BRITISH
THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 27, 1939...
Ribbentrop's Part In Great Tragedy Of Our Time
MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S WAR REVIEW: BUT ONE REPLY TO THE GERMAN DECISION
SEIZURES OF
NAZI SHIPS
London, To-day.
In the course of his 'week- ly review of the war situation
London, To-day.
in the Commons, the Prime THE RIBBENTROP TIRADE, regarding which Mr. TIN PRICE
Minister said members would have seen that during the last few days the sinking of five British ships had been announced:
One of these ships--the Stonegate
was sunk by the German raider Deut- schland some time ago but informa- been tion of this loss had only just received. Together these ships ag- gregated 22,715 tons.
t
of
On the other hand a number
and enemy ships had been arrested brought in by blockading squadrons of the Royal Navy.
Phoebus
the These ships were
tons): Gloria (5,986 (8,863 tons); Bianca (1,375 tons); Poseidon (5,864 tons) and Biscaya (6,369 tons), totall- ing 28,367 tons.
Gonzein- - In addition to these, the heim (4,574 tons) was intercepted and scuttled herself to avoid capture.
There had been therefore subject to the decision of the prize court-a loss to the enemy of some 33,000 tons and a net gain to the British of near- ly 6,000 tons.
U-BOAT LAWLESSNESS
I
Chamberlain said he did not propose to waste
much time on the details of "this performance," CONTROL
formed the most interesting part of the Prime Minister's weekly war review.
The Prime Minister pointed out that, stripped of its verbiage and falsifications, it did indicate that
PROTESTS
London, To-day. Removal of the maximum
Hitler had realised the failure of his peace price of British tin could only
offensive.
the Turkish Treaty, Dealing with which he said had been received with profound satisfaction throughout the Empire and France, the Premier added to that it gave great encouragement know that it was widely welcomed in many parts of the world.
THE FACTS
be considered when market conditions became more
After declaring that the Govern- normal, declared Dr. Burgin, had already published the Minister of Supply, in the ment essential documents of the war, Mr.
"We are content House of Commons yester- Chamberlain said:
facts and today. to be judged by the know that the verdict of the great Saying that doubtless the world saw
observers is in within it a guarantee for the main-majority of neutral tenance of peace in at least one part our favour." of the world, Mr. Chamberlain "It is a purely defensive instrument threatening no one and designed only to resist aggression.
said:
Mr. Chamberlain recalled that Sir Neville Henderson had referred to the bentrop, who apparently advised him encouragement given Hitler by Rib- to the last moment that Britain would not fight. "Yet this is the man who, now asserts that that the whole ob- lect of the British and Polish since Assistance to be given relates parti-1933 has been to concert war against mater-Germany. cularly to the supply of war mustials."
A feature of the U-boat campaign to which the Premier said he call attention was its growing law- lessness.
exposure.
In the case of the Yorkshire there was a deplorable loss of life amongst the wives and children of soldiers.re- turning home from the Fast.
The British, French Turkish Govern- ments have been discussing the ques- tion of financial and economic assis- tance for Turkey.
to
RIBBENTROP IN HISTORY
Future historians will have to con- sider how far the great tragedy of our time has been due to the failure of Ribbentrop' to comprehend, the policy or character of the British people.:
Ribbentrop desires, it seems, to the Invite Russia to Join In crusade against the British Em pire."
NAZI WAR COUNCILS the It would seem now to become
sunk Mr. Chamberlain then referred rule for merchant ships to be
reports in Berlin of lengthy consulta- without warning:
Frequently passengers and crew hadtions among Nazi leaders and Ribben- "I don't propose to been turned adrift in small open boats trop's speech,
many No-one in stormy seas to suffer from cold and waste time by commenting on
details of this performance. in this country will be deceived by its distortions of the truth and there is already abundant evidence that Rib- bentrop has been no more successful in his attempt to mislead impartial Mr. Chamberlain recalled Ribben- observers in other parts of the world.tron's address when he first came to England in 1936 in which Ribbentron said: "The Fuehrer is convinced that one real danger in there is only Europe and the British Empire as well, that is the spreading further of communism, this, most terrible of all
Another instance was the sinking of the French ship Bretagne carrying a large number of women, and children. without torpedoed This ship was warning and sunk miles from land by gunfire. Fourteen of those on board were missing.-British Wireless.
CAR ACCIDENT
Mr. M. M. Moore, of No. $71, Prince an Edward Road, was involved in accident yesterday when, while driv- he knocked ing in Salkung Road, down a Chinese. The man, suffer- ing from a fractured collar bone. was admitted to the Kowloon Hospital:
"I even cherish a hope that des. pite all suppressions and falsifi. are still some. In catlons there- Germany, Itself who see where the real truth lies. (cheers),
There was ironical laughter when
Dr. Burgin was answering a ques- tion which drew attention to the dan- ger to the tin smelting industry due to the order fixing prices substantial- ly below American prices.
Dr. Burgin pointed out that the American spot price had already fal- len a long way from the highest level.
He hoped the Increased supplies now coming forward would soon permit a more normal relation- ship between the domestic and world prices.
In the meantime, the Government attached importance to the domestic smelting industry and was watching
Reuter. the position closely.
S
ICE HOUSE ST. THEFT
Mr. Reldy, of the Repulse Bay
this morning, when Chan So, 24, was Hotel, was at the Central Magistracy charged before Mr. R. Edwards with stealing his fountain pen in Ice House Street yesterday.
At about 4.10 p.m. yesterday, Mr. Reidy was in Ice House Street with his daughter. Mr. Kirby, who was diseases, (loud laughter), terrible be-behind, saw defendant take the pen
from Mr. Reidy's pocket.
Sentence of four
"The main thesis of the speech was
cause people generally seem to real- that England and not Germany desir-
war. This is ise its danger only when it is too and plotted the ed known by the whole world to be un-ate." (laughter in which M. Maisky, true.
"No Government ever sought more ardently to avoid war or took greater risks to preserve peace than did the Government of this country."
Here von Ribbentrop la seon" with M. Dalaðlar, on the occasion, Im Germany signed a prof of
"
Russian Ambassador to London, in the Diplomatic Gallery also joined).
POSITIVE ConalusiON
Mr.. Chamberlain added: "The posi- tive conclusion that we are apparent-. ly asked to draw from Ribbentrop's speech is that the German ment have made a choice, which, as before I stated on October 12 lay them.
GovernTM
*
"He has announced their intention of seeing the struggle through with all their energy and strength.
"If that is indeed their decision there can be but one reply and wa, are prepared to plve it. It la not England that challenged Ger- - many. It is the German Govern, ment who by persistent acta of aggression pursued in the face of our repeated warnings have forced us at fast reluctantly to take up
varme,
"It is the German Government, who by the reckless disregard of their pledged word and the rights and liberties of other peoples must bear the responsibility for this war and for all its consequences.'
SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN
inh his speach, the Premier Bald that. U-beats were being driven furth and further from their bases and rebelnetendily destroyed,
so that one might hope that the to British trade, would soon
82,715 tons,
months' hard
and six months' for returning from banishment.
labour was imposed on this charge,
ACCUSATION DENIED
A 25-year-old married woman Lam Chan was before Mr. R. A. D. Forrest this morning, charged with keeping an unregistered muitsai.
Defendant denied the charge, saying the girl was her niece.
Mr. H. W. Fraser, of the S.C.A., said the girl was registered on September 16 last year, as a ward A lády in- spector yesterday visited the girl, who alleged that she had been filtreated.
The case was adjourned till to-mor- row.. Defendant was on bail of $100.
had been sunk recently, but during the same period the blockade con- trol had arrested over 28,000 tons of enemy ships and another vessel of 4,000 tons had scuttled itself rather than be captured.
He deplored the growing lawless-- ness of the campaign and the sinking - of merchant ships without warnbar the most notable, cases of this the sinking of the British Yorkshire and the French, ste Bretagne.
No words were strong enough express our detestation of tivi Reuter