1940-01-03 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 3, 1940

Crack Red

Red Army Units Now Facing Mannerheim Line

TURKISH FLOOD

TRAGEDY

Ankara, To-day.

Hundreds of lives continue to be lost as floods sweep over the earthquake stricken areas of

Anatolia.

To-day, the whole of Western Anatolia is under swirling flood waters, and it is now stated that the flood toll figures are, even worse than was at first expected. -Reuter.

ATHENIA'S

OFFICERS HONOURED

London, To-day.

GENERAL STERN STILL DELAYS BIG PUSH

Viborg, To-day.

REUTER'S SPECIAL correspondent who has just re- turned from a visit to the neighbourhood of Vuoski, on the eastern side of the Karelian Isth- mus, confirms that crack regiments from Cen- tral Russia are now in the Soviet front lines fac- ing the Mannerheim Line.

FOREIGN

PLANES OVER BELGIUM

Brussels, To-day. Foreign aircraft flew over Bel- gium yesterday, drawing the fire of Belgium's anti-aircraft guns.

Fighting planes were also sent up to Intercept the Intruders.

It is believed that the planes were German, but official con- firmation is lacking.—Routse.

These really first-class troops are well clothed and NAZI BOAST

are equipped with up-to-date gas-masks on the German model. - Reuter.

FIERCE LOCAL FIGHTING

launched against

the Mannerheim Line.

Russian prisoners say that part of the huge reserves recently brought up have been thrown into battle on this front.

Helsinki, To-day. The latest military despatches show Barnett Mackenzie Cope- that while fierce local fighting con- land, Chief Officer

of the tinues, no co-ordinated Soviet offen- Athenia, and William Har-sive has yet been vey, boatswain, have been awarded the O.B.E. and Meri- torious Service Medal respec- tively for their services when the liner was torpedoed by a submarine on September 4, 1939.

The

official account states that Copeland was responsible for loading and getting away 28 boats of sur- vivors and the fact that this was done in darkness without a hitch or loss reflects great credit on his powers of organisation and command.

After being taken on board a warship, Copeland returned to the sinking liner to rescue an uncon- sclous woman loft In the sick. bay..

Harvey showed outstanding coolness and efficiency. He accompanied Cope- land in returning to the Athenia to save the woman in the sick-bay. Reuter.

H.K.'S NEXT

MATRIC.

The next Matriculation Examina- tion of the University of Hong Kong will commence on Monday, 3rd June. 1940. Entries together with the ex- amination fee must be delivered to the Registrar on or before the 1st February, 1940.

The following scholarships will be awarded on the results:-(1) Govern- ment Scholarships. A limited number of Hong Kong Government Scholar- ships tenable in the Faculties of Arts and Science, are open to candidates from Hong Kong Schools.

This appears to be confirmed by the

fact that many of the men killed or

taken prisoner are much younger and

better clad and equipped than hither-

to.

On the Petsamo Front, the tem- perature of "40 below zero" has al- most completely paralysed operations. The Russians show no Inclination to make a fresh attempt to advance to the Gulf of Bothnia down the great Arctic Highway, which has been ex- tensively mined by the Finne. Reuter.

SHARP SKIRMISHES

OF-OUTPOSTS-

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

Helsinki, To-day.

The Red Army's offensive in the southern sector of the Mannerheim Line, advertised by a terrific artillery barrage that has been going on for days, has yet to develop.

Sharp skirmishes have occurred between outposts, which are becom-

the ing increasingly active,

tactics of the Soviets suggesting that they are feeling their way cautiously after experiences, their recent disastrous

in the Finnish seeking to discover weak points

defence lines and the

effects of the bombardment.

The

OF SINKING

battleship "October Revolu-NEUTRALS

tion," which was recently damaged by coast defence guns, has been tem- porarily repaired, and bombarded Koivisto Forts, with little while aircraft bombed Abo_and_Oulu. result,

Some civilians were killed and some

material damage was caused to both

towns.

Seven Soviet planes were shot down during the day,-Reuter,

AN EXCITING CLASH

Helsinki, To-day.

In an attack in one sector yester- not given, Soviet troops actually man- day, the exact location of which is

aged to get through to a Finnish staff headquarters.

The Finnish staff officers and their assistants, it is reported, beat off the attack with heavy losses to the Soviets.

The colonel in charge has been decorated with the Finnish War Cross. --Reuter.

London, To-day.

The German boast that

and neutral shipping has over a million tons of Allied

been sunk is the usual exag- geration.

Bri- The average weekly loss of tish tonnage during the 16 weeks of the war has been 25,500, while the by new average weekly increment construction and otherwise is 25,000.

The total losses to the end of the year were as follows: 17 naval vessels, including eight warships, with a total displacement of 58,120 tons, nine chartered vessels, namely, the Rawal- pindi and eight trawlers and drifters to the total of 19,000 gross tonnage.

One hundred and seventeen British, twelve allied and 81 Neutral mer- chantships, with a gross tonnage, re- spectively, of 41,404, 70,101 and 243,222 have been lost.

and the displacement tonnage.

Three junk masters were fined $250 by Mr.-T.-J.--Houston-at-the-Central |--It-is-misleading-to-add-the-gross........ Magistracy this morning, for posses- sion of kerosene on board at other than a dangerous goods anchorage.

The kerosene was ordered to be confiscated.

Neutrals will doubtless note the of German boast of the destruction defenceless neutral merchant vessels. -Reuter.

HITLER AND IL DUCE IN

AN INTERESTING EXCHANGE OF GREETINGS

Berlin, To-day.

Hitherto, all ralding parties have HITLER AND MUSSOLINI exchanged New Year's greetings

been driven off without penetrating the Finnish defence system at any point.

STRENGTHENING LINE

are

Neutral correspondents state that the bombardment has had little im- portant effect on the Finnish defences.

In the meantime, no chances being taken and the depth of the (2) Three King Edward VII Scholar-line is being substantially increased ships of the value of £40 per annum, open to British Subjects only.

MORE SWEDISH

at the southern end of the Line, with the use of miles of barbed wire, strong posts and anti-tank traps.

A whole Soviet division la reported to have been trapped near Buomisalm! and practically ・・ annihilated. Those who were not killed or wounded, sur

rendered.—Havas.

VOLUNTEERS RUSSIANS REPULSED

Stockholm, To-day.

Another battalion of Swedish volun- teers left for Finland last night..

Now that the New Year holidays are, over, it is expected that the transport of Swedish volunteers will be considerably accelerated, in order that the armies opposing the Sovieta may get in a telling blow before the Spring thaw s

Reuter.

Helsinki, To-day.

according to the official German News Agency. Hitler telephoned: On the occasion of the New Year I ex- press my heartiest congratulations to you Duce in sin- cere friendship. Under your strong and tried leader- ship may Fascist Italy, allied to National Socialist Ger- many succeed in fulfilling its national tasks.”

Mussolini replied: "I reciprocate in the same brotherly cordiality the at the turn of the year. congratulations you expressed to me

AMERICAN

"I express the same wishes for OFFICIALS

National Socialist Germany as you

expressed to me for Fascist Italy,

namely, that our united peoples may CONFER

succeed in gaining their aims and securing their future."

Hitler also exchanged greetings An official communique states that with the King and Crown Prince of while the day was relatively quiet on Italy, and the Kings of Bulgar the Karelian Isthmus, fighting occur- Rumania, Belgium, Denmark, red at several points north of Lakeway, and Sweden and the Ladoga, where the Finnish troops are of Yugoslavia, Hungary

The Franco, the Shah of Iran, improving their position.

Istan The commun

that in the of "AT

(BPECIAL TO “CHINA_MAIL")

Mr.

Shanghai,

the

erican