1940-10-04 — Page 26

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IL DUCE AND HITLER GOING INTO HUDDLE ON EGYPT BOOTLEG

ACCORDING TO REPORTS REACHING NEW #YORK! YESTERDAY HITLER AND MUSSOLINI WILL MEET FOR AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE TO-DAY.

Recent political and diplomatic develop ments have diverted Hitler's attention to the

military situation in the Middle East which seems likely shortly to become an almost decisive factor in the war, writes Reuter's diplomatic correspondent.

It is because Marshal Graziani realises the im- portance of the stakes where Italy is concerned that he is proceeding so slowly methodically and skilfully.

THAT

His task is one of great diff-} BECAUSE OF THE MAGNI- culty since he has not only the TUDE OF THE ISSUES. IN- question of transport across the desert, water supply and feeding VOLVED THERE IS SOME SUG- THE AXIS men and guns, but his sea com- GESTION munications with Italy are con- MAY TRY ΤΟ

MAINTAIN stantly menaced by the British

OPERATIONS IN LIBYA Fleet.

COLD STORAGE, WHILE THEY SEEK ANOTHER LINE OF AP- PROACH VIA THE BALKANS AND, SYRIA,

Geographical conditions make deployment of his forces prac- tically impossible and his long line of communications to the rear is exposed to air and naval attacks.

Germans

IN

TRAFFIC

IN FOOD!

A sharp halt is to be called to "bootlegging" transactions in foodstuffs

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 4, 1940.

LORD HALIFAX TO LEAD UPPER HOUSE

Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, is to be Leader of the House of Lords in the place of Lord 'Calde- cofe, the new Lord Chief Justice..

He will be assisted, it is announced from No. 10, Downing Street, by Lord Snell, who will continue as Deputy Leader.-Reu- ter.

by a law published in EGYPT'S Madrid yesterday.

TREASURES

Spain's extremely difficult food problem has been greatly wor sened by many producers not EGYPT IS TAKING SUIT selling through Government chan-ABLE PRECAUTIONS TO PRO- AND PRESERVE HER nels and a widespread bootleg TECT traffic has sprung up which is LITERARY TREASURES: FROM said to be sabotaging the Govern- ment scheme of rationing and

price control.

Bootleggers find a ready sale for sugar at 3/- per lb., lentils and rice at 1/3d a lb., olive oil at 7/- a litre and for “many other commodities,

.'

The law now published provides fines from 1,000 to 500,000 pesetas,

In addition a sentence of a year in a penni labour battallon may be imposed and the ponal- tics apply to both buyers and sellero.

It is suggested the

The difficulties which beset such large numbers of a scheme are many and obvious.

People denouncing · guilty, par- may send

the Stuka dive bombers

in Libya but

An Italian defeat question of supply enters here would probably produce devastat-ties will receive 40 per cent of the fine, whole those buying sole- also, while it is pointed out that ing reactions in the Balkans and ly to denounce offenders will Hurricanes and Spitfires have possibly even further north.

themselves be exempt from pun- dealt successfully with the menace

ishment.-Reuter..

of dive bombers in other fields,

like Dunkirk,

The Longer The Tougher

Another

point in Britain's favour is that Italian difficulties will increase, with the advance while Britain's strength will grow.

Hence Marshal Graziani's caution.

be

Combined Campaign ?

Mussolini is apparently en

route to meet Hitler, while Count

Ciano, his Foreign Minister, has also left Rome for an undisclosed destination.

Reports of the forthcoming meeting have aroused consider- able speculation:

His defeat would be more

One suggestion is that a .com- than a disaster; it would fatal.

Not only would it mean bined winter campaign. in Africa the end of Abyssinia which; might be the chief subject under

cut off from help, would quick. ly disintegrate, not only would the situation In Tunis - be gravely compromised, but it

is doubtful whether the tailan

.consideration-Reuter.

RETORT TO GERMAN

THE DANGERS OF AIR RAIDS. valuable Many thousands of manuscripts, ancient copies of the Korah, and other sacred books are being stored away from danger in a huge cave in the hills behind the old city of Cairo.

This cave, incidentally, was used by the ancient Egyptians as a safe storage place in time of war Reuter.

DUKE OF KENT TOURS

FIRE STATIONS

Heinkel Thought He Was

Alone

Describing recent air, duels over the North Sea the... Air Ministry - news service says a Heinkel 115 'plane dived out i of dense cloud over the North Sea and dropped two bombs Both towards a convoy. bombs missed.

Believing he had the sky himself the German pilot made ready for a second attack but a fighter of the Coastal Command escorting the convoy swooped through a cloud bank, and with two machine-gun bursts - set the enemy affre. The tanks of the Heinkel blew up drenching the nose of the Blenheim with oil. Near sea level the 'plane broke into pieces.

Because the windows of, the British fighter were so thickly coated with the enemy's oil the pilot and navigator had a dif- ficult journey back but made a safe landing.

Another incident occurred when while on night patrol off the East Anglian coast a Hudson of the Coastal Command intercepted two Heinkel bombers, The Hudson sin- gled out one Heinkel for attack manoeuvring so that both the front and rear guns could be used alternately. The German was destroyed. The other Heinkel fired a short but ineffective burst at long range and then made off- British Wireless,

IN MEMORY OF AN **OLD BOY".

The Duke of Kent yesterday visited a number of London Fire Brigadle centres. During the tour there was an air raid warning Among yesterday's gifts to- and heavy gunfire could be heard. wards aircraft is one of £4-8-6d He went to London Fire Brigade from. a south Oxford council headquarters and the other cen- school in memory of an old boy tres. visited were in south and airman who had been killed in east London-Brit'sh Wireless.action, British Wireless

BRITISH DEPOT

PROPAGANDA FOR DERELICTS: NAZI

German propagandists

"Nothing To Report" are spreading → reports A communique issued by Bri-throughout occupied people, already lukewarm about tish G. H. Q. in Calro yester-countries that the London the war and dissatisfied by day states: "Nothing of import- privations, would stand for ance to report"-British Wire- such a setback.

The Sunripe

SUNRIPE Tobacco

oz. tin-70c. 2 oz. tin $1.25 4 oz. tin $2.40

Obtainable at

less.

Two of the very Best!

SUNRIPE Cigarettes

22c. per pkt of 10

·44c. per pkf, óf 20. $1.10 per tin of 50 $1.25 për flat tinof 50

by

R&J HILL Ltä

ESTABLI

INGENOHL'S CIGAR STORES

“La Perla del Oriento”

and other tobacconists

food.co

distribution ma-

PLANE JUNK-HEAP

GERMAN PLANES brought down in Bri-

chinery has broken down. tain range from total wrecks to machines

Purpose of these reports is

somewhat obscure unless it is an practically undamaged in forced landings, endeavour to discount the Nazis' and an examination of them shows every out equitable food distribution phase of German aircraft development.

own inability, or refusal to carry

for populations for which they

are responsible,

In fact, there is no shortage of

In one depot in south-east England;

most food and none of essentials Smashed up planes are piled up nearly

in London shops. ";

So true! this that those percons whose ordinary shops at which they registered, have been bombed by the Nazis have been given rover coupons" entitling them to draw on sup plies in any other shop wt. That supplies are fully equal to demands and also the meat ration has recently been increase,

high as a house.

Near them are fighters and bombers in perfect condition. Every device, overy-part, every Inch of these machines has been examined by experts, who have taken them up into the air and

SYRIA FOOD

know the exact performance of SHORTAGE

he Messerschmidt, Dornier, Hein- kel and Junkers. Ak

are

PORTS A SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF FOOD IN SYRJA.

ed show, there is no difficulty | Generally speaking, German A BEYROUT MESSAGE RE about food distribution in London machines brought down so far are which is the main target of Nazi | made of good materjal and well terrorism. Food centres dealing finished. They have certain weak with victims of the indiscriminate nesses, but British experts Nazi bombing have not so far naturally not going to give the found it necessary to collect ration Germans a broad hint for reme coupons from people they serve, dies! to adequate are food supplies. British Wireless.-

BOMBS IN SWEDEN

THE GWEDISH RADIO YES TERDAY ANNOUNCED THAT: DURING THE NIGHT. FOREIGN 'PLANES - DROPPED BOMBS NEAR-MALMOE.

All over the country, people are queuing up for bread, flour and other rationis,CA

There is a petrol, shortage, and private cars have been orders off the roads during the month of October

‚ ̈ Petrol and oil is standard, but some of the planes have gadgetsed to enable substitutes to be used.

• One machine, for instance, has special tank of high-standard fuel for the take off. Orice in the | alr, the pilot can switch over to a

lower grade of fuel)"},"

Self-sealing tanks of fibre, rub.... ber and leather are used, in which bullet-holes rapidly close up.:

The knowledge gained from the examination of these ma chines, is of Immanse value and

· The bomba did some damago help to our pilots, who know. but no one was injured. H

just what to expect in, battle. Tho Swedish Government is No doubt, the Germans are asking the Riksdag for another seeking for new types, but some £2,000,000 for defence purposes of these, too, will crash and lay

Reuter.

^^^) bara their secrets-Reuter

owanu

Taxis have had their cut down to 24 gallons a month.

Reuter

FRENCH TRAMWAY «MAN KIDNAPPED:

*. Lu Ho-shang; inspector, of the French Tramway Companyin Shanghai, was kidnapped yesterday morning. Elva visited his house in Avenuei and took him away, Lu- to have opposed the strik Control Newssi