FRENCH DEFENCES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19893, 22 March 1939, Page 5

FRENCH DEFENCES

ARMY INCREASING EXPERTS CALLED UP PREMIER’S NEW POWERS WEEK OF SIXTY HOURS AID WITH FINANCES (Kino. Tol. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. March 22, noon.) PARIS, March 21. An official French decree orders all registered unemployed to accept woik offered by labour exchanges with firms working on the national defence plans. The workers will be paid normal wages. Those refusing will forfeit allowances for a year. Tiie provisions of the first exercise by the Premier, M. Daladier, of the plenary powers given him include the transfer of 442 officers and 2500 noncommissioned officers to strengthen the anti-aircraft defence, the creation of a new body of North African colonial troops, power to retain wit.i the colours classes who have nominally completed service, a 60-hour working week, overtime pay in factories engaged in national defence work, and a special directorate to accelerate the output, authority foi temporary loans to aid armament contractors and power to recall former armament workers. No time is being lost in tl)c implementation of the powers. ' A large number of specialists at Lille were called up this morning.

The permanent estab:' '-.ment of the French regular army \. •-■ oc increased from 700,000 men to 1,000,000. Specialists and technicians will be called up to man the frontier defences and war material factories. A thousand new war plane pilots and 750 machine-gunners will be enlisted at special rates of pay. When the plans for large-scale recruitment of native troops are completed France will have 2,000,000 trained men ready for instant action and 4,000,000 in reserve.

RECOGNITION REFUSED CLAIM TO LEGATION ATTITUDE IN PARIS (Reed. March 22,. noon.) PARIS, March 21. The French Government announced that it refuses to recognise the German annexation of Czechoslovakia. Germany will not Joe permitted to occupy the Czech Legation in Pans, nor consulates throughout France. WHEAT AND RYE STOCKS BIG GERMAN INCREASE (Reed. Mar. 22, 12 noon) BERLIN, Mar. 21. German stocks of wheat and rye for bread total 8,750,000 tons, this being 4,000,000 tons more than a year ago. DENIALS IN MOSCOW | CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE (Reed. Mar. 22, 12 noon) MOSCOW. Mar. 21. It is officially denied that Poland and Rumania have asked for the help of the Soviet. SWEDISH MANOEUVRES LOCATION ALTERED (Reed. Mar. 22, 12 noon) STOCKHOLM, Mar. 21. The Defence Ministry announces that in view of the international situation the Swedish naval manoeuvres are being held in the Baltic Sea instead of off the west coast. CALCUTTA CONSULATE (Reed. March 22, noon.) CALCUTTA, March 21. The Czechoslovakian Consul has re fused to hand over the Consulate to Germany.