1941-06-11 — Page 6

British Empire Wines

SEPPELT'S

ROYAL PURPLE PARA

Ruby Wine of Port Character Rich, Fruity, Mellow and Mature

AUSTRAL TAWNY PORT

Exquisite Bouquet and Flavour OLD RESERVE SOLERO SHERRY

AND

EXTRA DRY SOLERO

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of Supreme Quality and Palate

PRODUCED AND BOTTLED IN

AUSTRALIA BY

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IMPORTED BY

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WINE DEPT.

CHATER RD.

TEL. 20616.

GEO. FALCONER & CO., LTD.

UNION BLDG.

OPP. G.P.O.

EST. 1855

Specialists in

Repairing Watches, Clocks, Chronometers Binoculars and Technical Instruments. All repairs are carried through in our own workshop under European Supervision.

OUTSTANDING VALUE

IN

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68" x 106" 3500 PAIR 80" x 108"

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KNOWN THE WORLD OVER FOR ITS PURITY.

MARTELL'S 3 STAR

BRANDY.

MARTELL

TOT MARRAS

Sole Agents:

THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 11, 1941:

Next Six Months

A Vital

(Continued from Page, 4)

Period

sense of time, to clamour forfaspect of the war; in the Middle action, now here, now. there, East

live, its daily life and training without even a cursory examina- "We haye been at war for '21 in close and precise relationship tion of the atlas, but the House months. Abrost a year has passe with the particular, number of will best guard its own dignity and ed since France. deserted us and aircraft that it knows it. can authority by refraining from Italy came in against::us. call up at need.

taking sweeping superficial

must have said wo follow a hand to mouth strategy,

on

or

Easier Said Than Done

"It was not possible last year to views. provide it on u scale without "Others trenching on other domains which were more vital to our safety but it is the intention to go forward and that path immediately provide the Army with a consid- number of ogro- erably larger planes suited entirely to the work tiny have to do and above all to the development of that wireles connection between ground forces. the air and the military, which the Germans have carried to such an extraordinary point of perfec- tion.

Made No Difference

So

The Position To-day

"If anybody had sald-In Junp last we should to-day hold every yard of territory for which Bri- tain is responsible in the Middle Eaɛt, that we should have con quered the whole of the Italian Empire of Abystinla, Eritrea and East Africa, that Egypt, Palestine and Iraq would have been successfully defended, ho would have been thought a very foolish visionary.

"We

Initia must regain the tive and Impact to all our operations that sense of mastery and design which the Germans often display. Nobody agrees with

than That morg I do but it is a

deal good easier said than done, especially "But that is the position at the while the enomy possesses moment. It is more than three vastly superior resources and months since the Germans gave many strategic advantages.

out they would be in Suez in a "For all those reasons I have month and were telling the Span- never encouraged hopes of

iards that when Suez fell they "If this had been done in Crete | short and easy war. Nonethe-would have to come into the war. it would not have made any dif-less, it would be a mistake to "Two months ago many people ference to the event there becaus" go to the other extreme and thought we should be driven out the numbers there for the purpose | belittle the remarkable achieve-of Tobruk or forced to capitulate of cooperation with the troops ments of our country and its there. The last time we had a de- could not have altered events." armed forces. There are

many bate on the war, an instructed Replying to a question on who thir for which We may be commentator warned us gravely of decided that the air forces on the thankful.

the danger of the German thrust aerodrome in Crete were to

"Air attack on this island has at Assiout, at the head of the withdrawn. Mr. Churchill said not overwhelmned us, indeed we Delta. was decided by the Commander- have risen through it strengthen- in-Chief, Air Forces, in the Mid-ed and glorified.

be

dle East, on the recommendation of General Freyberg, and Con- curred in by the commander of the

Fleet Air Arm on the spot.

Production Higher·

"Six weeks ago all Iraq was in flame and Habbaniyah was declar- ed to be in direct jeopardy. Women and children were evacuate】 by air. It was reported from enemy "There is no truth in the state-quarters that surrender would be Mr. Churchill continued that ment that productivity in

our forced. the numbers were small and if factories is falling off at

All Now Regained they had not been withdrawn alarming rate. It may not be they would have been blown off going as fast as we would like, "A hostile Insurgent govern- the aerodrome without having and if anyone can tell us ment ruled in Baghdad, in closest

been able in the slightest degree how to make

it go

an

faster, he association with the Germans and

to affect the course of events. will be rendering a great service, Italians. Our forces were pinned Coming to the Syria operation, but it is not a simple question in Basrah, having only just land- Mr. Churchill repeated that we of giving very stringent orders ed. Kirkuk and Mosul were in have по territorial designs in and demands. There is much enemy hands. Syria or anywhere else in French more than that in making the "ALL HAS NOW BEEN RE- whole of our factories go pro- GAINED. WE ARE ADVAN-

territory.

Reassurance To French

"We seek no colonies or advan- tages of any kind for ourselves in this war. Let none of our French friends be deceived by blatant German and Vichy propaganda,

perly

"But it is the exact

CING INTO SYRIA IN FORCE.

reverse QUR FRONT AT MERSA MATRUH, IN THE WESTERN DESERT, IS UNBROKEN AND OUR DEFENSIVE LINES THERE

of the truth to say that pro- ductivity is falling off at an alarming rate.

per

"In guns and heavy tanks, for ARE STRONGER THAN EVER. instance, the monthly average for

"Large forces which were occu- the first quarter of 1941 was 50 pied in the conquest of Abyssinia "On the contrary we shall do all

cent. greater than in the are now set free with an immensa in our power to restore the free-last quarter of 1940. The output mass of transport and large num- dom, independence and rights of for the month of May was the bers are on the way to, or have France.

highest yet attained and

already reached, the Delta of the than double the monthly

Nile, rate for the last quarter of 1940.

Battle Of The Atlantic

"In a letter I wrote to General de Gaulle I said we shall do all in our power to restore France's freedom and rights but it would be for the French to aid in re- storing her greatness. There can be ΠΟ doubt that General de Gaulle is a more zealous defender of France's interests than are the men of Vichy whose policy is that of utter subservience to the Ger-

man enemy.

Only Choice

"IT DID NOT TAKE MUCH INTELLIGENCE TO SEE THAT

more

"In the first place we have not been overwhelmned by an air attack and our production, so far from being beaten down by disorganisation of attack, has been increasing at very high

rate.

"The Battle of the Atlantic is also being well maintained.

"In January, Hitler mentioned March as the peak month of his We effort against us on the sea. were to be exposed to attacks on

"It would be most unfair and wrong and very silly, in the midst of the defence which has so far been crowned with remarkable success, to select the loss of the Crete salient as an excuse and pretext for branding with failure, ог taunt the great campaign for the defence of-the Middle East, which has so far prospered beyond all expectation and is now entering upon an even more in- tense, and critical phase.

A Famous Chapter

"I give no guarantee and make

THE INFILTRATION INTO a scale never-before dreamed of no promise or prediction for the SYRIA BY THE GERMANS AND and there were rumours of hun- future, but if the next six months. THEIR INTRIGUES IN IRAQ dreds of U-boats, and masses of during which we must expect ever CONSTITUTED A VERY GREAT aircraft to be used against us. harder fighting and many dis- DANGER TO THE WHOLE

EASTERN FLANK OF OUR DE FENCE IN THE NILE VALLEY AND THE SUEZ CANAL.

"The only choice before us in the theatre of war for some time has been whether to encourage the Free French to attempt a counter-penetration by them- selves or whether, at a heavier risk in delay, to prepare a con- siderable force, as we have done It was also necessary to restore the position in Iraq before any. serious advance in Syrla could be made.

"These rumours. were spread appointments, should find us in against us in the world and a very no worse a position than that in alarming impression produced. which we now stand to-day, if

"Apart from the losses incur after having fought so long alone red in the fight in the Mediterand single-handed against the ranean, which

and against were serious, might of Germany,

the intrigues the month of May was the best Italy and against month we had for some time and treachery of-Vichy, we should on the Atlantic. Prodigious still be found faithful and un- exertions were made to bring beaten guardians of the Nile in cargoes and to protect ships Valley and of the regions that le and these exertions have not about it, then I say.. a. famous failed.

chapter will have been written in the martial history, of the Bri- Common- tish Empire and the wealth.

"It is much easier, to sink ships than to build them or to bring them safely, across the ocean.'"

Astonishing Fact

"Our relations with. Vichy, and the possibilities of an open breach with the Vichy Government "It is a most astonishing fact evidently raised the military and that in the month of May we sank strategic significance of these, or

captured, of caused. to be movements to the very highest scuttled no less that 257,000 tons point.

of enemy shipping, although they Finally, and above all, the for-present us with a target which is midable menace of an invasion perhaps one-tenth as great as [|| of Egypt. by, the. German Army we present to them. in Cyrenaica, supported by large Italian forces, with this position in Syria, has very nearly gone.

After Mr. Churchill's speech the House of Commons. adjoürn- ed without a vota.-Reuter.

MOSCOW FRIENDLIER

"While they sneak from port to TO FINNS

port under the protection of their alr umbrella. and, make short;

furtive voyages from port to port PAVEL ORLOFF, NEW, RUS- Nazi Prison Spreading across the sea, we maintain our SIAN. MINISTER TO FINLAND, world-wide traffic with never less ARRIVED IN÷HELSINKI AMID "The German poison was than 2,000 ships on the seas or PREDICTIONS OF POLITICAL spreading throughout the country less than 40 in the danger zone OBSERVERS: THAT A MORE und the revolt in Iraq, 'perhaps on any day,

FRIENDLY POLICY COULD BE

NEAR! beginning prematurely, enabled "Yet the, losses inflicted upon EXPECTED IN THE us to take the necessary measures them in the month of May were FUTURE: FROM THE KREMLIN... to correct the evil, but we must in the nature of three-quarters These predictions were support-. not rejoice or give way to jublia- of the losses they inflicted on us, ed by a sudden cessation of hostile tion while we are engaged in "This also has a bearing on the radiocasts aimed at Finland, from // when the reaction of the Germans because destruction of enemy ton- Those attacks, which had con- still romains tous obscure and nuge is proceeding at a most rapid tinued in the post-war peace unknown.

and satisfactory rate.

- reriod, ended simultaneously with It is very easy for crities" "Nor need these solid grounds the appointment of Mr. Orloff to without troubling too much about for thankfulness, and, confidence, succeed, the outgoing ✅ Minister, resources--and even without a fall upon us when we look at the Ivan Zotov.

GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD.

CO., LTD.operations of this difficulty and possibility of a sea-borne: Invasion Moscow.

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