1939-11-15 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 15, 1939

Press Lord's Tip To Hitler

IMPORTANT LETTER KEPT A SECRET

London, To-day.

DURING THE FOURTH day's hearing of Princess Hohenlohe's action against Lord Rothermere for breach of contract, Mr. Beyfus, the Princess's Counsel, showed Lord Rothermere a letter which was not made public.

Counsel asked Lord Rothermere: "Were you sug- gesting in that letter a certain course to Hitler which, if followed, would have had a very violent European repercussion?"

INDIA'S PART IN THE WAR

London, To-day. However stern and prolonged the war, India is far better pre- pared to meet it than in 1914, de- clared Sir Frank Noyce, former member of the Viceroy's Coun- cil, addressing the East India As- sociation yesterday.

He said the scale of India's war exertions depend to a great ex- tent on the course the war takes in the next few months, but her most important function must be to act as a supply centre from Egypt to Malaya. Reuter.

Lord Rothermere did not reply. Mr. Beyfus repeat- SUGAR

ed his question whereupon Lord Rothermere an- swered: "I don't think so.”

ROYAL

NAVY'S STRENGTH

London, To-day. The active service person- nel of the Royal Navy allow ed for in the 1939 Naval Esti- mates was 133,000. With the reserves now serving and 50,000 men to be enrolled under the National Service Acts the anticipated war total of the British navy person- nel is brought up to 229,000.

At the outbreak of hostilities in 1914/18 the war personnel of the Roy

had in- al Navy was 201,000, which creased to 407,000 at the time of the Armistice.

were

In that war, however, there many more battleships, battle-cruisers and cruisers, absorbing larger com- plements than we now possess or are necessary for dealing with the much smaller German fleet.

TREMENDOUS RESERVES The tremendous reserves of naval

and ships Britain man power

pos- sesses was illustrated when in his re- cent speech the First Lord of the Ad- miralty mentioned that the number of Britain's anti-submarine and patrol craft had trebled since the beginning of hostilities.

►

In the last war the number of ves- sels in auxiliary patrol increased from 745 on December 31, 1914, to 3,714 at the time of the Armistice, even after heavy losses.

In November, 1918, the minesweep- ing force alone comprised 726 vessels -110 regular naval ships, 52 hired paddle steamers of the type patronis- ed by excursionists during peace, 412 fishing trawlers, 142 herring drifters and ten shallow-draught minesweep-

ers of a special type.

AUXILIARY PATROLS The work of the minesweepers and auxiliary patrol craft of all types, in- cluding trawlers, yachts, drifters and motorboats, was one of the outstand- ing features of the last war, as it is to-day.

not Lord Rothermere said he did

that accept Mr. Beyfus' suggestion

"resuming his during 1938 he was intervention in the affairs of Europe had done in the same way as he

greater a much previously, and to extent."

Later Lord Rothermere said: "I was

engaged then in trying to prevent a

war between two peoples."

"RELYING ON PRESSURE"

of

Lord Rothermere's son, the Hon. Esmond Harmsworth, who succeeded his father in the chairmanship the Mail" and other publications,

company

owning the

he had not known

"Daily

more than

said

a

month that the Princess was in his father's employment. He only knew

making

she was a friend of his father's.

Sir William Jowitt,

the

closing speech for Lord Rothermere, suggested that the lady was putting

EXCHANGES TO CLOSE

the

Tokyo, To-day. Following closely on abolition of the Tokyo rice spot market last month the Tokyo and Osaka Sugar Ex- changes will be forced to close their doors in the near future, according to reports published here to-day.

in

THREE INJURED: FINED $50

accident in

Following a serious which three Chinese women pedes- trains were knocked down in succes- sion by a private car, No. 2952, at the and Prince Edward intersection of Tam Kung Roads on Friday afternoon, this the driver, Ho Ming, 28, was morning fined $50 by Mr. E. Hims- worth at Kowloon for driving the car without efficient brakes.

Traffic Sergeant J. Scrim, prosecut- ing, said that Ho while driving along Prince Edward Road saw a child suddenly run in front of the car and he swerved to the right, knocking down three pedestrians in succession.

all admitted were The victims hospital.

to

His speed at the time of accident was said to be between 50-60 m.p.h. Later the brakes were tested at 20 m.p.h. and the car stopped in 50 feet. REMOVAL OF STONE WITHOUT AUTHORITY

The manager of the Concrete Pro- ducts Ltd., was summoned before Mr. R. A. D. Forrest at the Central Magis- morning for removing tracy this

permission of the P. W. D., at Water- stone from Crown Land without the fall Bay.

A fine of $10 was imposed.

WEATHER REPORT

The Royal Observatory reports that

a weak anticyclone covers China and

the Eastern Sea.

Pressure is relatively low to the east of the Visayas.

COMMON IDEALS

The Paris press,

Enforcement of the regulations connection with control of commodity prices, it is stated, has killed the hopes of sugar dealers and brokers that the be allowed to operate

Paris, To-day. market would

examining Mr. somehow. she forward an action

knew

An application to the Commerce and Winston Churchill's address on Sun- common ideals dishonest, relying on pressure

Industry Ministry for formal permis-day, reiterates the thought she could bring Rothermere to settle the action rather sion to dissolve the Exchange has been binding Britain and France.-Reuter: than run the risk of disclosure certain confidential letters.

on

was she

Lord

of

granted.

the The last general meeting of

A 43-year-old painter, Kwok Ko. Board of Directors of the Tokyo Sugar was killed yesterday as the result of Exchange will be held shortly-Reu-a fall into the hold of the s.s. Hai ter. on

on

NO DISCREDIT He declared there were no letters reflecting the slightest discredit Lord Rothermere, but they contain- ed material regarding negotiations with people in various countries highly confidential matters conduct- ed under the seal of confidence.

Sir William Jowitt continued that Rothermere deeply resented Lord confidential matters being dragged up by the Princess in the law courts.

suggested to Counsel sald he the Princess in the plainest pos- sible terms that she had tried to blackmall

Hon. the

Esmond

Harmsworth by threatening to produce letters, real or imagin- ary, which she had had from his father.

"INCREDIBLE”

Mr. Beyfus, for the Princess, de- to clared it was essential for her keep a copy of Lord Rothermere's correspondence, and it was incredi- ble that Lord Rothermere, through- out the period in question, did not know the Princess had copies of the

correspondence,

Mr. Justice Tucker pointed out that Hitler's latters contained nothing discreditable or any. thing conflcting with the speeches he had made at the time. The same might be sald as regards Lord Rothermere.

The hearing was

These little ships are manned al- most entirely by dfficers and men of Reuter. the Merchant Navy and the fishing fleets and by civilians from every pro- fersion and walk of life eager to serve afloat.--British, Wireless.

MR. CHURCHILL AT THE PALACE

London, To-day.

The King gave audiences yesterday to Mr. Winston Churchill and Lord Baldwin-Reuter,

adjourned.

POLISH GIRL GUIDES DECORATED

Lee at Kowloon Docks.

FANTASTIC GERMAN FIGURES OF THE AIR WAR

London, To-day.

GERMAN PRESS messages and broadcasts on Mon- day cited figures regarding the air war given by "competent quarters“ in Berlin and alleging that British and French losses until November 10 were together 80 planes, the British 16 and the French 64, while the Germans lost only 17.

These fantastic figures are a characteristic mis- representation, of the fact that 17 German air- craft have been brought down on or near the Bri- tish coast, 15 by our aircraft and two by anti- aircraft fire, and therefore reference to other losses is entirely omitted.

These misleading statements pro- | daily reconnaissance flights by, the bably have two purposes, one to British air force over the interior of elicit denials by the Air Ministry in Germany that the British and French a form which would enable the enemy air forces are each doing their full to deduce the figures of Allles air share in mutually agreed spheres.

es, now unavailable, and secondly to convey the impression that the British air force is letting France fight the British battle.

"FULL" SHARE

While it la true... ...that a few British 'plands have been lost, many, reconnaissance flights have been made.

-London; To-day....

This is a tribute to the skill and The Queen yesterday presented the Bronze Cross to the leaders of the Regarding the latter, it is obvious daring of the pilots and the superla- Polish Girl Guides, many of whom from the British attack on the Ger- tive excellence of the machines and lost their lives during the Nazi in- man fleet, the activities of the British not to the rarity of the fights. vasion of their country. →→ Router. air force in France and the almost"|"Reuter.