and filekel is necessary in the manufacture'o"f armour plate. Boih Francp apd Qermany usetnickel coins pf small denomination. Franco recently decided to .withdraiy her 25eentiine coins, which have a hole in the centre, fill up the hole, and put them' In circulation again. This was fnilmred by the issue of a 5-franc piece oi-new design, and entirely ©fy nickel. J&utHian imports, during;,.,se last ydSf, have risen from 1900 tons, to at least 4200 tons. After talking about it |dng tiige, she (fejyan.'ijjjiave reSßfiyhi 1 to mtrofluce a nickel coinage;

thus ensuring for themselves an available reserve, under the guise of peaceful development. Italy has had nickel coins for some .time, and other countries are speedily adopting them. PEACE-TIME USERS The Mond Nickel Company, producers of 70 per cent of the world’s nickel, deny that any special significance attaches to these suddenly-increased purchases. In a special statement, it says: “The Mond Nickel Company has not mason to ; think that the increased nickel consumption in Europe js due to any substantial extent to use for armament purposes. Producers have spent large' sums since the war in research and propaganda to increase the 'peace, uses of nickel, and have succeeded to a marked extent, in regard to stainless steels, .automobiles, radio, east-irop, and coinage. All of these are improving fields for the use of nickel.” The Mond refinery, near Swannge, is at present working at. high pressure, refining concentrates from Canada, although for nearly half of last year the establishment was closed,.lt happens that the European nickql, market is largely supplied from this factory. ■ The United States market and sonMVj'Continental centres obtain their supplies from the international Company’s refinery at Port Colbornc, Ontario, [which also is operating at unufiUal:'pressure. Few people in Britain doubt .any , longer that there js stealthy preparation in almost every country to jjoin the race of rearmo.: ment, should ihe Herculean efforts to ppiiptam world peace, now being made, fill. ’ " '

SOLDIER'S WARNING A] grave warning of England’s de-pendant-eon sea-power was uttered yesterday by, Major-General Sir Hugh i Ell.es, who has just completed four [years,as Director of Military Training. Speaking at King’s College, London, ho said that the major function of Imperial Defence was defence against external attack, which might be divided into, two categories—attack on Britain by sea or air, followed by occupation, and attack on some part or .parts of. the Empire. “What is obvious,” he said, “is, in the first case, that the army’s role is entirely,secopdary to that of the fleet and, Royal Air Force. Defence lies with the maintenance of our sea eommjunieations in the one case, anil the yiliciouey of the air force in the other. Regularly, Europe has been convulsed om-e In each 10(1 years, and in inereas- . ing degrees we have been involved. .In !certain contingencies, even if they are ’ remote, if we are beaten at sea, or if we are beaten, in the air, it will be all up with the British Isles. We may defer ’preparation; but wo canont dismiss it altogether, in the long run.” 'Sir Hugh Elies foresaw very busy and excessively distasteful employment for,soldiers in many distant parts if Britain’s honor was called in ques- ; tiou. Many chestnuts would have to , L*e pulled out of hot fires. BRITONS AVERSE FROM WAR . : ■ - -.i j Sonin such situation migh't conceivably arise, Sir Hugh Elies added, if thp present agitation to abrogate the Locarno Pact was successful. Those behind this movement were asking

Britain plainly jo “rat.” However, the one important point emerging as far ns those responsible for the training of the army were concerned was the implication of action for or against a military 'power of first-class. Despite all current talk of war preparations on the Continent and in the East, there was a firmer sentiment for peace in Britain to-day than over. This had recently been reflected in tin; swing towards Socialism in the municipal elections and political by-elec-tions. The popular disposition seemed to lit- that Britain should avoid participation in any possible war, at almost any cost. The fact that the Home Office is investigating means of defence against ■poison gas in tin* ease of tin air attack was revealed bv General Sir Montgomery Massingiired, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, at a meeting at King’s College.