THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 11, 1939
Preparing Britain's Field Force For Overseas Service Organisation Still To Be Carried Out
FOUR MONTHS DELAY FOR TERRITORIALS
The recent announcement by Mr. Hore-Belisha of the creation of a Field Force of 19 divisions in- volves a whole range of other problems which are doubtless being considered.
The Force is to consist of 13 infantry divisions
Mice
New York, March 31. Every effort is to be made to kill. mice which have been seen running about the White House before the King and Queen visit the President and Mrs. Roosevelt there on June 8.
MOSLEMS IN
(four Regular and 9 Territorial), three mobile divi- LONDON ROUSED
sions (two Regular and one Territorial), and thrée motorised divisions (all Territorial).
EGYPT ASKED TO MEDIATE
IN PALESTINE DISPUTE
Cairo, To-day. Important developments in re- gard to British policy in Palestine are expected here.
that It is reliably learned
tho
BY DUCE'S STEP Egyptian Ambassador in London,
Mr. Hore-Belisha also indicated that, if a field Force were required overseas, it would go out in series and, by the time that the last of the series had left, fresh troops would be available and train-DON, ed to augment the original Field Force.
Hassan Nahat Pasha, is expected to arrive here to-day with British pro-
LONDON, TO-DAY. LEADING MOSLEMS IN LON-posals. for rapid settlement of the
MEETING YESTERDAY, Palestine problem. DEMANDED THAT MUSSOLINI SHOULD RENOUNCE
British
The
Sir THE
Ambassador, TITLE "DEFENDER OF ISLAM," | Miles Lampson, during Easter call- WHICH IL DUCE ASSUMED ed several times on the Egyptian AFTER THE ABYSSINIAN CON- Premier, and it is belleved he moot- QUEST.
ed the possibility of Egyptian me- diation in the dispute.
They also urged that the Oriental Academy, opened in Italy five years go, should be closed as a protest against Fascist propaganda in India, Egypt and the East.
Immediately after Easter, it is reported, discussions will open be
the tween the Egyptian Premier, British Ambassador and Amir Fai- representa-
The approximate time at which army corps for the mobile divisions the various echelons are likely to and perhaps one army corps for the be ready can be only a matter of three motorised divisions In addi- speculation. It is probable that no tion there would be possibly two or part of the Field Force would go three Army Headquarters and a out until the intensive phases of G.HQ.
No doubt some of the existing air attack. had been" exhausted. AIR ATTACKS ON TRANSPORTS Commands could form the earlier The movement of the Field Force. Corps Headquarters, but the adi- its embarkation and disembarka- tional needs tion, might be an extremely difficult Force is a formidable matter, and operation in the face of intense the expansion of signal units, in bombing attacks. The first echelon, particular for the Formation. Head- therefore. of two Regular divisions quarters, would be considerable. to be followed by two others and In addition to the creation of head- the two mobile divisions, would be quarters, a number of corps units the first to leave our shores, after would be required if the present a pause of such time as might be establishments are adhered to, such required to overcome these inten- as two machine-gun- battalions per
Shanghai, To-day. sive attacks. I suggest that it might corps, corps cavalry and medium
Unconfirmed messages are again artillery; and for Army troops more be a matter of weeks..
During this time the Territorin medium and heavy artillery, work-circulating that Mr. Wang Ching- Army, in so far as it would not re-shops and R.A. S. C. units, as well wei, expelled member of the Kuo- quire to maintain internal order as a number of G.H.Q. lines of com-mintang, recently arrived here from
Hong Kong. and provide internal security. would be training hard.
The meeting sent a deputation to sal, King Ibn Saud's of the whole Field
the Italian Embassy to communicate these demands,--Reuter.
munication units.
tive in Cairo.
No details regarding the Britisn proposals are known, but the pos- sibility of concessions to the Arabs is mentioned.--Reuter.
WANG CHING-WEIG
RUMOURS
It is also added that the former While some of these units might|| be Improvised after mobilisation, Chinese Government official was the combatant ones should be form-accompanied by his Hong Kong ed in time of peace unless efficiency agent, Mr. P. S: Lin, who was at- is to suffer.
tacked last year in the streets of Hong Kong-Our Own Corres- pondent.
How long this period is likely to be must depend on the degree of readiness of the Territorial divi- sions, which may vary considerably. no less than upon the general mill- · PROVISION OF EQUIPMENT tary situation.
The whole question of material
· It might be about four months. is also a very big one. It is true Individual Territorial units of par-factories are now turning, out wea- tícularly high quality were actually vons and vehicles on a steadily in- fighting in France in 1914, but creasing scale, but some are still without going into the past, there only experimental. In any case, con- is much to be done before they can siderable time must elapse before be adequately trained as Divisions. the 18 divisions of the Territorial Commanders and staffs need ex- Army would be fully provided perience, the mass of mechanical with their mobilisation equipment. transport to which Territorial units In the coming training season, are hardly accustomed is a com- the first under the new organisa- plex subject, while they are a num- tion. Territorials will be provided ber of new weapons as well as a in most cases with weapons and new organisation with which they vehicles on a training scale only, are not yet familiar.
and even the Regular Army will not Provided the military situation be complete. permits, it would be a great miss The delays and difficulties as well
to send the
TAW as
the organisation still required will be able are mentioned not to belittle the but decision- form a Field Force of upon 19. divisions but to emphasise that
much still remains to be dor and. must elapse before Force can be a live or
tate. No dou
to leave
It wo
the
the Continent.
TORMATION OF
HEADQUARTERS
There comes the question of the the number of corps hea
ded. This would
but when
divisi
bộ bà
the question of
Field
NO WORD ABOUT SAGRES
The British, steamer "Sagres," chartered by the Douglas steamship Company and seized by the Japanese on Saturday, is still being held at Baku, in the Pescadores.
Messrs. Williamson and Co., the agents, said this morning that no word had been receiv- ed from the Master of the "Sagres
The naval authorities this morning also stated that they had no furth
DR. SCHACHT
A TOURIST
PASSENGERS ON PORTUGUESE SHIP RELEASED
Shanghai, To-day. Passengers on board the Portu- guese vessels, detained by Japan- ese navy at Woosung, are being released, and it is learned that all passengers on one of the boats were allowed ashore yesterday es- corted by Japanese soldiers.
Some of the Chinese passengers were taken to Hongkew where they are ati!! detained.
It is understood that the Portu- guese Consul General will officially protest this morning to the Japan-
• Our Own Cor- ese authorities, respondent.
ARMY FOOTBALL CUP
Royal
ating Might