FIGHT FOR SEA POWER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 245, 17 October 1939, Page 7

FIGHT FOR SEA POWER

NAZI OPTIMISM PRESENT RATE OF BRITISH i LOSSES MORE SUBMARINES FROM I RUSSIA (By Telegt aph - Press Association—Copy righ:l Received Oct. 16. 7.35 p.m. STOCKHOLM. Oct. 15. Swedis'i correspondents in Ber- a l»n stress the importance which }- the Nazis attach to the fight for p .seapower and their declaration v that a continuation of the present t rate of British losses eventually o will ensure a German victory. F The Nazli admit the sinking of 1 some submarines, hut discount I this by announcing that Russia e will furnish submarines to Ger- v many. r The Dagbladet suggests that a Ger- v man land offensive can be expected 1' only when the result of the operations against British seapower are r known. German planes hitherto have g been attacking in twenties, whereas s 800 were sent against the Polish c strongholds. Meanwhile the army is £ building up reserves, the Government [ P is reconstructing the occupied terri-| 1 tory. and 600.000 war prisoners are at ! ® work, of which number IIO.OIX) are harvesting crops. h HITLER’S OLIVE BRANCH c t ITALIAN PRESS SLPPORT ' i Received Oct. 16. 10.30 p.m. NEW YORK. Oct. 15. The Rome correspondent of the New York Times states that the Press c attempts to convince Mr. Chamber- s lain that he should not reject Herr c Hitler s olive branch, and warns him ( that rejection will mean a quarterless v war which may end possibly in de- ii feat. The Resto De! Carlino even o states that if the German submarine t campaign continues at the present rate, the entire British Fleet will be p destroyed by 1940. No mention is v made of the 17 submarines the a British and French navies are re- t ported to have sunk, nor whether F Germany is anle to replace them. J Conservative circles maintain that ! - the Allies have not explained their * real desires and express the opinion | { that the demand that Germany should £ evacuate Poland, mc%is a British and 1 French wish to solve in advance the 1 very problems which should be the i r object of the conference Herr Hitler i 1 has proposed. ‘ j I C ON WESTERN FRONT i i BRITISH RELIEVING FRENCH ’j HOLDING FRONT SEVERAL f MILES LONG a PARIS. Oct. 15. ‘ The lull on the Western Front con- ■ tinues. | v It is now revealed that 100 French 111I 11 warships, including submarine chas- j ers, destroyers, and torpedo boats.; , participated in convoying the British , troops to France. | The Paris newspaper Excelsior i “ states that the original estimate of 32 ■ divisions will be much exceeded, ; . More British planes will take up their war positions and fresh batteries fully i supplied with ammunition are being [ ? landed daily. The Times 'London* correspondent ; * on the Western Front states that • British troops hold a several • f miles long. More units are moving up i f continuously to reli *.•** the French, | g extend and deepen the trenches, aid . Q the excavating machines, survey sites i* for pillboxes, and construct anti-tank I t traps. The British have taken over ‘ an elaborate system of strong points, I some being miniature cement-built ‘ fortresses banked with earth and • r housing guns of various calibres cap- : able of presenting by interlocking fire ■ r a continuous curtain of metal. ; y. Battle Position* British ne* >papers now print iong c dis pate ties horn their own representa- f fives attached to the British Expedi- s tionary Force describing visits to the r British Army in its battle positions in 1 the sector allotted it. Although posi- f tions in the fortified zone are already -1 prepared and very strong the core?- £ spondents report on th* activity of < British troops n further reinforcing t defences. < Most correspondents themselves 1 served in France between 1914 and 1 191 S. and the resemblance of to-day’s 5 scenes to thc.-e in the last war ’is common. Several writers thought the differences noted were because of the progress of mechanisation on the one 1 hand ana or. the other the much more i solid defences of steel and concrete, which now constitute the line. The reports state that the troops • are now in their section of thp Magi- ; not Line, which consists of front-line ' fortified zones and secondary works of I considerable importance. In the event i of the enemy breaking through tht j first line they will be met by con- . r verging fire and thrown back to their i« starting point. The British soldier.' i have taken over pillboxes and other j works and are keeping watch night and day. The right wing of the Brit'sh sector is held by a Scottish regi--ent. Gun* Everywhere emplacements built. British guns are to be seen everywhere. Thousands are in position and many thousands more of all calibres are to be seen on the roads. Observers comment on th? strength of the anti-tank obstacles ( and the effectiveness of the camou- 5 flage. One correspondent says that at no time during a day’s visit did he .see . a single horse drawing a military vehicle or a single soldier on foot. Everything travelled on rubber at 40 t miles an hour. t Towns behind the lines, where a [ week ago there was not a cat. are 1 now busy markets doing good busi- s ness with the troops. In the midst c of all the military activity peasants i continued to harvest their crops and some even to plough for the next. Some Polish troops have taken up positions on the Western Front. The British and French joint pro- a d iction of aircraft will soon be c