THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 2, 1940.
BRITISH FORCES HARD PRESSED
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL "')
London, To-day. THE MILITARY SITUATION in Norway remains obscure, the one thing clear being that in spite of stubborn resistance by the British troops round Dombaas, they are being compelled by weight of numbers to give ground.
No information concerning the situation round Stoeren is available, and the tacit official ad- mission that German troops from Trondheim and Oslo have met is not seen as confession that the battle has been löst. The curious retirement of German troops in Roeros has attracted much -attention, but no great importance
is attached to the development.
Official Communique
London, To-day.
A War Office communique states the areas occupied by the Allied forces at Narvik have been extended operations are continuing satisfactori- ly.
and
It is evident now that the weight of the German attack is being made in the Gudbrandsdal and, in that sec- tor, while the Allied forces are kept
In the Namsos area, the situation on the defensive, giving ground slow- ly, they are inflicting heavy casual- at the front remains unchanged.
ties.
There is, however, a growing con- viction that large reinforcements will have to be sent to Central Norway if the tide is to be turned.-Havas.
Swedish Viewpoint
Stockholm, To-day. The "Aftonbladet" weighs up the pros and cons of a British large-scale landing In Norway and considers that such a landing must come shortly it the Allled position in Norway is to be saved. The greatest Allled advantage is that the German fleet is not dan- gerous Reuter.
GERMANY SWINGS PENDULUM
Stockholm, To-day. The "Dagens Nyhet" points out that Germany alternates between Rus- sia and Italy..
During the first six months of the war Russia was Germany's friend; now it is Italy.
best
and
Thus both Russo-German Italo-German friendship is largely Mussolini dependent on events, and desires a final answer of the problem Air Force v. Navy before taking definite decision.
а
WAR RISK RATES UP IN MED'RANEAN
London, To-day.
A now advisory schedule of London. Underwriters increases `war risk insurance rates for ship. ping on Mediterranean and Black Sea voyages.
A few rates are quadrupled, many are doubled and others increased' by smaller proportions-Reuter.
YUGOSLAVIA AND RUSSIA
MOSCOW, TO-DAY.
THE LADS "DON'T CARE FOR OWT"
Captain J. H. Hudson and Fusilier J. Worsley, both of the Lancashire Fusiliers, received the Croix de Guerre in a meadow just behind the Maginot Line.
A French General pinned the deco- rations on their breasts.
Captain Hudson, and Fusilier Wors- ley were members of the patrol that defeated a German patrol after a "fight" on March 19, when five Ger- mans were killed and one captured.
The other members of the patrol were Fusiliers L.' Davies, of Bolton; S. Lowitt, of Manchester, C. Boulton, of Oldham, and B. Davies, of Manchester.
IT IS UNDERSTOOD THE COM- Captain Hudson comes from Mal-
BEton, Yorkshire.
In the Dombass area, our troops, MERCIAL NEGOTIATIONS - after stubborn resistance of strong❘ TWEEN RUSSIA AND YUGO-
ARE enemy attacks, withdrew to prepared SLAVIA positions-Reuter,
SMOOTHLY.
Capture Of Dombaas
London, To-day. -- The unreliability of German High Command reports-even though they do sometimes tell part of the truth is shown by an "Order of the Day" issued by Hitler on Tuesday night.
Nor been
PROCEEDING When he told the story of that night in No-man's Land, he paid unstinted praise to the bravery of his men.
to
It appears Yugo-Slavia wishes sell copper and other minerals, pork cotton and petroleum. and dried fruits, and to buy in return
"What'he said can be summed up In the words of one of his men: “We are lada who” don't care a damn for owt"
The Yugo-Slav delegation had se- veral interviews yesterday with the Foreign Trade Commissar, M. Miko- ceremony from a patrol on which they
yan.
The Germans in Norway have
Yugo-Slavia's recognition of the finally crushed the intentions of the Soviet has not yet been discussed but Western Powers to оссиру
may be raised later if a commercial way and operations have brought to completion says Hitler's agreement is negotiated. Reuter. Order of the Day.
This sort of thing may hearten the people of Germany, but it does not help the rest of the world to attach much credence to official German re- ports.
U.S. NAVY RESTAGES -DEFEAT OF GRAF SPEE
The capture of Dombaas does not,
The U. S. Navy has been re-enact- despite a German High Commanding the humiliation of the German communique, mean that the Trond- pocket battleship Graf Spee, defeated heim/Oslo railway is now in the hands by superior British seamanship in the of the Germans. Allied forces
Battle of the River Plate.
still at other points on the railway, notably at Hjerkin-Reuter.
4
Success Near Steinkjer
are
Near Steinkjer, To-day. - Franco-Norwegian troops have had further successes against German patrols, which were repulsed and lost several dead.
The Allied position here is good.→→ Reuter.
In Narvik Area
London, To-day. Unconfirmed reports from the Nar- vik area state that, in addition to the Allied troops which are closing in on
driving the port, others are
south Russia was as surprised by the from Tromsoe, rounding up Germans German attack on Norway as Italy or driving them back into Narvik.— -was-surprised-by-the-Russo-German. Reuter.
a
pact last September. If Germany comes to dominate large part of the Scandinavian penin- sula, much of Russia's gains during the last six months will be lost.
It is therefore not surprising that Russia is considering the delivery of surplus exports to Yugo-Slavia and Britain instead of to Germany. Reuter.
PREMIER TO MAKE STATEMENT ON NORWAY
London, To-day. The Prime Minister, In reply to a question by Mr. C. R. Attlee (Labour) In the Commons: yesterday, sald he hoped to be in a position to make a statement on Norway to-day (Thura- day)Router.
+
Mr. Chamberlain's Commons state- ment to day on Norway is expected to be supplemented by a further statement by him next Tuesday. Reuter.
Roeros Retaken (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") Stockholm, To-day.
A Swedish source announces that the German troops withdrew from Roeros on Tuesday when Norwegian detachments entered the town. Gor. man prisoners said that withdrawal was due to a lack of suppfles since the troops In Roeros were cut off from the remaining German effectives.— Havan.
Germans In Vulnerable Positions
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") Rome, To-day. The greater part of the Italian press continues to favour the German ver- stou of Allied losses in Norway.
The Stockholm correspondent of "Il Messagero," however, says that the positions taken up by the Germans tre highly vulnerable. The different columns are wide apart and in no position to give each other support. Havas.
The restaged action was the feature of a naval review held in the honour of the President of Panama off Balbao, Panama Canal Zone.
The gunboat Charleston, with the President on board represented the Graf Spee, while the gunboat Eire and two destroyers played the part of the British 'wraships,
H
The destroyers and the Eire laid down a smokescreen and manoeuvred in and out to demonstrate how speed and seamanship are able to defeat heavy fire power when the lighter craft are manned by men who are ready to fight.
The six men came straight to the
were out at night.
CARPET GAVE AWAY SPIES
The Dutch authorities have caught three German spies as the result of a smart piece of detective work.
The spies stole some important ship- ping lists from the Ministry of Econo- mics and took photographs of them.
The officials got possession of the pictures, and notload that on the margin of one of them was the de- aign of a carpet on which the docu- ment had been photographed.
They checked up, and found that the design matched a carpét in the home of M., Van` Hoeven, a high Dutch Government official,
Van Hoeven and his wife were ar- rested, with another official named Buve.
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