THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 22, 1939
Page
MORE BRITISH VICTIMS OF NAZI MINES: GERMANY NOW OPENLY BOASTING
London, To-day.
TWO MORE SMALL British ships have been sunk.
RHEINGOLD
The first is H.M.S. Mastiff, a naval mine-sweep-DOCKED AS er of 520 tons, which was blown up by a German mine off the East Coast on Monday.
One of her crew was killed, four were seriously injur- ed and five are missing; her normal complement is 15 men. The Mastiff was built last year at a cost of £46,000. The other loss is the trawler Sea Sweeper, of 329
PRIZE SHIP
London, To-day.
The German cargo steamer Rhein-
gold 5,000 tons, whose capture by days ago, arrived yesterday at a Scot-
British warships was reported a few
tish port in the hands of a naval prize crew.
Her German crew have been land-
The Rheingold carried a cargo wheat.-Reuter.
tons. It is understood that the crew have been ed in England and interned. picked up by a steamer.
(The Sea Sweeper was
built in HITLER'S "MYSTERIOUS WEAPON"
1915 and owned by the Dinas Steam Trawling Co., Ltd. She was 136 feet long).
This brings the total number of ships lost in the last three days to 135 neutral, 7 British and 1 which is believed to have been French. Mines were responsible for the loss of 10 of these ships.
Responsibility for the losses is now admitted by the Nazi radio, which as late as Monday was trying to put the blame on Britain.
NAZIS NOW JUBILANT
burg, Cologne and Zeesen all state that the German aim is to strike at the Reich's foes by this means. Great Britain, jeered the announcers, is 'not in a position to make British waters
POSSIBILITY OF SPECIAL TYPE OF MINE?
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA - MAIL ")
of
20,000 BLACK GUARDS
IN PRAGUE
Prague, To-day. High officials of the Nazi Black Guards have now arrived In Prague. It is reported by the Prague wireless that 20,000 Black Guards and Brown Shirts are now in control of the town.
Total executions since last Fri- day are now believed to be over 120.-Reuter.
GERMANY'S LACK OF OFFICERS
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL")
man
Paris, To-day. The efficiency of the Ger- military machine is greatly hampered by the in- sufficient number of officers, informed
from
observers
Germany report..
was
The fact that no conscription applied in Germany from 1910 to 1935 is being felt to-day, and the Reich possesses only 23,000 officers, while a
minimum of 40,000 is necessary. London, To-day.
several centres and the conditions of have been lowered.→→Havas.
The Nazi radio stations at Ham-SOME ATTRIBUTE the sinking of the Dutch liner Simon Bolivar to the "mysterious weapon" with which Hitler, in his recent speech, threatened the Allies should his peace terms be refused. safe either for her own or for neutral Originally the mine which sank the Simon Bolivar was believed to be an ordinary mine laid by a submarine, but latest information shows that the mine is not of the ordinary type since British minesweepers had patrolled the area a few hours before the tragedy. ・・
ships,
The results are sad, said one Nazi announcer, for neutral ships.
Germany regrets this development so far as neutral ships are concern- ed, "but there is nothing that Ger- many can do about it! The harvest must be reaped!"
The "Daily Express" yesterday re- ported that German propaganda al- legations that the London correspon- dent of a neutral newspaper reported
that the Simon Bolivar was sunk by a British mine are denied by the cor- respondent himself.
BOASTS AT SINKINGS
The "Daily Telegraph" reports that Goering's own paper, the "National Zeitung" of Essen, boasts of the sink- ings and jeers at Britain for not keeping her coastal waters safe.
The "Deutsche Allegemeine Zei- tung" says that Germany's aim is to
neutral shipping
away from England's waters "by every possible means."
scare
Reuter,
SIMON BOLIVAR DEATHROLL
London, To-day. The number lost in the Simon Bo- livar is now reported to be 86. Yes- terday, 90 survivors left for Holland. -Reuter.
TWELVE SAVED
The opinion here is that Germany has invented a new type of mine
Hasty training is taking place at
admittance into the officers'
a
JUNK CREW SET ADRIFT
corps
A Chinese junk, No. 648, was pirated
off Sam Mun on Sunday, according to
report by the master yesterday. after forcing Wong Yin and his crew
The pirates took the junk in tow
into a sampan. They were rescued eight hours later by a passing boat.
which cannot be removed by mine- NEUTRAL COUNTRIES
sweepers, or else which explodes at the mere approach of the vessel.
Whatever are the true causes of the ship's sinking, Naval circles de- clared that the Reich's responsibility is, unquestionable since mines were laid in the channel regularly used both by neutral and British mer- chantmen.
The British and French navies are prepared to fight the new menace and will
use appropriate action to retaliate for the German violations of international-law.
DANISH MISSION
Havas.
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Copenhagen, To-day.
A Danish commercial delegation, London, To-day. headed by Prince Axel, the King's When the British trawler Seasweep-cousin, is leaving at the end of the er (329 tons) was sunk, a steamer week for Britain. saved the crew of 12.--Reuter.
ANOTHER TRAWLER VICTIM
London, To-day. The Fleetwood trawler "Delphine" is reported to have been sunk yester- day.
The crew of 13 were rescued.-
Reuter.
TRAWLER SUNK BY A U-BOAT
London, To-day. A British trawler, the Thomas Shankins, was sunk by a U-boat off north-west Ireland yesterday.
The crew of 12 were rescued by another trawler and landed after rowing for 12 hours in an open boat. --Reuter.
-
They will discuss new prices for Danish exports to the British market. -Havas.
JAIL FOR A WOMAN
Cheung
A woman, life banishee, Choi, 34, found yesterday in Matau- chung Refugee Camp, was sentenced to six months' hard labour by Mr. E. Himsworth this morning, for breach of the Deportation Ordinance.
She stated that she was banished to Shum Chun, and, after the Japanese occupation, was forced to the Colony and admitted to the Camp.
READY TO
SURPRISE
Belgium and Luxembourg to- gether plan to prevent a surprise invasion of their territories by the German armies.
.༢ ·
There is little that Luxembourg can do on its own, with a total army of only 500 men, Customs men and police force, and no war material at all to defend her peace-loving country.
MEET ANY INVASION
He plans to flee the country im- mediately there is an invasion.
la
road Every frontier
bar- ricaded with a Z-shaped barrier wall of rock, and trees. Holes 9ft. deep, covered with tree branches, fine the ditches at each bend in the Z.
Railway and foot bridges are mined, barred with tree trunks and laced with barbed wire, while side roads show
The outlook is black at this time, for the Duchy should now be making a fortune out of the centenary cele-newly-turned earth where mines brations this year,
Thousands of tourists from all countries were expected. Now the roads into and out of the country are all blocked, mined or guarded.
During the week-end Belgium began to aid little Luxembourg in her defences, not by lending arms or forces, but by co-operating to make the entry of Invaders as dif- ficult as possible. That is all the preparation that Luxembourg can make.
NINE-FOOT TRAPS
have been hidden beneath the surface.
.BELGIANS ORDERED HOME
On other roads, a huge "B" has been whitewashed over the cobbles, ready for the day when the Belgian air force sets out to blow up the route. The railway lines are ready for destruction, and huge, palisades of tree trunks, three feet thick, block the bet- ler roads.
near
A
Belgian anxiety is greater than any- where at St. Vith, Malmedy and Eupen. Opposite their border, these towns, German labourers have been night on in- and civil re- evacuated from
| conscript
Should the country be invaded, those who can will seek refuge in Bel- working day and gium's mobilised might.
mense
fortifications, have been
bordering villages.
Mr. Herbert D. Fitzgerald, a Bri-sidents tish engineer, who lives at the villa Sans Souci, at Beringen, near Mersch, recently sent his wife and their two young children to England. Mrs. Fitz- gerald is now waiting for her husband to join her.
The answer to the puzzling “curtain” of trees parallel to the Belgian border of Germany is that an airfield is be- ing constructed for man bombers.
the black Ger-
F