1939-12-26 — Page 1

RICKSHAW

BRAND

CEYLON TEA

HITLER AND RUSSIA

CHINA MAIL

OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST. ESTABLISHED 1845.

No. 30,914

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1939

Price: 10 Ct.

On Page Ten

INSIST ON

Daisy Brand

BUTTER

Australia's Choicest

ANOTHER POCKET BATTLESHIP AT

LARGE?

ADMIRAL SCHEER REPORTED OFF SOUTH AMERICA

London, To-day.

UNITS OF THE ROYAL NAVY were stirred into

THAT CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

London, To-day.

It is reliably learned that when the steamer Scotla was torpedoed In the North Sea the Danish ship Hafnia attempted to rescue the crew, but a voice from the U-boat ordered them to steam away, say. Ing that if they effected a rescue they would also be torpedoed.—

Router.

Christmas Day activity by two dramatic reports R.A.F. ON yesterday.

One report came from South America and announc- QUI VIVE

ed that the German pocket-battleship, Admiral

Scheer, had been sighted off the Colombian IN FRANCE

coast.

LONDON, TO-DAY. DUTY WATCHES WERE MAIN- TAINED BY ALL R.A.F. UNITB IN FRANCE THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVITIES, BUT

The other, in the form of dramatic wireless messages from the steamer attacked, concerned the pur- suit of an Elder Dempster liner by a German sub- CHRISTMAS marine in the vicinity of the Azores.

LINER CHASED

The Admiral Scheer report was re- arca indicated was reached the war- ceived from missionaries in a remote ship had disappeared. region of the Colombian coast, stating that the warship was sighted close Inshore, probably just outside terri- torial waters.

DISAPPEARS

It is thought possible that she was abeking a rendezvous with a supply ship from Mexico.

The Colombian authorities sent out a vessel to investigate, but this was some hours afterwards and when the

XMAS DAY PRISON MUTINY

London, To-day.

The Elder Dempster liner of 3,750 tons, sent out radio messages from a point north of the Azores stating that she was being pursued by a German U-boat.

CHRISTMAS

DAY OF AIR RAIDS

Helsinki, To-day.

Helsinki spent an anxious Christmas Day, and the in- habitants stayed in air raid shelters for hours as alarm after alarm was sounded.

The first siren went short- ly after 10 o'clock in the morning, and was followed by repeated alarms through- out the day.

The Red planes apparently only succeeded in reaching the suburbs of the capital, and no bombs were drop- ped.

It is reported, however, that Viborg was raided-Reuter.............

HUNDREDS OF PLANES

Helsinki, To-day. Hundreds of Soviet planea flew over MANY MEN WERE ABLE TO ENJOY | Finland yesterday and dropped bomba CHRISTMAS DINNER AT THEIR In several places.

R.A.F.

BILLETS, BAYB REUTER'S SPECIAL

Helsinki had two alarms in the CORRESPONDENT. WITH THE morning.but it is not yet known whe-...

ther bombs were dropped on the city Several hundred airmen received a and neighbourhood or merely leaflets. surprise visit from Gracie Fields, who-Reuter. arrived at one of the men's decorated dining halls and was greeted with tre- cinema behind the lines at a concert mendous enthusiasm.

broadcast by the B.B.C. The last report received indicated

The audience joined in the singing that shellfire had been exchanged be. Later, Gracie sang to a crowded, of old war songs and concluded with tween the merchantman and the sub-cheering appreciative audience in a Christmas carols.-Router. marine and that the pursult was con- tinuing,

Meantime, an Admiralty communi- que places British and neutral ship- ping losses during last week at 17,400 tons, including 10 British ships with a total of about 7,000 tons. German losses in the same period include that of the 32,000-ton liner Columbus.-*. Reuter.

KRONSTADT

A five-hour mutiny occur- NAVAL BASE

red on Christmas Day in Lon-

donderry Gaol, where 60 men DAMAGED

are being interned as Re- publican suspects for the duration of the war.

The mutineers overpowered the warders and maintained a siege of part of the prison.

Leningrad, To-day,

The Soviet naval base at Kronstadt was severely dam- aged by the fire of Finnish

They fired bedding, smashed furni-batteries in the first days of ture, sang Republican songs and shouted slogans to crowds in the streets, some of whom prayed and répiealed the Litany.

Police with drawn revolvers final- ly burst through "the doors, which were previously burned by plumbers with acetylene torches.

The prisoners made a final stand in the cells, armed with bottles and boards until eventually overpower-

says a Finnish

!

the war, claim.

So affective were the Finnish gups that fires were observed raging four days afterwards.

•

One reason why the Red cruiser Kirov was sent to Tallinn to be re- paired after being hit by Finnish coastal guns was that Kronstadt was too badly damaged to deal with her. --Reuter.

She sang several songs.

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