1939-09-27 — Page 4

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 27, 1939.

NAVY'S WAR ON U-BOATS: MR. CHURCHILL WARNS AGAINST OVER-OPTIMISM

London, To-day.

YE GODS AND

MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL, First Lord of the Ad-

miralty, made a statement on the war at sea in LITTLE the House of Commons yesterday afternoon.

The convoy system, Mr. Churchill stated, was now FISHES!

in full operation, both for outward and inward ships.

The convoy system was a good defence against U-boats, but there was still a degree of risk, and steady losses could be expected.

(See Para Two)

London, To-day.

Farms and villages are!

SWEDEN DECIDES

TO CARRY ON

Stockholm, To-day. Swedish ships with cargoes of cellulose have not been recalled, contrary to carlier reports. -

The ships have been ordered to proceed and to uso neutral waters as far as possible.—Reuter.

DANGER IN PROPER

gradually filling up as Bri- CONFINES

tish troops continue to ar- im-rive and assume their alloted places, writes. "Eye-Witness" in France.

They also had to guard against Mr. Churchill referred to the other forms of enemy attack on the portant part played by the R.A.F. surface and from the air, and it was Speaking of the Courageous disas- not possible to guarantee full immun- ter, the First Lord said that risks have ity for our shipping.

to be run in wartime.

There were other ways of com- bating U-boats.

We could arm our merchant vessels and fast liners with defensive arma- ment both against submarines aircraft.

SHIP MOVEMENTS In the last fortnight, armed

leaving chant ships had been country in large numbers. were convoyed and some left dependently.

and

H.M.S. Courageous was attended by four destroyers, but two of these were sent off to hunt a submarine which was attacking a merchant-ship.

TURNING INTO WIND The attack.on Courageous 'was made as the aircraft-carrier was turning mer-into the wind at dusk to allow

this aircraft to land.

Some

in-

This was taking place, not only in the United Kingdom but all over the world.

Thus, in a short time, the immense British mercantile marine would be armed. As there were 2,000 British ships at sea every day, it would be a considerable operation.

to

Guns were ready at ports and train- ed gunners to train seamen and man the guns had been allotted.

ANTI-SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN

U-boat Another reply to

attacks was British attacks on submarines.

These attacks so far had been five or six times more than during any equal period in the Great War.

or

con-

The Prime Minister had stated last week that we had aunk-alx

He geven submarines. aldered this an under-statement. The figure given by Mr. Chamber- lain meant that one-tenth of the total Nazi submarine force had been sunk, or one-quarter, or even a third,

of

our

It was a 100 to one chance, and this hard stroke did not lessen his confidence in our methods of fighting U-boats.

"I cannot feel, three weeks after the start of war, that the judgment of the Admiralty regarding these new methods of attack stands in any need of revision," said Mr. Churchill, and went on to pay a tribute to his pre- decessors at the Admiralty.

THE LOSSES

The General Staff are working hard

London, To-day. When reviewing in the Commons the activities of but their plans are a well-kept secret the Navy against the German though in cafes, little market squares U-boat menace, Mr. Winston' and remote country hotels, officers Churchill, like the Premier, the war with a wealth of strategical paid a tribute to the import

ant part being played by the All aspects of normal life

from R.A.F, both in directing des-- sport to religion are be ministered to.

and men are planning the course of

ingenuity.

A chaplain told "Eye-Witness" that troyers upon their quarry at a communion service yesterday in and in themselves attacking. a small village, the congregation rang. ed from privates to generals.

The service was held in a little meadow surrounded with camouflaged artillery.

Another part of the First Lord's- statement which attracted much at tention was his announcement that an enormous building programme of new ships of a simple character, capable In many places Catholics are able of being very rapidly constructed, was the to attend mass in the local church. already in full operation, and Reuter.

whole House joined in cheering his closing sentences, in which he declar-- ed, if his surmise-he would not put. it higher-that the U-boat menace

reach of assuming serious proportions it did in 1917 were proved correct, it "We have seen them give full warn- meant that "one primary danger is ing and also endeavour to help the falling into its proper confines ・・・ and crew find their way to port.

that, amid all our anxieties, we, can assuranco "Ono German captain signalled me feel a steady measure of

He signed his mes-cerned, the British Empire and all its had just sunk.

friends in every quarter of the globo sage "German Submarine,” -

will be able to develop those immea-- as surable latent forces, and that the

cruel and ruthless attacks on unarm-would not, this time, come within oured merchantmen.

lost

Mr. Churchill gave details of losses through submarine attack. In the first week of war, we 65,000 tons.

de-

In the second week the figure creased to 46,000 tons, and

U-BOAT MESSAGE

.

In the third week, it was only 21,~ | perfonally the position of the ship he that so far as the submarine is con-

000 tons.

In the last six days, Mr. Churchill revealed, this had been cut further to 9,000 tons.

Mr. Churchill warned against over-optimism, but said that our trade was going on.

my our

whole strength and great resources and man-power of these many communi ties can be concentrated in ever grow ing intensity upon the task we have in

མ་

all U-boats which were at sea when more of German merchandise than had have been done and, in this connec. hand, in which task we have only to

war broke out.

· BIG ADVANTAGE

persevere to conquer."

" was in some doubt at the time to what address:1 should direct reply. However, he is now in hande (laughter) and la treated with In a fortnight we had seized and fall consideration." (hear, hear). converted to our own use 67,000 tons But many cruel and ruthless acts

been sunk in our own ships.

tion, Mr. Churchill mentioned the "Again giving a warning against over-Athenia, Royal Sceptre and Hazleside.

WAR ON NEUTRALS Making a comparison with the pro-optimism, Mr. Churchill said that in Britain could not recognise this type blem 25 years ago, Mr. Churchill said

this country to-day, supplies were of warfare as other than contrary to Mr., Churchill also had the sympathy that the advantages Britain possessed

greater than if there had been no war all acquired and accepted traditions of of all parties in the Commons in his to-day was much better in coping

and no sinkings by U-boats.

the sea, and the violation of laws of measured denunciation of methods, of with the U-boat.

war to which the Germans themselves warfare contrary to long-declared in recent years so lustily subscribed, traditions of sea-methods which were Mr. Churchill recalled how, during now being turned against neutral the Great War, he watched with fear shipping.

Very often in hunting down U-boats then, it was necessary to use a flotilla of 15 or 20 destroyers working to- gether for whole days on the vaguest Indications.

?

GREAT CONVOYS "Meanwhile the whole vast business of our world trade continues with in- terruption and without prospect of diminution.

the increasing sinkings of our, coast- In the last few days, he said, Fin-- "Great convoys of troops are es-wise shipping compared with the con- Inish, Dutch, Swedish, Greek, Norwe Now, two destroyers or even one corted to various destinations and struction of new ships, and said that gian and Belgian ships had been sunk could maintain a prolonged and re-

enemy ships and commerce have been now there was no reason to suppose on the high seas in indiscriminate lentless pursuit.

swept from the seas.

that such a situation could re-occur.- manner and with loss of life.-British Reuter.

Wireless.

"

A very large number of attacks had

"Over two million tons of German been made by, flotillas and hunting craft and attacks upon, German U-shipping is sheltering in German

neutral harbours.".

did not beat us.

or

Mr. Churchill revealed that Britain

"Even in oil, in which we have been

unlucky in, losing some tankers, we

LABOUR LEADER PRAISES NAVY AND R.A.F.

lost 60,000 tons in the first fortnight MR. C. ATTLEE, Leader of the Opposition, said that the

enemy, apart from the enormous ad- ditional stores we brought safely to Britain in the normal way.

whole House welcomed the robust and vigorous state- ment of Mr. Churchill and they all joined in admira- tion for the work of the Navy and the Air Force in 'combatting the U-boat menace.

boats had been five or six time as numerous as in any equal period in the last war in which, after all, they had actually arrested, seized and con-

verted into her own use, 67,000 tons' The number of targets open to Umore German merchandise than had boats on vast expanses of seas and been sunk in British ships (cheers), oceans will be greatly reduced by the use of convoys and at the same ume the U-boats' means of attacking them will be heavily clogged and fettered. and gained 50,000 tons from the

Mr. Churchill said that to bridge the gap between what Britain had ready at the beginning of war and what she had ready now, the Admiralty decided "I reiterate caution against over- to use aircraft carriers with some sanguine deductions but we have now freedom in order to bring in unarm- got more supplies in this country than ed, unorganised and unconvoyed we should have had it no war had traffic then approaching British shores been declared and if no U-boats had in large numbers.

come into action.

Mr. Attlee urged that the economic ;",

"ONEY BEGINNING

"At-that rate it will take a long side of the wor' should always be în Our attacks on U-boats were real-time to starve us out.”

the minds of those directing it. He ly only just beginning, and by Octo-

MIXED CONDUCT

was of the opinion, that the morale of ber, our anti-submarine forces would Referring to the character of

the the people of this country was very be three times as large as at present, U-boat warfare, Mr. Churchill said high" and emphasized that it should

In pädition, targets for the enemy that some of the enemy commanders be kept so. would be reduced by the convoy had done their best to behave with

R.A.F. LEAFLET. #ystem.

humanity, but he also listed many Sir Archibald Sinclair, Liberal, ari

They welcomed the closest co- ticised the last leaflet dropped on Ger- oporation with their French Allies in many. He did not believe it would evory respect. .⠀⠀

have the effect on the German people. it was supposed to have.

Sir Archibald Sinclair said that a delay in making the best use of our manpower might have fatal results. He added that Hitler meant to end the war in six months, so they needed vi~- gorous: préparation and organization: to withstand the perils, to which we will be exposed. Reuter.