1940-05-31 — Page 1

B.E.F. MEN'S GRIM STORY Page 7

RICKSHAW

BRAND CEYLON TEA

CHINA MAIL

OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST. ESTABLISHED 1845.

No. 310,44.

FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1940

Price: 10 Ctr.

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Main Armies Retiring Slowly On Dunkirk BATTLE LIKELY TO LAST FOR DAYS

(SPECIAL TO ' CHINA MAIL ”)

PARIS, TO-DAY.

IN A DESPERATE EFFORT TO ENABLE THE BULK OF THE ALLIED TROOPS TO REACH THE SEA, THE BRITISH AND FRENCH COLUMNS COVERING THE ARMY'S RETREAT HAVE SUCCESSFULLY STEMMED THE GERMAN BIG PUSH AT MOST POINTS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE RIVER YSER FRONT.

Elsewhere British and French troops withdrew slowly, disputing the ground inch by inch, especially in the hilly region of Cassel, where the Germans are making strenuous efforts against the Anglo-French forces under General Prioux..

Lille has been abandoned and the Allied forces are PARITY IN

slowly retreating amid hard fighting towards the Dunkirk fortified camp.

Meanwhile the floodings extending along the south- west and north-east sides of the Dunkirk forti- fied camp are now becoming effective.

The German air force suffered ex- tremely heavy losses there; over 50 German machines were brought down the number of in a single day, and British and French ships hit by enemy bombs was small compared with the number of vessels engaged.-Havas.

Terrible Battle For French Troops (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

Paris, To-day. Military quarters stress the flerce character of the fighting now pro- ceeding in the hills in the vicinity of Cassel

These hills are only 150 metres high but they dominate the low plain and are equipped with fortifications com- prising concrete shelters.

FRENCH UNANIMITY

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA, MAIL") Paris, To-day. The Labour Minister, M. Charles Pomaret, broadcast- ing yesterday, stressed the absolute unanimity of all classes of the French people in the present crisis.

British and French troops occupy- ing this sector are doing their utmost to delay the German advance in ̈or- der to enable General Prioux's army to entirely evacuate.

The Prioux forces are still forcing their way through the Germans and are fighting a terrible battle on the flanks and sometimes in front and rear. They are making slow progress to- wards Dunkirks,

|

FIGHTERS

LONDON, TO-DAY. AUTHORITATIVE CIRCLES IN LONDON WHO STATE THAT GER- MAN AIR LOSSES SINCE MAY 10 WELL IN EXCESS OF ARE NOW 2,000 PLANES, POINT OUT THAT AS THE MAJORITY OF THESE ARE: BOMBERS IT IMPLIES A LOSS OF OVER 5,000 IN TRAINED AIR PER- BONNEL.

This estimate is considered to err on the low side.

ANTI-ALLIED OUTBURST

(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL") Rome, To-day, Taking as pretext Leopold's capitu- lation, the Italian press yesterday published extremely violent outbursts against the Allies, using language of unprecedented violence,

Italian of the This performance newspapers gives the impression that the main object is to suppress pro- Belgian sympathies among the Italian public. Havas.

MASS BOMBING OF BRITAIN LOOMS

London, To-day.

Mr. Malcolm MacDonald in his broadcast last night said that the Gov- ernment has every reason to expect that a campaign of mass bombing of Britain is near.

It will be impossible to undertake large-scale evacuations

once raiding has begun.

He pointed out that a scattered population was the best guarantee of security and appealed for the fullest. cooperation of parents.--Reuter.

clearly established.

Well-informed quarters also express the opinion that as a result of the great air battles of the last eighteen. days, Britain is already close to parity with Simultaneously the Germans launch-Germany in fighter craft, and parity ed violent air attacks against the Dun-

in numbers takes no account of Bri- kirk fortified camp but French naval tish moral superiority which has been Reuter. planes and anti-aircraft maintaining their own--Havas.

guns are

خير

Battle Likely To Go On For Several Days (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") Paris, To-day. Surveying the situation in Flanders ahd Artois late last night, a military | spokesman stated that the great bat- tlo now being fought in likely to con- tinue for several days.

'The Germans have concentrated their entire striking force in das porate attempts to annihilate the British and French armies In slowly diminishing area: of battle, and outnumber the Allies by more than three to one.

the

The most violent fighting is taking are place near Ypres, where troops holding on grimly to cover the retreat of the French divisions whose situa- Members of the Labour and Em-tion is even more precarious than that of the British, as they have a gap ployers Federations, he said, had sign- ed a joint declaration stating the com- only a few miles wide through which mon decision to unite their war efto pass to the coast and are being vio forts and unanimously affirmed the lently attacked in rear and on both determination to spare no effort in HanksThe BEF

ส co-operating the struggle for a total victory which magnificently to cover the northern will give birth to a new world based mank of these divisions. on justice.

(Continued on Page 28)

In France's struggle for existence there was no room for the pursuit of selfish interests or partisan actions.-

Havas.

"HER FOREC

outh

Only in bombers.is Germany vastly superior to British air strength.

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