1940-01-18 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 18, 1940

Mr. Hore-Belisha Too Good For His Job? PARLIAMENT DEBATES BUT NO-ONE IS ANY WISER ON REASON FOR CHANGE

LONDON, TO-DAY. MONDAY'S SPEECHES BY MR. HORE-BELISHA

AND MR. CHAMBERLAIN NATURALLY PRO

VIDED YESTERDAY'S BRITISH PRESS WITH AN

ALMOST INEXHAUSTIBLE SUBJECT FOR COM

MENT. ON ONE POINT ALL ARE UNANIMOUS IN THEIR PRAISE FOR THE MODERATION AND DIGNITY OF MR. HORE-BELISHA'S SPEECH.

On the general question of whether the resignation was best in the Interests of the steady prosecution of the war, there is also fairly general, though not entire, agreement. Such comment as there is to the effect that even now no-one Is any the wiser on the reason for the change.

DISPOSAL

OF CZECH LOAN FUNDS

London, To-day.

OLD MAN'S

GIFT TO FINLAND-

:

London, To-day.

An elderly man, who would not give his name, called yesterday on the Finnish Minister In London and gave him £5,000 in notes.

Many other gifts have been re- calved, including a large number of small postal orders, sent an- onymously.---Reuter.

A first reading was given in the House of Commons SABOTAGE IN U.S. ? yesterday to the Czecho- Slovakia (Financial Claims) Refugees Bill.

The Bill provides for the balance of the £6,000,000 loan made to Czecho- Slovakia by the British Government at the beginning of last year to be used to satisfy British financial claims in Czecho-Slovakia.

of

the

for

"The Times" says that Mr. Hore-, out of the very great qualities of Mr. The balance available for this Belisha was heard by his fellow mem- | Hore-Belisha. All that the country purpose is nearly £3,500,000. bers with approval and respect due now knows, concludes the "News The Bill also provides for the dis- to a difficult task well and patriotical- Chronicle," is that Mr. Hore-Belisha posal of the unexpended balance ly performed. He said nothing which seems to have been too good for his the £4,000,000 gift made to either he or the country might later | job.-Reuter. regret and made short work of re- cent attempts to dramatise it in terms of sabotage and conspiracy.

The Prime Minister's assurances corroborated this, continues "The Times," and the two statements together dispose for all time all suggestions that some shift in po- Ilcy Was behind the various changes.

CLASH OF TEMPERAMENTS The "Daily Telegraph" is of the opinion that what caused the changes was not so much a matter of policy as a clash of temperaments, while

Czecho-Slovakian Government the settlement of refugees.-Reuter.

SWEDEN DEFINES ATTITUDE IN FINNISH CONFLICT

Stockholm, To-day.

the "Manchester Guardian" observes THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES are still maintaining that it really looks as though Mr. their attitude towards Finland, despite the Soviet dia-

Hore-Bellsha had been lacking in-

tact.

The "Manchester Guardian" has nothing but praise for Mr. Hore - Bellsha's behaviour on Mon- day and applauds his expressed desire that the work which had been done and was being" done” should not be marred.

tribes.

In a foreign affairs debate, the Swedish Prime Minister, said that any attempt to violate Sweden's neutrality will be met by all the means at her disposal.

"Sweden will defend her indepen- dence and neutrality," declared Mr. Hansson.

On the other hand, the "News Chronicle" feels that Mr. Chamber- lain's speech and the good air of fel- lowship which prevailed gave it all an unreal atmosphere. What Was "Any attempt to violate our neu- the truth? The Prime Minister ap-trality will be met with all the means proached the point, he skirted the at our disposal. point, but he never did come to the point!

TOO GOOD FOR THE JOBI All that he would say, continues the "News Chronicle," was that he became aware of difficultles arlsing

LOSSES TO BE TAKEN ON BALANCE

London, To-day.

"There can be no question of breaches of neutrality such as per- mission for the transport of bel. ligerent troops through Sweden or the use of bases in our territory." NO DESIRE TO BECOME PARTY TO CONFLICT

Mr. Hansson declared that in spite of the sympathy felt for Finland cau- tion was necessary in order to avoid becoming a party to the conflict.

He added: "We don't need orders

from abroad on our relations with

Finland.

"We judge for ourselves how best to serve her cause and that of the Northern States."-Reuter,

The loss of three British MOSCOW

submarines must be viewed

in the light of the predomin- AND ARITA

ant fact that half the U-boats

with which Germany began STATEMENT

the war are now destroyed.

lost 12.

Moscow, To-day,

the

The British loss is offset by the success of the convoy system, which Official comment on the new Ja- has safely escorted 6,363. vessels and panese Foreign Minister's statement of policy is not available, but in the In the last war the convoy system Soviet version of his statement reduced losses to 0.6 per cent. Pre-remarks about the United States are sent, âgures are only 0.2 per cent." given precedence.

Individual triumphs and setbacks His remark comparing the frontier grip the popular imagination but the agreement between Japan and Russle issue will be decided by the ceaseless In importance with non-aggression flow of convoys to and from British pact, was not published in the Soviet porta.-Router.

I press-Reuter,

SCARE REPORTS

ARMS

PLANT BLOWN UP

Gibbstown (N.J.),

To-day.

The powder factory owned by the big muni- tions firm of Dupont de Nemours was wrecked yesterday when 6,000 pounds of nitro-glycerine exploded.

The explosion, which at first was believed to be an dows 15 miles away in the earthquake, shattered win-

suburbs of Philadelphia.

According to first reports only two men are missing.

Later it was established that two

were killed and one injured in the explosion.

Police and Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation officials have started enquiries but withhold comment in regard to whether there is any possibility of sabotage. Reuter.

CORRECTIVE FOOD CRISIS

IN PEIPING EASIER

London, To-day. document issued to the Bri- Following reports of a

tish railways, warning them

Peiping, To-day. of intended German sabot-

The food situation, which age, the Ministry or Trans- has been causing acute dis- port has issued a statement tress to the Chinese popula- on the subject.

tion of Peiping, and especial-

The statement declares: "As part of the general precautionary measures ly the poorer classes, is ex- before the war, instructions were pected to be greatly relieved Issued to various public authorities following an official an-

warning them of the risk of sabotage

on the part of evilly disposed persons.nouncement that fixed prices "These instructions were repeated for cereals have been cancell- at the time of the IR.A. outrages.ed temporarily.

"In certain quarters routine re- petition of these instructions has cently taken place."--Reuter,

ห

Arrangements have been made for the importation to North China of two million bags of flour before Chinese New Year.

Large quantities of flour were on sale: locally yesterday and, queues have been waiting outside, the The situation had become that the Bolice

U.S. AIR MISSION TO STAY IN ARGENTINE

Buenos Aires, To- The War Minister, General Mar- quez, has decided to prolong the way. Rete to of the United States Army Air Corps, mission which has been instructing the Argentine air force since 1988, until June, 1941-Reuter:

arding

avating situation In

bad food He

local