1940-06-10 — Page 7

HONGKONG

DAILY. PRESS

WEYGAND

WELL SATISFIED WITH MANNER IN WHICH BATTLE OF FRANCE DEVELOPS

1/

Opposing Forces Grappling With Ever Increasing Violence

PARIS, June 8 (Reuter)-With the Battle of France" reaching a new high pitch of violence all along the line from the Aisne to the sea, the official war office spokes- man was able to say this afternoon: "General Weygand is well satisfied with the man- ner in which the battle is developing."

An atmosphere of restrained confidence is notable in all French official quarters, following the complete collapse of most desperate efforts by the Germans, at a heavy sacrifice of life, to force the crossing of the Aisne.

The "German armoured units thrusting towards the: valley of the Upper Bresle, feached the region of Forges- les-Eaux, cutting the Dieppe-Faris railway; but It is em phasised that the Infantry have been prevented from fol- lowing the tanks:

1

The French have withdrawn. We do know that every day we their forward support post-can hold them off counts immea tions from Ham to Amiens, to surably, counts for us and against straighten the line in view of the Germans.

Every day our air the advance on the Lower force grows stronger and even now

it is by no means idle.. Somme to the Bresle.

At dawn on the fith day of

Battle of "The

FranceTM the spokesman said the opposing forces were still grappling with each other with "ever increasing violence along a vast front extending from the seaside town pi Le Treport as far as the Alsne up to the small village of Bourgandcomin, where the Oise-Aisne canal joins the

Aisne.

4: "OUR DAMNDEST"

"Everyone of us knows we are doing our damndest and I believe every ordinary man belleves our Government is doing the same." Mr. Lakin went on.

་

One or two newspapers are ca ing for recrimination "and retribu- tion for those responsible for the set-back, but the best opinior. says that all this will fizzle out because

THIRD NIGHT

IN SUCCESSION

Nazi Planes Visit England

CABLE

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 1940.-PAGE

H.R.H. Duke BALANCE NO PEACE FOR CHINA Of Windsor OF NAVAL UNTIL NATION'S OBJECT STILL WITH THE STRENGTH

ARMY - IN FRANCE

`LONDON, June B (Reuter)

IS FINALLY ATTAINED

CHUNGKING, Jung 9 (Reuter) —“The persistent circulation of peace rumours by Japan make, it necessary for us to state most am- phatically that they are absolutely without foundation,” declared a The Admiralty states that the Chinese spokesman today. balance of naval strength in fa-

"The motive behind such rum- | vour of the Allies is now far ours are too obvious. The situa greater than, at the outbreak afton in Europe has given incen- the war.

tive to a large section in Japan to bring about an early peace with China so that she may devote her power and resources in striking southwards.

The strength of the British pire navies at the outbreak of war

and the losses sufered are:

15 capital ships (one lost);

7 "aircraft-carriers (one lost):

61 cruisers (two lost);

185 destroyers (20 lost).

58 submarines (8 lost);

108 minesweepers, sloopa, pa trol vessels and gunboats (6 lost). MERCHANT CRUISERS

JAPANESE RAID ON SZECHUEN

CHUNGKING, June $ (Reuter)—

"Let it be known, once and for! all, that as long as the Japanese Fifty-four Japanese bombers, m soldiers remain on. Chinese solle groups of 27 each, raided Exo- and the Nine-Power Treaty is not chuen at noon, bombing Liangshun

north-east of Changking..., upheld, there can be no talk of "The alarm was sounded here peace between Japan and China. shortly after 11 a.m. when raiders

Since the beginning of the war. Let it also be known that no outside were reported to be approaching In addition to reinforcements of fiuence or suggestions of peace Chanshou. on the Yangtse River, warships of all classes except can alter China's determination to below Chungking. Chinese fighters battleships, the British Navy has carry on the resistance until its immediately LONDON, June 9 (Reuter)-The been strengtened by over 50 arm- object is attained.

which Ministry of information states ed merchant cruisers of that there is no foundation for only one was lost, and by "over denial necessary to discredit com-downriver after bombing Lang

WET-

the report that the Duke of Wind- 1,500 minor war vessels and auxi- sor has resigned his military ap-llary craft of which 58 were lost. LONDON, June 8 (Reuter)-Anpointment.

Nearly a million tons of Air Ministry and Ministry of The Duke la visiting French ships are now building in British

troops on the Italian border and shipyards. Home Secretary communique says

will shortly return to the head- The German navy has suffered that during the night and the

В quarters of the mission to which the destruction of early hours of this morning enemy aircraft crossed the "coast,

he is attached.

portion of its effectives.

Some bombs were dropped but little material damage was done and no casualties have been re- ported.

"i

"

The battle continued with an- now is not the time for that red England, and the warning was

abated fury, all Friday,'

General impression is favourable though late detalled reports are not yet available.

were Numerous German tanks hurled against the Afled lines and

many were destroyed in the course of the day in addition to the 400

* announced on Friday morning.

A number of enemy attacks east of Solssons, almed at crossing the Aispe, failed,

of thing.

The Man-in-the-Street realises that this Cabinet is Churchill's and of us have his alone and few doubts that his War Cabinet is a very strong combination.

ARMOURED FORCES PARIS, Juzė 8 (Reuter)-The milltary spokesman stated it is

estimated the Germans have now thrown to the battle two-thirds

of all the armoured forces in the All along the line of battle there German army but against this ar- is no question of a continuous moured onslaught the French in front. Fighting from this line ex-fantry is standing firmly.

an The infantrymen held tends in depth. sometimes even far į t the south.

four days to their front line sup port points, which in their vast majority have admirably resisted

Thus, in the region of the upper Breste, a German armoured group, the strength of which is not yet known with certainty. has succeed- ed in penetrating 12 of 14 miles an depth into the French rear zone.

The general direction of this rate is south and south-west. This is a force which is composed of art

moured columns with infantry.

The first atupefaction bas No passed and France is ready and waiting, declared the Minister for Colonies, M. Louis Rollin, in a broadcast speech.

STERN CONCERN

LONDON, June X (Reuter)-- England's stern interest in the battle now raging was stressed in a broadcast yesterday by Mr. Cyril Lakin, Assistant Editor of the Sun- day Times.

Id-

for

It was the third night in suc- cession that Nazi planes had visit-

again sounded in several coun- tles.

FLEW LOW

One German plane flew low over

high ·DTO-

Story Of Work Of Navy In Evacuation Of

B.E. F. From Dunkirk

LONDON, June 8 (BWS)-The story of the work of a south-east coast town for ten the Navy in organising the B.E.F. evacuation from the minutes. machine-gunning the moment the Naval party arrived at Dunkirk until the last streets. There were no

victims soldier had embarked was told in London by a member of though a number of men in the the Naval staff who was present during the entire opera- street had to dash for shelter. tion. Already when the directing party arrived, Dunkirk had beeri subjected. "to many bombing attacks and oil stores were burning fiercely. The ship carrying the staff was bombed from 5,000 feet as soon as she arrived. The port had received such a "sträffing" as to be largely une usable.

The raider then turned his at- tention to the sea, where it found a lifeboat which was looking for a missing yacht,

The German plane loosed off its machinegun at the boat and though the rudder was hit, no one was injured.

N

the shock not only of tanks but the lifeboat continued the search also of enemy infantry and an ex-¡ for the yacht. tremely violent artillery and alr bombardment.

At least one of the Nazi raiders failed to get home. It crashed in When the crder to withdraw to East Anglia, two of the crew be new support points was received ing killed and one being taken to

extri-hospital under police escort. the garrisons succeeded in cating themselves and in falling. house was damaged and back in perfect order. They are others slightly damaged when the now occupying new positions.

A

machine crashed,

"I hope this will be the last

took off, culator ready to engage the raiders who, however, did not come here...

The Japanese planes returned

pletely groundless rumours of shan and the all clear was sound- peace circulated by the Japanese."¦ed at ↑ pm,

PONTOON BRIDGES OVER SOMME DESTROYED

Marching Formations

Annihilated

PARIS, June 9 (Reuter)-An Air Ministry communi- que stated that the main objective last night was the des- This truction of the pontoon bridges over the Somme. destruction was effected from a low altitude.

"During the night our splendid crews successfully bombed motorised columns and convoys on the roads. Numerous bursts of machine-gun fire dispersed reinforce ments and destroyed many supply columns.

Our planes also methodical-

ly bombed enemy motoris- marching formations. Hun- dreds of tops of explosives

ed forces and annihilated War Effort

The senior Naval officer, make untenable all ports behind however, soon came to the the BEF in the hope of captur formations. Wherever the Alr

were dropped over enemy In Australia

Evacuation

were

Increased

When the plane had disappeared conclusion that if there was fing the whole army. In this they Force attacked vehicles, the

any hope of getting the B.EF. were unsuccessful and about

the road or be destroyed. away and he thought such quarter of a million men were latter were forced to leave

embarked from Dunkirk pier.

LONDON, June 8 (BWS)-De- hope to be slender-embarka-

Many thousands more were i Troop concentrations and me-

tails are now available of the ex- columns. in the tm- tion must be mainly carried taken off by all manner of small chanised out from the pler.

bonts from the beaches and an mediate rear of the battle front tent to which the war effort in Australia is being increased by and Amiens After interviewing the French extemporised pier was made with between" Letreport authorities who asked him to un- lorries and planks and was a were subjected to repeated attacks expansion of production of munt- British short intervals, Towns and tons and war material. dertake the command, the senior means of embarking a great many at

destroyers are using depth charges in which troops Naval officer proceeded to make until it was blown up by gunfire villages

wrecked and set made in Australian factories and the arrangements which, however, and bombs.

of the massing were

Australian bombs wil soon be quickly had to be altered as at-wounded did not go so smoothly. ablaze..

At Alraines, between Somme and dropped on German targets as the tacks on Dünkirk harbour became

Bresle, which the enemy convert-result of enlargement of factories The British Senior Naval officered into a vast military encamp-in Victoria.

1,800 high explosive Rifles. smallarmis, aminunition came crowded with men there be made a wireless signal in clear ment, over

language stating he ing never less than 10 to 15 thou- hospital ships by daylight, that ped within three minutes.

was using and incendiary bombs were drop and machine-guns made in Aus- tralla are being used by the Aus- sand waiting to embark.

were plainly marked and that he

Direct bomb hits were obtained tralian Imperial Force in Pales After bombing the town and

the centre of Vismes where tine, by the forces of India, New harbour for two days the Nazis al-was strictly observing the Geneva in tered their main attacks to the Convention by which a ship was houses were demolished to block Zealand and the Colonies and by

only used for wounded, doctors and the strategic roads near Miannay the Services fighting in Europe. ships off Dunkirk. After a day or nurses. 50 these, beaches in turn received

Callousness Of U-Boat Commander Told

LONDON, June 8 (Reuter)-Survivors of a British mET- chant ship torpedoed by a German submarine just after noon on May 27 today told a story of the callousness of the U-boat commander.

U

The

The ship was steaming independently

time. at the weather was bad and the ship was a long way from land.

Two minutes after the ship was torpedoed she went down with the crew.struggling in the water.

The U-boat then surfaced and

The British people know that the eyes of the world are on that strip of lovely country in France-but they feel that they have an even keener interest than the rest of the world, not because so many of them knew it so well or because the commander drove his craft the names of the places bring back among the memories or because so much Bri- dinging as they were to a raft. tish blood has been spilt there in upturned boats and pieces of the past-for" that applies. Canada, Australia and America as

a result of the last war.

"The British people know all that, for them at this moment and for the next few days it meant something even more to them, and that was why they were waiting, anxiously but calmly, for newa. +

to wreckage.

mer. In the watar, UNABLE TO

1

STAND UP TO STRAIN

The commander's object in ap- proaching the men was not in or- der to pick them up but to ask them to name their ship and to LONDON, June 8 (Reuter)- give members of the crew an op-There appears to be growing portunity of taking, photographs evidence that the German, dive- of his unfortunate victims...

bomber pilots' are more and more becoming unable to stand up to of encountering the machine-guns, * whose

JAB

AT MEN While they did so, the comman the strain

The Germans struck so quickly der stationed two men with boat-round

either because they did not want to hooks to fend off. and jab at men crews reserve their fire imtli the

so fierce that he had to order the warships to sail The beaches be-

CLEAR LANGUAGE

In spite of this, three hours the most attention and it was ex-later the hospital ship was bomb- traordinary the casualties were so ed and sunk.

small. The Germans again alter-

.

The Naval officer paid tribute to

AMERY INSPECTS INDIANS

ed their tactics and concentrated the gallant action of the French LONDON, June 9 (Reuter)--

bombhig attacks on ships, making warships and merchantmen

who Members of the Indian Animal

em-

There are four "Government- owned arms-factories in Australia and before the end of the year one will be producting Bren guns, These establishments," together

and the weekly wages bill 13 £45,000.

לי

arm-

Journeys from the anchorage to were continually occupied Transport companies who partict with the Commonwealth clothing the pier, and this form became so barking French troops from the pated in the operations in Flan. factory, employ 11,000 workers formidable that it was decided other side of the pier. The Naval ders were inspected today by Mr. embarkation would only take place staff agreed to take equal num-L.. Amery, Secretary for India, at night time.

bers of French and British and who congratulated the Indians on

The Commonwealth also Pro- UNHAPPY DUTY

duces anti-aircraft guns, this agreement was most careful their safe return and fine work.

"I feared that no-oured The Naval officer described the ly observed.

He sald:

cars, military vehicles. unhappy duty of telling all the Speaking of the work of the body could have been steadier un-res, machine-guns

every men beyond a certain point in a RAF, the Naval officer described der fire or have done better than type air bomb.. long column which was waiting it as magnificent and said im- you men for ships that they might have to mense help was given by the

the Indians evacuated remain on the Inhospitable British fighters who kept the sky Dunkirk they had, with the great- beaches a further long day until clear of German bombers for con- darkness fell once more.

siderable spaces of time.

By this time the men were get- ting short of food and water. The Dunkirk water supply had been cut off before the evacuation GREAT & started. At the battle developed,

the German Command endeavour-

give the French time to prepare who tried to clamber aboard the last possible moment, with very following the Belgian capitulation, their defences or because Hitler U-boat, thinking the submarine 'successful results. - himself is pressed for time him-

self; it was probably a bit of both. had come to pick them up.

It is also learned that most of This went on for half an hour, the newly formed reserve divisions

which "the submarine steemed away, leaving the help less British seamen to their fate In the rough sea.

One thing could be sure of-the British people have every confid-after ence in the French Army.

DOING ALL TO HELP.

"

are being used in the present German offensive; these cannot be considered as first-class troops.

French aircraft have been creat-

Com-

The British are doing all they Three men died on the raft that ing havoc among the German' can to help, especially in the air. night, and others slipped off up- tanks, the penetrating shells fred but they realised that it is the turned boats and wreckage, and from the cannons mounted in the

'planes going through the French who are carrying the main (drowned,

paratively thin roof armour plat- burden.

More than 24 hours later д ing of the tanks with ease. The French Army has a miracul-neutral steamer picked up five ous power of recovering and ad- Imen: the rest of the crew of 36 aptation.

has perished;

Even Mussolini himself is report... ed to have said only a short whils ago: "The French Army is stil the greatest in the world."

NEUTRALITY OF

ARGENTINE

י

ed Alther the capture of, or to

Welles On U.S.-Japan Relations

was

When

est regret, to leave their wonder- ful mules bebind..

HONOURABLE MISSION.

and

Australia's defense expendi- ture is now nearly £6,000,000 a month. Legal permission has been granted to a great mining organisation the Broken Hill Proprietary Com- pany to include in its enter- prise shipbuilding manufac- ture of aeroplanes and parts and other activities,

Slr Samuel said that he had been entrusted with a "great and

The Company's nominal capital. bonourable mission" iri Spain and is £25,000,000 and the shipbuild- would spare no effort to promote ing will afford an appreciable out- friendly relations between Spain let for Australia's production of and Great Britain.

metals. Apart from munition

He had a long and friendly production, Australla proceeding conversation with General Franco, with the national war savings.

campaign. aiming to reach £10,1 000,000 by the end of June, the quota of each State, fixed on po- pulation basis. varying from £250,000 for· (Tasmania to £3, 950,000 for New South Wales About 12,000 savings groups will. be formed to carry out the pro- ject.

PERSHING ON AID TO ALLIES

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuter), -Replying to a question on Amer-. Ican-Japanese relations at a press conference," Mr. Sumner Welles CHINESE ENVOY

said that the United States Gov- ernment IN MOSCOW

always ready to maintain, or establish friendly re-

WASHINGTON, June 8 (Reutor? CHUNGKING, June 9 (Central)

lations, with all nations whose

General Perskiing, in a

state- The news so far is cheerful, but

—Mr, Shao Li-tze, Chinese Ambas- | policy made this possible.

MADRID, June 9 Renter)-8irment urging the United States to.

GEN. POWNALL there has been nothing yet to give BUENOS AIRES, June 9 (Reuter)sador to the USSR, arrived in Referring to the visit of United Samuel Hoare, the British plent-send the Allies unlimited quanti-,

PARIS, June 8 (Reuter)-Léout- grounds for optimism.

The Chamber, by 123 votes to Moscow by air last Friday, accord-States warships to South America potentiary on a special mission to ties of aeroplanes, artillery, small

Mr. Welles said that: this Germans put the whole of their eight, approved the, Bill to preventing to a despatch from the Soviet

was the Spanish Government, present-arms and ammunition, as well as Cleneral Pownall, Chief of Staff to forces into the tray and we can activities which might undermine capital. Mr. Shao was welcomed merely a return to the former ed his credentials to General food and clothing, said: "The A1 General Viscount Gort, has arrived judge where the main effort is to the neutrality of Argentine. The by the Soviet Government repre-custom and had no connexion Franco at the Royal Palace yes-les are holding our front lines in France. He went into confer be made, It is too early to ludge measure is directed against Fifth sentatives and members of the with the situation in the countries terday. As He arrived a band and we have a vital concern in ence with General Weygana, and

Chinese Embassy,

to be visited.

played God Save the King.

M, Georges, with confidence.

Until the

Columnists.

ཝཱཧཾ

the outcome.”