SPIRIT OF BRITISH PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 24164, 28 June 1940, Page 6

SPIRIT OF BRITISH PEOPLE

GIFTS TO TREASURY AND INTEREST-FREE LOANS

(British Official Wireless) (Received June 27, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, June 26.

Speaking in London today the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir Kingsley Wood) recalling Mr Winston Churchill's recent words that Britain could not only repel the assaults of the enemy, but achieve the purpose for which she had entered the war, said that he would list but three vital considerations in support of this view. “First, we do not fight alone,” he said. “The soul and spirit of France will not die and we hope that the Frenchmen all over the world where they are free, will continue to fight on. Secondly, we have an empire in arms and, third, there is the unquenchable spirit of our people.” As an example of this spirit Sir Kingsley Wood told how, quite spontaneously without any Government appeal, people had been sending in to the Treasury- gifts of very substantial sums of money and valuable articles. No less impressive was the response that was being made to appeals for loans to the State free of interest. In actual cash up to today no less than £3,350,000, together with promises amounting to a further £1,000,000, had been received. The National Savings Movement had up to date resulted in the collection of £234,000,000. WATCH OVER STUDIOS IN AUSTRALIA (Received June 27, 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 27. The Commonwealth Government has issued a decree prohibiting unauthorized persons from entering any broadcasting studio in Australia. It requests the managers of them to exercise the utmost vigilance, allowing nobody into the stations without a permit. RUSSIAN VESSEL IS RELEASED MOSCOW, June 26. It is officially stated that the British authorities have released the Russian merchant vessel Selenga which had been detained under the contraband control system. The All Union Central Council of Trades Unions in a message to workers says: “Sunday holidays will be abolished and working hours increased from six or seven to eight hours a day. We must strengthen the Red Army, Navy and Air Force and augment armaments. The increase in hours will give the country hundreds of thousands of tons more oil, coal, ore, and metal, and thousands of new machines, tools, guns, aeroplanes, tanks and other machines.”

REORGANIZATION OF POLISH TROOPS

(British Official Wireless) RUGBY, June 26.

The Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, received General Wladyslow Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, who is now in Britain. The two Prime Ministers discussed the future status of the Polish Army and its role in this country. Full agreement was reached on a basis of the most close collaboration in pursuing the war to a victorious end.

A London message says that many thousands of Polish troops who fought with the French armies and the British Expeditionary Force are now being reorganized in Britain, as are a large number of Polish airmen with their machines.