1941-03-06 — Page 16

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 6, 1941.

RELATIONS WITH BULGARIA SEVERED

London Officially Confirms Presentation Of Note

Abduction Of Employee Of The British Legation

IT WAS OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED IN LONDON YESTER-

King And STOP PRESS Queen In Glasgow

The King and Queen!

DAY THAT DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND paid an eight-hour visit to BULGARIA HAVE BEEN BROKEN OFF.

Mr. George Rendel, the British Minister in Sofia, in a Note handed to M. Filoff, the Bulgarian Premier, is stated to have said that the British decision to severe relations was prompted by two

reasons.

GERMAN TROOPS IN LONG STREAM

By train, lorry, bus and 'plane, German troops continue to stream through Bul- garia towards the Greek frontier.

main

The three routes southward are described by eye-wit- nesses as "solid miles of mechanised ma- terial". Reuter.

Firstly, Bulgaria's adhesion to the Tripartite Pact, and,

Glasgow yesterday and received а tremendous

welcome by dockers and shipyard workers, who surrounded Their Majes ties waving their caps.

The King talked to dockers' leaders of the importance 川 handling ships quickly, and was assured by the Secretary of th Scottish Transport Workers Union

ed to unloading ships in the short-

that all their energies were direct-

Secondly, the disappearance of Mr. Grenovitch, employee of the British Legation in Sofia, who mys-est possible time. teriously disappeared while en route for Turkey. The British decision to break off ¦ purposes. of trading with the relations was officially communi· ¦ enemy. ented to the

ment yesterday.

Bulgarian Govern-

Mr. Rendel called on the Bul garian Premier in the morning, and, after informing him of British decision, asked for passports,

the

Mr. Rendel and the Britsh De- gation staff are expected to leave Bulgaria within the next few days

The Dutch, Belgian and Polish Legations are similarly expected to leave, following the Bulgar jan Government's Intima.ion that their missions are consider ed to be terminated.

Enemy Territory

Meanwhile the

Board of Trade in London announced that Bul garia is enemy territory for

Sote Agents for

"NORVIC"

the

"MASCOT"

“SIR HERBERT BARKER"

and

"FINN-FLEX”

SHOES

Made by the Norvic

Shoe Co., Northampton.

In these brands of highclass footwear you are assured of finding your requirements, whether they are for a lightweight shoe or one of sturdy construction.

SLIPPERS

Brown, Black, Red and Blue with soft and solid leather soles in all sizes.

Wm. POWELL, Ltd.

10, ICE HOUSE STREET.

It is accordingly a punishable; offence to have commercial, fin ancial or other Intercourse ог

dealings with or for the benefit of any person in that territory. Another announcement, by the Ministry of Economic Warfare in London, says the British Govern- ment have decided they must now regard Bulgaria as territory under enemy occupation.

As from

yesterday, therefore, Bulgaria is regarded as an enemy destination for contraband par- poses and all goods of Bulgarian origin or ownership will be liable to seizure.

"I am very glad to hear that. It's of vital Importance these days," said the King. Their Majesties also visited fac-

in one tories.

of which army blankets were being made side by side with earpets, and inspected | a big parade of A.R.P. personnel and the Home Guerd.

Vast crowds cheered them at peints in their drive round

Reuter. the city.

VICHY'S LOSS OF SHIPPING

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

It was announced in Vichy last night that France has lost 107

Mr George Rendel, British merchant vessels since the armis- Minister at Sofia. had a brief tice, with Britain seizing most of farewell audience with King Boris the ships. International yesterday morning.---- Reuter,

Service.

BRITAIN SEVERE

News

IN CONDEMNATION

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has come to the conclusion that the Bulgarian Government, so far from desiring to maintain neutrality in the present conflict, are now prepared actively to cooperate with Germany, states the Note presented by the British Minister in Sofia to Bulgaria in regard to the pre-

sence of German troops in that country.

The Note adds it is a matter of indifference to the British Government what steps Bulgaria may think fit to take for the protection of the country against external danger, real or imaginary, but

is

to safeguard the peace and tran- quillity of the Balkans, the Note says the

British Government unaware that this peace and tran- quillity has ever been threatened or disturbed by any power which is not a party to the tri-partite pact.

The British Government con.

sider the pretext advanced by

the German Government is a Epecious one designed in accord- ance with the usual German practice

to mask the ulterior aggressive alm. Fruin the nature of German military movements in the Bal- kans it is clear that Germany's intention is to menace and, if necessary, attack Britain's ally, Greece. Reuter.

"Britain is at war with Ger- many, and the presence in ever- increasing force of German troops on Bulgarian territory, combined with the growing subservience of the Bulgarian Government to Ger- man policy, in the opinion of the British Goverment is incompati- ble with the maintenance of Bri- tish diplomatle representation in Bulgaria."

“Tranquillity"

Alluding to the Bulgarian Pro- mler's statement that the Ger- mun Government declared the presence of German troops in “Bulgária temporary and their tásk

70,000 JAPANESE

TROOPS. IN HAINAN

{SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL"]

Chungking radio reports that 70,000 Japanese troops are mass- cd On Hainan Island

the moment, in addition to the naval

at

units there.

German and Italian experts are assisting in the construction of submarine bases in that area. International News Service.

MOBILISATION IN

BULGARIA

[SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL"]. Under the Bulgarian Civil Mo- bilisation Law all men between the ages of 16 and 45 and women between the ages of 20 and 40 have been called up for service.- International News Service,

The prefix "special" to tefograms in

and

used by the "Sunday - Herala?? "China Mali" to Indicate news which la strictly copyright under the provi sions of the Telecommunications Ori

dieance, 1936, and may not be reprint act under any wholly or in part, without prior ar

circumstanses," alther

rangement,

Printed and Published for the Proprietors, The Newspaper Enter- WEATHER FORECAST: — Eart prise, Ltd., by WALTER JAMES winds, moderate) cloudy gon= | KEATES, Windsor House, Vic- erally, ocomsional rain,

toria, Hong Kong.

Introducing the new rates of entertainment tax for Legisla- tive Counell approval this afternoon, the Hon. Mr. R. R, Todd, Acting Financial Secre- tary, explained that it was est mated that the aggregate amount paid for admissions to cinemus at 20 cents and un- der is about equal to the amount paid at other higher admission prices, there being about 15 cinemas in which no seat costs more than 20 cents. Government considers that in present circumstances this source of revenue should no longer be left untapped and that the rates of duty proposed will not press heavi- ly on the less fortunate mem- bers of the community." Where the amount of pay- ment for admission exceeds 20 cents, the effect of the new rates is, generally speak- ing, to double the duty pay- able, It is anticipated that the new rates will increase entertainment tax from $350,000 to $650,000 per annum.

revenue