THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 18, 1939
FIRST AIR RAID ON LONDON
SINCE GREAT WAR:
LAUNCH
OF THE
FRENCH BOMBERS "ATTACK" GLENORCHY
London, To-day.
LONDONERS WERE GIVEN a thrilling spectacle yesterday as French aircraft "invaded" the metropolis in brilliant sunshine over a period of an hour.
*
The Air Ministry subsequently received word from the French authorities that all aircraft returned safely to France.
The first "air-raid" on London since the Great War took the majority of the capital's millions, who were basking in the brilliant sunshine or working in their shirt- sleeves in offices, by surprise.
HABEAS CORPUS PETITION IN LONDON
London, To-day.
Another dramatic move in the challenge to the decision of the British Government to hand over the four Chinese prisoners at Tientsin was taken in London yesterday.
More or less as Judge P. Grant ...Jones, in the British Supreme Court for China, was rejecting the applica- tion for a writ of habeas corpus made by Ellis and Hays on behalf of Pro- fessor Bentwich and Miss Margery
Fry, an ex parte application was being made in London with the same end in view.
Thousands of faces in the streets were turned skywards, eager with in- terest, as the bombers, having made a rendezvous with reconnaissance air- craft, roared over the city in succes- sive waves.
Windows were crowded and from roof-tops many people have a grand-stand view of the "invad- ing Aramada."
The first bombers were at a great height, but other flights which fol- lowed were less than a thousand feet up.
BALLOON BARRAGE
barrage hovered over North London, As they passed, a single balloon the majority of the barrages evident- ly having been lowered to minimise
the risk of accidents.
At 2.30 p.m., 17 sinister-looking heavy bombers -- their square wing-tips contrasting with the pointed wings of the British fight- crB passed close to St. Paul's Cathedral, so low that the identi- fication marks on their fuselages could be clearly seen.
Some bombers carried out a daring mock raid on the R.A.F, station at Hornchurch, Essex, from a height of 5,000 feet.
FIGHTERS ATTACK
Within five minutes of their appear- ance which followed the departure of six fighters from the station on patrol duty 30 "Spitfire" fighters
After hearing the application in Chambers, Mr. Justice Cassels. gave leave for the issue of a summons for a writ of habeas corpus, returnable on Tuesday, and directed to the Foreignert the ground. : Secretary, the Consul-General in Tientsin, the Chairman of the British Municipal Council in Tientsin and the Gaoler of the British Prison in Tien- tsin.-Reuter.
"MARTIAL LAW" IN THUNGKING
An exciting battle ensued in which the 8-gun Spitfires
the fastest of their type in the world darted in and out of the bomb-
er formations.
The bombers all crossed the coast at points between Newhaven and Selsey Bill at about noon, and many of them, as they split up, went off on raids on provincial towns and cities.
spite
INTERCEPTION ACHIEVED
CHUNGKING, TO-DAY.
Interception was achieved de- "MARTIAL LAW" WAS DECLAR- ED FROM 11 O'CLOCK FRIDAY TO to a height of 5,000 feet, which screen- the thick Channel haze rising -8 ÁM. TO-DAY IN ORDER TO EN-ed the bombers low altitude arrival. ABLE THE AUTHORITIES. TO Shortly before 3 p.m., some of the THOROUGHLY EXAMINE THE "invaders" again circled. London be- DOMICLE OF THE RESIDENTS OF fore speeding homewards, thus signal- CHUNGKING.
ling the "end of the invasion.”
It will be recalled that August 12 Reuter. was the "deadline" for people lacking
/to
domicile permits to leave Chungking. case of Japanese air raids, as well as This measure was instituted in or" to afford ́dug-out accommodation to der to prevent a large death-roll ́ ́in' all the city's residents-Trans-Ocean,
FRENCH COLLABORATE
WITH BRITAIN IN
THE FAR EAST
Paris, To-day,
"THE EVOLUTION OF EVENTS in the Far East is being fol- lowed in Paris very closely and the French policy re- mains one of closest collaboration with Britain.
It is pointed out that on questions of purely British interest the negotiations are left entirely to Britain, but that on matters of joint interest →→→ such as the silver question- it is clear that France is giving Britain the fullest sup- port.
The magnificent new vessel, Glenorchy, sliding down the ways at Taikoo yesterday after her christening by Men. W. H. Lock. She is the second ship of her size to be launched at Talkoo this year.
GERMAN DENIALS ADD TO "MYSTERY' OF COUNT
CSAKY'S ACTIVITY
Berlin, To-day. MYSTIFICATION HAS BEEN CREATED by conflicting un- official and official announcements regarding the acti- vities of Count Csaky, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, in Germany.
Notwithstanding circumstantial accounts of the visit of Count Csaky to Herr von Ribbentrol at Castle Fuschl, in the company of Dr. Frick, the Propaganda Ministry yesterday afternoon denied that the two statesmen had met.
JEWS TO BE ALLOWED TO LAND
SHANGHAI, TO-DAY. FOUR STEAMERS NOW : ON THEIR WAY HERE WILL BE AL- LOWED TO DISEMBARK THEIR JEWISH PASSENGERS, IN SHANG- HAI, THE JAPANESE CONSULATE GENERAL ANNOUNCED YESTER DAY.
steamer, the Italian liner Conte Blan- The ships concerned are a Japanese, camano, the German liner Potsdam and the French liner Athos II.
It is added that the decision was taken only for humanitarian real sone, after communication
with the authorities of, the Internation- al Settlement" and the French..." Concession.
The criticism of the French papers proper policy is to settle secondary
It will be the sole exception to the regarding the handing-over of the matters and stand firm on matters of which Jewish refugees are no longer recent Japanese decree, according to four Chinese is not generally -shared here, where it is felt that the essential importance. -Reuter,
Ito be admitted to the Jans
Usually reliable sources, in Munich and Salzburg, report that yesterday afternoon, Count Csaky had a long interview with Herr Hitler at Berch- tesgaden.
The meeting was not mentioned publicly in Germany and subse- quently an officially Inspired statement from
Berchtesgaden denied that a meeting had occur- red.--Reuter.
***Europe has also been watching German-Hungarian relations very closely of late in view of persistent reports that Germany has been bring- ing strong political pressure to bear on Hungary to compel her to conform Csaky and Herr von Ribbentrop held more, closely to Axis policy. Count an unadvertised meeting a week ago. Germany reports have insisted Count Csaky's visit to Germany is of a purely privață nature, and all rẻ, ports of diplomatié pourparlers as well as of pressures are now being denied. Effect is likely to be that other inter- ested parties will watch developments even more clade bra
that