1940-05-31 — Page 28

BATTLE LIKELY TO

LAST FOR

(Continued, from Page 1).

Casualties are high, but it is assert- ed that German losses are enormous- ly greater than that of the Allies.

· Main Armies Moving Slowly Towards Dunkirk

Slowly but surely, meanwhile, the great bulk of the Allied forces trapped by the Belgian defection, is moving towards Dunkirk, constant. ly in action, fighting what is already being described as the most brilliant- ly feat of arms, in rearguard action, in history.

has

The Allied armies are fulfilling their heroic task in a manner ́which earned the admiration of the whole world.

Already several thousands of troops have been evacuated through Dun- kirk, despite the 'concentrated attacks bombing of hundreds of Germán planes.

The violence of the air attacks however is beginning to subside as the result of the heavy toll exacted by Allied fighters and ground de- fences.

Improved Outlook

DAYS

"Perfect Order"

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") Paris, To-day.

A war communique says our troops In the north are pursuing, in perfect order, amidst continuous fighting, execution of the plan decided on by the High Command.--Havas.

Against Heavy Odds (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL" Paris, To-day. Violent fighting has been taking place in the Yser and Cassel regions.

Military circles are of opinion that the main German effort in Flanders and Artols is to drive a wedge between the Lille and Dunkirk areas, thus splitting the Allied armies in two,

The German manoeuvres aro meeting with fierce resistance from the Allied troops, who consist most- ly of British.'

Along the Yser the Germans were unable to register any success, though it is admitted they have captured Mont Cassel.

At the bottom part of the bulge, French troops under General Prloux fought admirably against over- whelming odds and confined the onemy to a few infiltrations.

"To-night," said the spokesman, "we can view the position with much in- creased confidence. It cannot yet be

These French troops are retreating regarded as other than extremely cri-northwards in order to compensate for tical, but floodings have cased the their numerical inferiority by shorten- pressure, operations

proceeding ing the length of the front. according to plan, nowhere have. the Germans broken the lines, and the Allies have gained new freedom of the last German-held bridgehead has manoeuvre."--Havas.

been captured by the French.-Havas.

are

There is nothing to report from the other fronts although along the Somme

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NATURAL

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 31, 1940.

as near to Nature as is desirable are

Sir William Crookes' lenses.

Something to offset the harmful glare is necessary but you don't' have to have the whole landscape

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Wear Crookes and know what real sys-comfort means

STOP PRESS

London, To-day. The importance of sea power in the present war, despite the growth of the air arm, is stress- ed in a "Times" leader this morn- ing entitled "The Sea Grip." The article begins by paying a tribute to the B.E.F., stating as one day .follows another it grows more and more certain that in the supreme struggle of the British and French armies hemmed in against the north-eastern coast of France, the world is witnessing one of the grimmest and most glorious feats of skill and steady gallantry in all military history. It is not pos- sible to follow the conflict in its heroic detail. Yet now and again the pall of obscurity is lit with the gleam of individual fortitude and daring. It should never be for- gotten that the real struggle is The for domination of the sea. very magnitude of the effort which. the enemy has exerted in his drive to the Channel ports shows that he is under no illusions about the chief obstacle to his ambition of world domination-sea power to- day is even more potent than ever. Modern armies, whether on the surface of the earth or above it, cannot move or fight without sup- plies brought from afar. Nothing that has happened in the war so far supports the theory that war- ships can be driven from the sea by direct air attack. On the con- trary, though the full force of German air power was exerted against the British in Norway, it was unable to prevent the British Navy carrying out with but slight losses every duty demanded of it; "and the tale has been the same in the ports of Holland and Bel- glum, and Picardy. The article, concluding on a note of sober op- timism, affirms that sea power, with its citadel stoutly defended by the Navy itself, by the super squadrons of the R.A.F., by a net- work of well designed and well manned ground defences and- not the least important-support- ed by firm civilian determination, will not be, shaken, So long as it is maintained, Britain and France must prevail in the end.--Reuter.

"

BIRTH

Jazamus

IOPTICIANE

TEL. 20022 or 33993-

London, To-day.

A plea for an intensified arms drive is the theme of several press editorials this morning.

The "Dally Express" writes that -the men of the B.E.F. are carry- ing out a rearguard action of a kind that has never been fought before. Brave men face an over- whelming mass of metal and ma- chinery. Yet such is their valour that Hitler has to throw a million troops against them. Now it is for the people of Britain to show themselves worthy of their fight- ing men. They read the despatch- es from Flanders with pride and with some shame. Shame that our soldiers went into battle without all the arms unceasing. effort could have given them.

The "Daily Herald" says the blow fell in Belgium, Holland and northern France almost simul- taneously with Mr. Churchill's accession to the Premiership. A few days later the astounding de- ficiency in the equipment of our troops became manifest.

. . who is to blame for the insufficiency of aeroplanes and tanks which has crippled the operations of our- army in Flanders?-Reuter.

The Hon. Mr. R. A. C. North, act- Ing Colonial Secretary, Informed the "China Mal!", this afternoon that measures to implement the increased defence precautions, announced by the G.O.C. yesterday: will be put into effect almost immediately.

The necessary Orders are expected to appear in the "Gazette" to-mor-

row.

Two more bodies of victims of the Percival Street flre were dis- covered by P.W.D. coolies this morning.

The prefix “Special” to telegrams is used by the "Sunday Herald” and “China Mall" GASKELL-At Singapore on May 30, under the provisions of the Telecommunion. to Indicate news which is strictly copyright 1940, to Evelyn Mary (Nee Peg-tions Ordinance, 1938, and may not be re gy Humphreys) wife of Squadron printed under any circumstances, either Leader, R. C. Gaskell, R.A.F., a wholly or in part, without prior: arrange-

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