1940-12-02 — Page 35

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THE CHINA. MAIL, DECEMBER 2, 1940.

Ubeve, Saprents Cont

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NAVY SWEEPS MEDITERRANEAN

Eye-Witness Story Of Attack On Tripoli Harbour

Vain Wait For Italian Response

(From Reuter's Special Correspondent with the Mediterranean Fleet)

ON NOVEMBER 26, I witnessed the Fleet Air Arm's attack on Tripoli harbour. The at- tack was carried out during a routine sweep of the eastern and central Mediterranean Sea.

Quays, warehouses and shipping were heavily bombed and many fires caused. Toy balloons with lights attached floated up from the aircraft-carrier to test the wind and then, in the dim light of the old moon, heavily-laden bombers took off and vanished.

A period of watchful tension,

followed and time passed slowly POSED AS

as all eyes strained towards the, coast, Suddenly the sky-line was lit by bursting anti-aircraft shellsj erd by flares dropped from the Pritish bombers.

V.C. AND M.P.

an

TAKING CARE OF HEALTH. The occupants of a London cholter having their throats sprayed with disinfectant, Seme of the children thoroughly enjoy, its A study at an under- ground tube railway station where Londoners.seek:safety, during the raids.

SHANGHAI INDIGNANT

FOUND £116 - HIS

Stepping into a telephone kiosk,

(Copyright, -Fox.).

REWARD WAS £2

As he was going out an agitated

indignation among the Chinese in bag containing £116 175. 7d. lying

Mr. Cyril Gill, of George Street, and breathless man ran.in to re- There was a fresh outburst of Plymouth, found a brown leather port his loss of the money...... wel yesterday. Shanghai against Wang Ching- beside the telephone,

When he saw the bag con tic table and was told who had found

station where the money. Was

out and a receipt was him for his honesty and reward

led him with two pound notes.

A moment later a great burst of Hame cracked the darkness, M.P. and as a V.C. and said he An ex-convict who posed as an ruggeeting that a petrol dump could obtain the release of had been hit.

interned man, was sent to prison Shorty after this the 'planes at Hendon. began returning and we waited

The man, Leslie de Villiers, fifty-of the treaty, put up by Wang

Posters celebrating the signing He took it to the nearest police it, he turned to Mr. Gill, thanked nxiously until "all back in safe-five, engineer, alias Jack Elliott, ty" was reported.

was accused of obtaining £2

Ching-wei's agents in buses and counted by Then swif ly we were away on false pretences from Mrs.

Dora trams, were immediately torn given, a different course.

Stoutzker, a gold watch, valued down by patriotic Chinese, £10, belonging to Solomon Stoutzker, and of wearing without authority the medal ribbons of the V.C., M.C., D.C.M., 'M.M., Mons Star, General Service Me dal, Victory Medal, and others.

Ship Hit

Reports from the pilots showed that medium and heavy bombs found their marks and one ship wash by no fewer than three! bombs.

When we were 60 miles from shore Ares were still visible on the sky-line.

While-

Admiral Gir James

For the false pretence he was sentenced to fifteen months? Im- prisonment, and for wearing the medal ribbons he was fined £ 26 or three: months' imprison mant.

{

To counteract the propaganda, posters bearing, patriotic slogans were put up later in 'the day in Narking Road, Yu Ya Ching Road, Avenue Joffre and other tho- roughfares, and handbills de- nouncing, Wang Ching-wei were distributed from the roofs of the Sincere. Co., the Wing On, Co., the Sun Co., and the Sun Sun. Co., the four big 'departmental stores in Nanking Road; .

convict on money would be required for licence. Posing as Mr. Silver- travelling. man, M.P., he told a woman whose He represented himself to. be husband had been interned that Jack White, V.C.. of Manchester, he was arranging with Sir John and obtained money by similar Anderson for his release,

and means.

Somerville's foreca, had: been Detective-Sergeant Knott said ewcoping the western Mediter. De Villlers was a ranean, our eastern forces had been ranging over. the whole eastern and central areas, seek Ing the Italian fleet, Convoys had been escorted in all directions and it is daily be- coming clearer how empty is the Italian boast that the Mediter- rancan is "mare nostrum."

SIGNOR ANSALDO'S

20 Submarines Sunk WISTFUL THINKING

Under the water over 20 of her submarines have been sunk; in

the air many of her shadowing 'plunes have been knocked down and fighter formations broken up.

Throughout our own steady flow of men and materials has

continued along this highway

which the Italians. presume. ta call their own.

On the latest trip I had a first glimpse of peaceful Suda · Bay, with its little white town at the foot of the olive-covered hill.

The peace was shattered by four bombs from a lone raider flying at tremendous helght.

The bombs fell in the sea and did no damage whi' the raider made off in the clouds.

That night we at acted Tripoli,

Vain Wait

SIGNOR ANSALDO, Mussolini's radio com- mentator whose special duty seems to be to try and cheer up the Fascist troops, tried very hard on Friday night to earn his money.

Signor Ansaldo concentrated on the German air attacks on Britain which (he said) deserved a cer- tain amount of attention, although really big re- sults would take many months:

HE WARNED HIS LISTENERS THAT THE COLOURFUL RE- PORTS OF "SPECIAL CORRES- PONDENTS" ABOUT TOWNS IN RUINS AND PORTS SMASHED TO ATOMS MUST BE TAKEN

WON'T GIVE UP SPIT

WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. AND POLISH

Italy, he went on, must count on the increasing pressure of the German attacks on Britain, al- though Italy must not expect the ver to be decided for her by her ally.

In vain we waited for an Ita- lian response but two days pasa- The Italians (hesald rather ed before we heard the news that wistfully) must win the war in the Italian fleet was abroad. the Mediterranean with their own

Patiently we waited for inform-" arms" "all alone," ation as to its location but all wo heard was that Sir James Somer ville's forces had contacted the Italions at long range and that the enemy was now hurrying húine, ---- Router.

"spit and polish":

The Army refuses, to abandon

In the face of a barragė "of criticism, it will continue to in- sist on a very high standard in this respect, because of the ex- cellent effect it is held to have on morale.

a

"There is an inclination on the part of some people," said radio are not quite ao resigned say that spit and polish is a Other speakers on the Italian military authority in London, "to to fighting "all-alond.".

waste of time. Ono Roms commentator

We do not be anxious to prove that. Germany within reasonable limit. No was love it is, provided it is kept cannot afford to ace a "valuable one has to spend his time ully roughly handled.

that to the detriment of training. in rifle and field craft.

Italy's invasion of France was mymi döclalva factor, ho, cald, -and italian help le silli "essential for the defeat of Britain. Atter talking about the.

on

and I hope we shall not be ac

"The balance is about “right,'

cused of training for the lust war vc when we do insist on a bit of

Mr. E. F. Brown, Inspector of Junks and Cargo-boats, Harbour Department, has reported the theft of a Singer sewing machine torious Italian campaign"in spit and polish. and an electric fron from his re- Somaliland, Egypt and Greece, ho sidence No. 170, Prince Edward continued: Road.

has. Immobilised. "Furthermore, the Italian Fleet Navy!"Router,

the -British

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