1939-02-23 — Page 3

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THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 23, 1939

Library, Sapreise

Page

DECIDING

FACTOR

War Result Will Depend On Sea Power

AIR CONFLIOT WOULD END IN DEADLOCK

A

The Navy Estimates for 1939, to be published late this month, will, I learn, provide for a large amount of new construction, including battleships, cruisers and destroyers, writes Hector Bywater in the London "Daily Telegraph.'

This will increase the present total of 600,000 tons of naval work already in hand to the highest level attained in time of peace.

By approving this expansion the Government

LABOUR SERVICE

IN

REICH EXTENDED

Berlin, February 15.

A decreo permitting all German citizens and all foreigners "hot protected by treaties or recognis ed rules of international law, to be compelled to carry out certain urgent tasks.considered important by the State, was passed to-day by Field Marshøl Hermann, Goer ing, Director of the Four-Year Plan-Havas.

BERARD ON

has implicitly rejected the principle cherished in SPANISH TALK

certain quarters, particularly on the Continent,

that a future war will be decided by the air bom-PROSPECTS

bardment of enemy cities and industrial centres.

EFFECT OF BLOCKADE It is the view of American and

I have reason to believe that this ! principle has been rejected by the naval staffs of all the leading Pow- German naval strategists that air ers except Italy:

operations would soon result in a deadlock, and that the final issue would be determined by sen power in the form of blockade. Jah

An authoritative Washington correspondent informs me that the General Board of the United States Navy, the supreme advisory considered in Washington to be ox- Both Germany and Italy are body on American naval questions, tremely vulnerable to blockade. In recently expressed the opinion in the opinion of an eminent Ameri- an exhaustive report that a con- flict would almost certainly be de-out for more than six months if can authority Italy could not hold cided by sea power.

her sea communications were cut while Germany, in spite of her ef- forts to become self-sufficient, would eventually be. subdued..

NÓ, KNOCK-OUT BLOW

The gist of the report was, I gather, as follows:

INCREASED PERSONNEL OF

AIR FORCE

London To-day. Supplementary Air Estimates issued yesterday cover net expen- diture of £7,990,100 and provide for an increase of 6,000 in the personnel of the R.A.F.

The Air Council, in an explan- atory note, state that the satisfac¬ tory response to the call for recruits resulted in the personnel authorised being almost reached by the pre- sent date.

In order to permit the present level of recruiting, to be maintain- ed, it is desired that the maximum may be increased to 102,000,

tension of the

It is also stated that since the Supplementary Estimate of July; last, greater progress than was then expected has been made in deliveries of airframes and en- St. Jean-de-Luz, To-day.

gines, construction of stations and Senator Berard, French dele-factories, passive defence and ex- gate to General Franco, stated in

balloon burrage. he hoped his conversations would an interview here yesterday that

An appropriation-in-aid of £300,- end on Friday evening.

000 is for supplying part of the Senator Berard added: "It aircraft required for the re-equip possible that the conversations ment of the R.AF in India-Bri- will end in some accord, "I will]tish Wireless. return to Paris immediately, and probably on Saturday the decision of the French Government will be between the two governments morê taken on making official contact:

definite."

Reuter.

WARNING TO BRITISH SHIPS

Shanghai, To-day.

MR. WOODRING WANTS MORE THAN 6,000

WASHINGTON, TO-DAY.

It is admitted by her own experts that if, for instance, her oppon "The knock-out theory, by means ents were able to stop her imports. of aircraft used in mass forma-of Swedish ore, her armament in- tions and with absolute ruthless-dustry would speedily be paralys- ness, was originated by the Italianed.. officer Gen. Douhet, who is also These views lend special interest

THE SECRETARY FOR WAR, reported to be a student of psy- to the growing strength of the Bri-

MR. HARRY WOODRING, YES- chology. It was put to the test in tish and French navies. On com- In view of the fact that "Jap-TERDAY URGED THE SENATE the Abyssinian campaign and ap- pletion of their current pro-lanese investigations have shown MILITARY COMMITTÉE TO RE- parently vindicated, but only be grammes, but without counting the that Norwegian and British ships MOVE THE 6,000 PLANE LIMIT cause the victims had absolutely no additions to be made this year, have been involved in breaches of AT PRESENT CONTAINED IN means of hitting back.

Britain and France will be able to regulations of the "Nanking Re- THE ADMINISTRATION'S“ DE- 39 capital ships, 230 destroyers muster

formed Government" prohibiting FENCE BILL the exportation of rice and other and

In a letter to the chairman of torpedo specified articles as well as their the committee, Mr. 130 cruisers,

boats, 14 aircraft car-

Woodring transportation from Japanese-pointed out that there might be riers;

165 submarines. occupied areas to the unoccupied reductions in unit cost in the pre- To these would be added a swarm regions of China," the Japanese sent large scale programme which "Against Powers such as Great of patrol and anti-submarine craft. naval authorities have requested would permit the purchase of a A recent report by the United the representatives of those two large number of planes than Britain and France, which proved

States Naval Intelligence Bureau countries to take measures to authorised.. their extraordinary "toughness" and endurance in the last war, the credited Britain and France with prohibit such activities and added Douhet theory would have little overwhelming sen supremacy" that they reserve their right to chance of succeeding, expecially against any possible combination adopted appropriate measures the advantage, of the nation's de- as both Powers would be able to aggressor Powers. retaliate very heavily.

"It has since been tried in Spain and China, where the aggressor in both cases has enjoyed overwhelm ing supremacy in air power, yet in neither case has a knock-out blow been achieved.

"Do Gen. Douhet, and his adher- ents imagine that the civil popula- tion in Italy o or Germany would stand intensive air bombing better than the peoples of Britain

Franco?

or

of

themselves if need be.

MR. MACDONALD'S "Reformet Government Imposs

DISCRETION

London, To-day, Ineffectual attempts were made

"Is he aware that in the nútumm of 1917, when, British counter-at- tack by air on Gorman industrial in the House of Commons yesterday centres was seriously developing to draw a statement from

Mr.

He added: "If so it will be to

fence if the limit is removed from One of the reasons why the the bill,”

The committee approved, the De- ed those regulations was because the goods in question are requir-fence Bill authorising expenditure ed by the Japanese military au-

of $358,000,000 but rojected. Mr. Woodring's thorities. — Trans-Ocean.

SIR ERIC PHIPPS

for the first time after the civil Malcolm Macdonald, the Colantes AT QUAI D'ORSAY

appeal for abolition of the 6,000 plane limit. →→ Reuter.

WEATHER FORECAST

The Royal Observatory.

that a moderate anti-cyclonetta ta

population of Britain had on- Secretary, regarding the proposed

Paris, To-day. dured two years of this punish- admission of 10,000 German-Jewish

Sir Eric Phipps, British Am ment--the German Government refugee children and old people into suggested to the Allies on armia- Palestine.

see hasendor, called on M. George Bon-tends from Central China to the Pacific to the east of the Bonins, tico as regarded air attacks on non- Mr. Macdonald merely divulged het, French Foreign Minister, yes-

pressure, being highest over fores. military zones?

that the question of immigration terday."

Pressure remains relatively low "In short, the Douhet weapon is, was discussed during the Palestine It is understood that the results

over Tongking two-edged, and just as likely to in- talks in connexion with the refuges of Senator Berard's mission to the flict mortal injury on its users as problem, and he would keep the Franco Government were discussed, those aganiat whom it is used.” matter în mind-Reuter.

outer.

Local forecz derate;" cloudy. 1

winda mo