LITE CABLE NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21994, 20 June 1941, Page 5

LITE CABLE NEWS

VOLUNTEERS FROM U.S. (Rec. 130) WASHINGTON, June 19. Air Commodore George Pirie announced that he was opening offices in New York to arrange for thousands of American volunteers to go to Britain to help to operate Britain’s air. craft detectors. Applications would be received from suitable technicians between the ages of 18 and 50, who would receive an attractive remuneration.

MR SEMPLE CALLS FOR GREATER EFFORT

(Rec. 130 am.) SYDNEY, June 19. Mr R. Semple to-day was the guest of the Millions Club at a luncheon and delivered an address on the Dominion's war effort. He declared that democracy was at the crossroads and civilisation in the melting pot. Every man must put forward every ounce of his strength and every copper he possessed. He emphasised that liberty, the spice of life, was to jeopardy. The Divine Master soon would check the kind of conduct going on over England, resulting in the mass murder of women and children. He thanked God for Mr Roosevelt. He appealed to Australians to make a vow that they would die on their sunkissed hills before they would surrender to the German monster of iniquity. There were only two roads, the one Hitler was travelling, and the other which all freedom loving people were travelling. He would rather go down to the dreamless dust than submit to tyranny of any kind. Mr Semple paid a tribute to the help Australia was giving to New Zealand, and said he would return satisfied that the spirit and soul of the people were sound. He also was convinced that the development of war indurates here was phenomenal and wonderful.

PLAGUE IN CRETE

(Rec. 2.10 am.) CAIRO, June 19. A considerable portion of the German garrison in Crete has been evacuated owing to an outbreak o plague. ALLIES ATTACKING DAMASCUS (Rec. 2.10 am.) LONDON, June 19. A Jerusalem message states that advanced Australian patrols are reported to have reached the villageof Damour, 13 miles from Beirut. Tne Allied forces are attacking Damascus.

NEWSPRINT RATIONING

(Rec. 2 am.) CANBERRA, June 19. The Minister of Customs (Mr'E. J. Harrison) announced that newsprins rationing would rise from 33 to 55 per cent from July 1. He pointed out that the proprietors had voluntarily agreed to a 33 per cent cut some time ago. The further restriction would mean a total saving of between 94,000 and 103 000 tons of newsprint annually.

AUSTRALIAN LOSSES

(Rec 2 am.) CANBERRA, June 19. Australian troops who failed to return from the campaigns inGreece and Crete totalled 5951, the Minister of the Army (Mr P. C. Spender) announced in the House of Representatives to-day. The figures, he said, were at variance with those released some tune ago and he was unable to get an explanation. A cablegram from the International Red Cross stated that 9000 British, Australian and New Zealand troops were taken prisoner in Greece.