1940-10-16 — Page 1

RICKSHAWN

DRAND CEYLON TEA

Library, Superinte

BRITAIN'S WAR AIMS

Seeke Page 3

CHINA MAIL

FIRST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST. ESTABLISHED 1845.

No. 91,972

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1940

Price: 10 Cts.

FIRST ED

INSIST ON

Daisy Brand

Australia's Choicest

BUTTER

NAVAL ACTION OFF SICILY

The Truth About Battle Reported By: Rome

ANOTHER

V.C. HERO

COMES TO LIFE

The War Office in London has notified the parents of Lieu- tenant (Acting-Cap- tain) Wilson, of the East Surrey Regiment, who was "posthu- mously" awarded the Victoria Cross for services in Somali- land, that he is a pri- soner of war in the hands of the Italians.

Reuter.

ART TREASURES SEIZED

THE MINISTER OF ECONO

PORTS THAT OVER 500 PIC- TURES FROM VICHY WERE

Z SEIZED AT BERMUDA A FEW DAYS AGO WHILE THEY WERE EN ROUTE TO NEW YORK.

H.M.S. Ajax Again

Takes Bulk

The Honours

Of

H.M.S. AJAX, WHICH COVERED ITSELF WITH GLORY IN THE BATTLE OF THE PLATE, TOOK THE LEADING . PART IN A FURTHER NAVAL ACTION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, THE FULL STORY OF WHICH WAS RELEASED LAST NIGHT BY THE | ADMIRALTY.

H.M:S. Ajax, which is a light cruiser of 7,000-tons, equipped with eight 6-inch guns, sank two Italian destroyers during the action, crippled a third and put the remainder of the Italian forces, including a heavy cruiser, to flight.

Describing the battle, which occurred last Saturday off Sicily, the Admiralty states:-

posed of one heavy cruiser

and

"During operations in the Eastern and Central Mediterranean, His Majesty's Ajax made contact MIC WARFARE CONFIRMS RE with three Italian destroyers of the 679-ton "Airione"

class about 80 miles south-east of Sicily.

"Ajax immediately en- Ajax sighted an enemy force com- gaged and two Italian four destroyers. The pictures include paintings destroyers sank outright,' by Renoir, Cezanne and Picasso, and are probably from a well-states the Admiralty com- The question is now being con- munique, quoting the re- sidered as to how best to store port from the Comman- them and at the same thote dander-in-Chief, Mediterran-

known -Paris: collection.

aged time be

by large numbers of people.-Retean.

ter.

"

"Shortly after this encounter,

NO FRESH BRITISH LOAN NECESSARY

No fresh loan by the British Government to

FLYING FORTRESS DECISION

"Flying Fortresses” are going to Britain, accord-

to

AIRCRAFT TO PROTECT BURMA ROAD

News of the possibi- lity of China obtain- ing fighters and bom- bers ordered by Sweden but now held by the United States, is generally welcomed in Chungking since Ching urgently needs aircraft to protect traffic on the vital Burma Road, when it re-opens on Friday (October 18), and also to defend cities in the interior.-Reu- ter.

0000000

ing well-informed U.S. MANOEUVRES

American quarters in Washington.

Exactly when President Roose- velt will sign the necessary docu- ments turning back these giant and

bombers to

of

"Ajax again engaged cuccceded in crippling one the enemy's destroyers. The remainder of the force escap. ed in the darkness.

IN PACIFIC

UNITED STATES FLEET the markets for MANOEUVRES ARE BEING transfer to Britain is uncertain, continued IN THE PACIFIC but no one doubts it will soon be OCEAN. forthcoming.

"Belleving Ajax, to be in touch One authoritative source told .These manoeuvres have been with considerable enemy forces, him it 30 such Fortresses, were held all through the summer and H.M.S. York came up in if yesterday 30 American warships port, but no further contact was flown to Botwood Harbour, New-left Hawaii to take part in further made with the enemy that night.foundland, this week. Reuter. exercises.-Reuter.

Big Craft

sup-

"With the assistance of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm, the crip- pled destroyer was located at dawn in tow of another Italian destroyer which had gallantly come to her assistance.

"Upon the arrival of Ajax, the towing destroyer slipped her tow and made off at fast speed in the direction of Sicily under

"It was then ascertained that the damaged destroyer was the 1,620-ton "Artaglitre" of the latest class of large Italian destroyers:

China is under consideration at the present time, cover of a smoke screen. declared Sir Kingsley Wood, Chancellor of the Ex- chequer, when asked in the House of Commons.yes- terday whether Government would consider such loan to China under an. Exports-Credits Scheme similar to that recently granted China by the Ameri- can Government.

LORD LOTHIAN FLYING HOME

~Lord Lothian is flying to London on Government instructions, for consulta- tion, it is said in Washing- ton

"H.M.S. York soon came on the scene and the crew of the "Artagliere" at once began abandon 'ship. Our forces allow- ed half an hour. for the aban-

Rafts Dropped

to

Sir Kingsley, however, pointed | doning of. the ship and then sank cut that China had already re- her by gunfire. ceived assistance frem · Britain under the Exports-Credits Schere and as the sterling available un- der this scheme had not been ex- hausted and only a small part of. the export guarantees had been sterling assistance did not arise taken up, the, question of further

at present. →→ Reuter.

[

"H.M.S. York dropped rafts to supplement the bonts of the destroyer and a wireless message wavelength of Italian stations was broadcast on the commercial

giving the positions of the sur- vivors.. Back By CarThis was done in spite of tine. visit his arst since the out-the fact that such a signal com- break of the wor.

promised the position of the Bri- tish forces. Also the weather was fine and Sicily was no great distance.

There was no special signi- It is not known how long he cance in the trip and, it does not will stay in London. A spokesman involve any negotiations proceed, of the British Embassy epidating or projected with the United Lord Lothian is going on us States. Reuter;";

(Continued on Page 16)

HAVE AN H. B.-

HR

AND THEN TRY!