WAR POSITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 September 1939, Page 6

WAR POSITION

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’S SURVEY REFERENCE TO PARTITION OF POLAND. POLICY TOWARDS NEUTRALS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) RUGBY, September 2G. In (he House of Commons, making a statement on the present war position, the Prime Minister (Mr N. Chamberlain) reviewed hostilities on the Eastern and Western fronts and events in the war at sea. After stressing the complete agreement arrived at between the British and French Governments at a meeting of the Supreme War Council, Mr Chamberlain dealt with the partitioning of Poland between Germany and t4ie Soviet, the present position being (hat the Soviet troops had not yet occupied all the territory allotted to them, amounting to more than 'half the total area of the Polish Republic. After a reference to the cowardly assassination of M. Calinescu, to French progress in certain localities in the Western front and to the Dominions, whose war preparations “continue with gathering momentum,’' Mr Chamberlain turned to the work of the Ministry of Economic Warfare, which had been under organisation for the past two years. Its object, he said, was to disorganise Germany’s economic structure and cripple her power to prolong hostilities. He warned against over-optimism, saying that Germany already possessed stocks, varying in size, of the raw materials which she requires to import, and quick results could not, therefore, be expected. "But our command of the sea means,” he added, “that from the day war broke out, Germany was cut off from many of her sources of supply.” The Prime Minister discarded German allegations that British contraband control will have no effect on Germany, as she is self-sufficient, but will completely strangle neutral trade. He said Britain was anxious to take account of the bona fide trading needs of neutral countries. This contrasted with the thinly-veiled menaces of Germany towards neutrals—menaces which in the past few days had been translated into action by the sinking of three neutral ships under circumstances constituting a clear breach of international law.

Referring to German allegations that Britain was conducting an “unhumane blockade” by the inclusion of foodstuffs in the category of conditional contraband, Mr Chamberlain said: “A naval blockade is no different from a land siege. In any case, the German Government should be the last to make such an accusation at a time when German submarines are attacking all shipping coming to these Islands, with a complete and callous disregard for humanity and the rules of submarine warfare.” Mr Chamberlain said the Dominion air strength was now being made ready for use overseas. Supplies of finished munitions, and raw materials and foodstuffs from the Dominions were being made available in everincreasing volume. Mr Chamberlain said the Poles had not abandoned the struggle. The world was moved by the heroism of ihe defenders of Warsaw and the Hel Peninsula.