ALLIED COUNCIL MEETS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20916, 22 September 1939, Page 7

ALLIED COUNCIL MEETS

PLANS FOR COMBINED ACTION HITLER GOING TO THE WESTERN FRONT GERMANS PREPARING TO TAKE THE OFFENSIVE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 20 The Minister of War, Mr L. Hore-Belisha, and Lord Hankey, former secretary of the Imperial War Cabinet and of the Committee of Imperial Defence, and now a Minister without portfolio, had a conference in Paris with the French Prime Minister, M. DaladierThe purpose of the Ministers’ visit was to make final plans for immediate combined Franco-British action, says the Paris correspondent of the News Chronicle. The Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Armies, Marshal Gamelin, attended the conference. Although the Western Front was quiet for the greater part of the day, heavy artillery opened up at various points, particularly in the Saarbrucken sector, and there is every indication that the Germans are preparing to take the offensive. They are probing the French strength along the 25-mile front east of Saarbrucken. The German newspaper Ruhr Arbeiter says Hitler is shortly going to the Western Front, “and then the great clash will begin.” German troops are still moving to the west from Poland, while French troops released from the Italian frontier have also moved up to the Western Front.

RUSSIAN FLEET

DEPARTURE PROM BASE SEARCH FOR ESCAPED SUBMARINE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 22, 11 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, Sept. 21 The Stockholm correspondent of the BerlJngske Tldende reports that three Russian battleships, six cruisers, fifty submarines and numerous aircraft have left the naval base at Kronstadt, ostensibly in search of the Orzel, the Polish submarine which escaped, which is reported to be provisioned for three months. PUT OFF SUBMARINE TWO ESTONIAN SE\MEN DRIFT ON A SMALL YAWL (United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 22, 1 p.m.) STOCKHOLM, Sept. 21 Two Estonians, namely, a petty officer and an A. 8., who were aboard the submarine Orzel when she escaped from Tallinu appeared off the coast of Gotland in a small yawl. They explained that they had been kept aboard the submarine until yesterday, when they were released and drifted outside Swedish waters.

SOVIET AND JAPAN

DISCLAIMED BY AMGABBADOR ADVICE TO THE ALLIES TO AVOID ENTANGLEMENT (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 The new Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Mr Kensukc Ilorinouchi, stated to-day that the RussoJapanese agreement ending the border warfare in Mongolia was not consummated through Germany’s pood offices. It should -not be regarded as a preliminary to a non-aggression pact or as a move for close associat'lon between the Soviet and Japan. The Ambassador added that Japan had given “friendly advice" to Britain and France to withdraw their troops from China lest Japan should be involved in the European war. Japan’s policy was to avoid entanglement and to concentrate upon a settlement of the “China affair."

FOOD SUPPLIES

BIQ BHIPMENT FROM AFRICA GIFT WORTH £1,000,000 (United Press Assn.—Elec. TH. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 21 The Times says the Johannesburg City Council is sponsoring a campaign lo raise £1.000.000 for the despatch of local surpluses of ciggs, butter, sugar and other foodstuffs to Britain, free of all charges, as a gift. Assurances of support are already forthcoming from all parts of South Afrioa.

BRITAIN’S STRENGTH

HELP OP THE DOMINION* NOT INFLUENCED BY FEAR OBJECT LESSON TO GERMANS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 22, it.3o pjn.) LONDON, Sept. 21 In the House of Lords, Viscount Halifax, Minister of Foreign Affaire, said: “Our efforts aie reinforced by the response of the Dominions. I am certain that the great strength of Britain in every field will ibe organised to make its weight more and more felt." Lord Maughan said: “If Hitler had the courage to tell the Germans of the determination and action the Dominions had taken it would have a great effect on the determination of his coerced people to wage war for the purpose of aggrandising Hitler himself. The Dominions were not influenced by fear or hope of material advantage. There was no example in history so striking and moving as the action of the Dominions unless it were Britain’s own example in 1914/*

EFFECT OF INVASION

GERMAN FOOD SUPPLIES IMPORTANT SOURCE DESTROYED NO HELP FROM RUSSIA oiled Pres* A»sn.—Elec. Tr| Copyriy .it (Received Sept. 22, 11.20 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 The Commerce Department adviser said that the German invasion of Poland had destroyed one of the most important sources of food. German imports of Polish food in 1938 were valued at 38.392,000 dollars. He doubted whether Germany would be able to exploit Poland's resources and provide normal peace-time food production for several years. He added that the Soviet was unable to supply Germany with large quantities of food. Even normally Russia's domestic production was insufficient. He also drew attention to the dedepartinental statistics showing the steady decline in German imports from Russia over the five years ending March 31, 1939, reducing from 86,544,000 dollars in 1935 to 19,036,000 dollars in 1938.

AIR RAID MENACE

AS GREAT AS EVER DEMAND FOR VIGILANCE (United Press Assn.—dee. Tel. copyright) (Received Sept. 22, 1 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 21 Sir John Anderson, at the press conference, said the air raid menace is as threatening as ever and it would be madness to disperse the civil defence forc.es because they have not yet been called into action.* The present lull was giving greater opportunities fur more intensive training. ft was not only a war of anna. It was a war of moral*, «amanaIng end lass endurance and patience. The civil defence preparation* were based on the assumption of immediate and continued attacks, and were now experiencing a period which had not been contemplated. Sir John admitted that the tail of "tki aok-out ’ SACd&BBio