AIRCRAFT FOR BRITAIN

Southland Times, Issue 24273, 2 November 1940, Page 5

AIRCRAFT FOR BRITAIN

INCREASING RATE OF DELIVERY MR WILLKIE TALKS IN THOUSANDS (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received November 1, 11.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 31. British sources state that the actual shipments of aircraft to England in September totalled 250 units. The figures for October are expected to be the same and for November 300. By June shipments will be at least 600 a month. Mr Wendell Willkie, in a speech at Wilmington, derided Mr Roosevelt’s recommendation in favour of priority for the delivery of 12,000 war planes to Britain. “Well, who wouldn’t?” he asked. . As a matter of fact if you elect me president our production will be so geared up that such a request will not even constitute news because it will be insignificant in comparison with what America can do productively.” United States officials state that most o ' the new planes sought by Britain, and promised by President Roosevelt, who said he was clearing the way for Britain to reinforce the Royal Air Force with 26,000 American-made planes, including 14,000 already on order, will be long range heavy bombers needed for the day promised by Mr Churchill when the British will take the offensive. Reports persist that Britain will soon receive some of the United States flying fortresses. SHORT NIGHT RAID ON LONDON “ALL CLEAR” SOUNDS LONG BEFORE MIDNIGHT (Received November 1, 5.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 31. Planes, which were overhead frequently early in the raid on London last night, met with heavy ground fire, which is considered to have been the heaviest of the war. There was hardly a pause in the gunfire for the first hour and a-half. The Germans arrived in waves, using fast fighter-bombers. Some fires were started but were quickly brought under control. Bombs also fell in rural areas and on a northeast Scottish town. Londoners were astonished when the all clear was given several hours before midnight, the earliest for several weeks. A feeling voiced during the day that the stormy weather would be likely to keep the enemy away tonight was thus justified. Some people had already taken up positions in shelters and refused to disturb themselves, but the London streets, so long deserted from dusk to dawn, assumed almost a “preBlitz” appearance as buses, which normally pull up beside footpaths, felt their way through the murk. Taxis defied the darkness, dashing to their destinations. The general feeling was that it was too good to be true. INDISCRIMINATE ATTACKS A bomber, believed to have been an Italian, dived from the clouds and released bombs on an East Anglian town during the afternoon, causing several casualties and damaging buildings. Two planes dropped several high-explosive bombs on a Midlands town. There were a few casualties. A raider machine-gunned an east Scottish lightl’ouse. Single raiders attacked other districts of Britain, raking the streets with machine-guns. One bomber unloaded from 100 feet over a southern town killing four and demolishing several shops. Among the places recently bombed in London are St. Boniface’s Church in Leicester Square, the Dutch church of Austin Friars, part of which dates from the year 1250, and St. Batholomew’s Medical School. 1 Another message says that 563,000 children were evacuated from the London area to October 30. There remain 279,000. REVOLT FLARES UP IN ABYSSINIA REGULARITY IN AIR SERVICES (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, October 31. The Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was interviewed in the Sudan by the 8.8. C. correspondent. Resistance to the Italians, he said, had never ceased since 1936 and revolt was flaring up afresh. He was there to lead in the fight with their ally Britain. Already he had received a number of chieftains who had sworn allegiance to him. “My place is with my people,” he said. “I am going there to lead them and to share their hardships.”