1939-12-20 — Page 29

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The

FINAL EDITION

Hongkong Telegraph.

FOUNDED -1801 ENQ WAITF WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1939. ETA SINGLE COPY 10 CENTS

No. 18034

Berlin Believes Aerial War On In Earnest

NEW MASS AIR RAIDS ON GERMAN NAVAL BASES

SPECIAL TO THE “TELEGRAPH"

LONDON, DEC. 20 (UP).—QUICKLY FOLLOWING YESTER- DAY'S ENCOUNTER, WHICH THE GERMAN AIR COMMAND DESCRIBES AS "THE GREATEST AIR BATTLE IN THE HISTORY| OF AVIATION," BRITISH WARPLANES HAVE LAUNCHED NEW MASS ATTACKS ON THE NAZI NAVAL BASES.

Reports from Toender, one of the Jutlands, state that Royal Air Force planes thrice bombed the island of Sylt to-day.

Heavy bombs were rained on the naval bases at Rantum and Hoernum. German claims that the R.A.F. machines bombed the towns are officially denied in London.

Each raid lasted fifteen minutes.

The British bombers, which were not escorted by pursuit planes, appeared from the west, unloaded their bombs, and disappeared in a southerly direction.

Messerschmidt pursuit planes took off to give battle and the dog-fights continued as the planes disappeared from sight.

Apparently, all the British planes escaped unscathed.

Berlin still continues to make fantastic claims regarding yesterday's great battle, in which over a hundred planes participated.

The D.N.B. (Official German News Agency) claims that Britain's losses were "over 36 planes."

Lieut. Schumacher, commander of the German squadron involved in the fight, estimates that "his men" shot down 40 R.A.F. bombers.

AIR WAR IN EARNEST

STOCKHOLM, Dec. 19 (Reuter).-The recent increase in air activities has prompted Berlin to believe that an air war is beginning in earnest.

Attempts will now be made by the German air force to show their capabilities!

$35.00 PER ANNUM

MEMO

Remember Dunlop

Fort The tyre.

with-teeth-

ALLIES TO AID FINNS AGAINST AGGRESSION ·

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

PARIS, Dec. 19 (UP)—The Allied Supreme War Coun cll convened throughout this morning.

Subsequently, fi was announced that the French Fremfer, M. Daladier, congratulated the British Navy on "is herolo victory, en- talling the destruction of the Admiral. Graf Spee."

It is relaibly atated that the Council arrived at no decision will respeel to the Russian invasion of Finland.

The Council is believed to have discussed a tentative lini of ur- gent needs submitted by the Finns

Finland is now preparing a completo lat of her needs for sub- mission to the Allies,

This list was requested by the Allies in fulfilment of the Lea gue suggestion that other Powers s'ould givo ali moral sud material ald to the victim of Russian aggression.

THE 32,600 TON GERMAN LINER COLUMBUS (Six thousand tons bigger than the Empress of Japan)

LUXEMBOURG

Third Biggest Nazi Liner Intercepted CUSTOMS HOUSE|| At Sea, Destroyed By Her Crow

HIT BY SHELL

LUXEMBOURG, Dec. 19 (Reuter). The Customs House town of Remich on the south-east frontier was hit by a shell early to-day.

It did not explode but passed through a building, penetrated the roofs of two houses and fell in the market place,

An official enquiry is being held.

SUN FO'S TALKS WITH

i.

in carrying out large-scale attacks, says the Berlin correspondent of the "Dagbladet." CHURCHILL

Air force officials claim that German reconnaissance planes have obtained

THE OKTIABILSKAYA-REVOLUTIA

Ragtime Navy Loses Its Biggest Battleship

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH" LONDON, Dec. 20 (UP)-According to an "Ex- change Telegraph" report from Helsingfors, Russia's rag-time navy has lost one of the only, three battleships it possesses.

CHUNGKING, Dec. 20 (Reu- comprehensive aerial photo-terInteresting details of the graphs both of Britain and interviews which the President France.

of the Legislative Yuan, Mr. Sun Fo, had with Mr. Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the

Attack On Nazi Base SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

LONDON, Dec. 19 (UP)-Reports British Admiralty, and Mr. from Copenhagen state that another

George, the veteran big air baille occurred to-day over a Lloyd German naval base on the northwest British politician, during his German coast.

COLUMBUS

AFIRE

IN MID-ATLANTIC

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 (Reuter). The 32,600-ton N.D.L. liner Columbus, third largest ship in the German mercantile marine she is exceeded in size only by the 51,700-ton Bremen and the 49,000-ton Europa-has

shared the fate of the Ad- miral Graf Spec.

The Columbus, intercepted by a British destroyer, was set afire in mid-Atlantic this morning by her crow.

She is still afloat, a mass of blazing fiames.

SNUB FOR GERMANY

Rumania Breaks Off

Vital Trade Talks

BUCHAREST, Dec. 19.)

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

WESTERN FRONT

2,000,000 Germans Massed

Nazis Concentrate 20 Divisions

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

PARIS, Dec. 19 (UP). The 214th French official war communique states:

"There was.

marked activity and contacts be tween the elements through- out the day."

NAZIS MÁSSING LONDON, Dec. 19 (UP). French communique to-day -Behind the brusque official is a story of heavy Nazi

concentrations.

According to the Special War Correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph," the German High Command has now massed bo- tween nineteen and twenty Ger- man corps along the Western Front.

Each corps numbers 10,000 men. American warships are at hand,;

There ready to sinks her by gunfire if she (Domel)-Germany's vital 3,500,000 Allied and German troops..

arc now approximately becomes a danger to navigation.

trade talks with Rumania have fucing each other behind the Maginot .........400..._Of_Grow_Rescued.completely_broken down accord. und Siegfried Ines,

ing to well-informed quarters.

The negotiations, which once stalemate but resumed,

crew

have

progress

at

Lowlande Threatened According to the "Daily Tele- graph" correspondent, the Germans have massed their forces in the north, along the German frantlers with Belgium, Holland and Luxem- bourg.

Four hundred of the been rescued by the US.S. Tuscaloosa, which, in a radio report to the USS. before ended in Texas, says she is proceeding to New were Bubsequently Yorks with the survivors.

have been in An unidentified British destroyer is Bucharest for some months. If this report is correct it would By them, Germany hopes to obtain indicate new tension for the low- larger quantlites of Rumenian uilands, which last month was forced to declare a State of Stege and to precaution against Nazi invasion.

recent visit to Europe, are re-standing by the blazing liner.

At 11 o'clock ES.T., the Columbus Apparently the Royal Air Force vealed in an article published by was still burning fiercely her huge were again attempting to launch an the "Central Daily News," the cargo of petroleum sending the and wheat. attack on the island of Sylt.

Games and a cloud of black smoke At one stage recently it was re-food certain areas as 21 hundreds of yards into the sky. ported that a new agreement was There are no indications, says the within sight, but further complica- radio report from the U.S.S. Tuscations ensued, loosn, of any un-neutral act on the The failure of the negotiations Is attributed to the rejection by

However, neither Britain nor Ger- official organ of the Chinese many has announced any importaní | Government. action although a Heinkel bomber Mr Sun Fo is said to have de was reported over the North Shel-clared that when he was in London, he listened-in to onc of Mr.

lands.

An R.A.F. pursuit plane took 10 Churchill's broadcasts and was struck part of the British warship. the air in search of the raider, ap-by the identity of his views to the parently, without success.

statements made by General Chiang Kai-shek,

No air raid alarm was sounded.

Planes Over Shetlands LONDON, Dec. 19 (Reuter) German planes were reported off the Shetland Islands this after

noon.

battle.

p.m.

Appeasement Policy Criticised

He called the next day to see Mr. Churchill and told him his im- pressions.

The Columbus was set afire, either Rumunia of Germany's demands for by bomb or torch, just inside the 300-a 25 per cent. increase in Rumanian mile Neutral Zone set by the Declare exports to the Reich, tion of Panama.

But at no time did the Brliish war-- ship use her guns or attempt to half the big Nazi liner.

Relentless Pursuit Mr. Sun Fo told the "Central Daily News" that "Mr. Churchil in reply It appears that the destroyer inter- B.A.F. fighters went up to give aid that the purpose of Britain's war cepted the Columbus in the Gulf of with Germany was similar to China's Mexico, but made no attempt to halt war against Japan, both being for her, morely following in her trail with resistance against aggression."

tho evident intention of halting the Mr. Sun Fo said that both Mr.ship as soon as it left the 300-mils|

on criticised the Bellsh Government's

Nazis Admit Attack LONDON, Dec. 19 (Reuter).A German communique in Berlin claims: that the AF. made u raki on the monday, trying to reach the Trisian northwest coast of Germany Islands between 5.40 p.rn, and 8.40 In connection with the earlier raid shot that 12 Messerschmidts were down and seven RA.F. bombers hind not been accounted for, a full account cannot be made until the reports of the British pilots participating in the rald have been collated.

The 23,256-ton Oktiabrskaya-Revolutia (October Revolution) has been sunk by Finnish gunfire, the in which the Air Ministry announced message states.

The warship was sunk off Bjoerkoe..

There is no official confirma-

tion, but Bjoorkee reports tend

to confirm the claim, as some of

FLEES TO SAFETY

the crew of the Red battleship Another N.D.L. Liner

'have come ashoro in lifeboats.

Apparently, the Oktlabrsknya was attempting to paks the Bjoerkoe batteries without any Intention of firing upon them.

*range.

Intercepted

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

The Finns, however, opened fire as LAUDERDALE, Florida, Dec. noon na the warship camo within 20 (UP)—Another N.D.L. liner, the 2,400-ton Arucas, was inter- cepted by a British warship to day,

-The-Oktiabrskaya's simour was

ia no fit condition to withstand the heavy Flanish shells which inflicted -etch serious damage" that the abso-, Relo vunanlılgülche was first conceived In 1609 and was launched in 1911- chers soon completely out of action.

Best Of Poor Trio

The Oktlabrskaya-Revolutia was,

in Tenrist days, the Gangut. She is alzer ship to the Soviets only other

PLEASE Tym, To Pago 4.

Churchill and Mr. Lloyd George policy during recent years, saying that the present European situation was a result of the policy of appeasement.

250 Milliards For War

J

neutral zone.

The British destroyer dogged. the When the

Columbus to her doom. commander saw that it was hopeless to attempt to shuke off his pursuar The set fire to his ship.

The Columbus sailed froin Vera Cruz on Thursday will a full cargo of petroleum pil. Her clearance papers indicated that she was an Į route to Oslo,

With five decks and capable at carrying 1,000 passengers, the Columbus was a smaller "edition of

One of our bomber formations went Enormous Expenditure the Bremen, upon which she was

to attack enemy warships.

Fantastic Nazi Claims

The bombers found no warships but |

almost immediately were attacked by

wave on wave of enemy planes.

By Franco In 1940

alterned. She was a sister ship of the old Columbus, which was seized In the Great War and became the. White Star Hiner Homeric.

579 Survivors

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH" PARIS, Dec. 19 (Router) - The Germans are still making ex- France expects to spend at least

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH" aggerated claims and, giving the 250 milliard francs on the

BERLIN, Dec. 20 (UP)—Ân au- figures of their own "amazing suc-Military. War Bill next year, it thoritative source states that the cesses," they claim to have brought was revealed by the Finance Columbus was -scuttled between down more British planes than took Minister, M. Roynaud, in a res

three and four hundred miles cast part in the rald.

port to the Chamber Financo of Cope Henry. Commission to-day.

picked

Four Airman Rescued LONDON, Dee. 19 (Reuter),—Four British almen, who are believed to I have taken part in Monday's big uir She escaped by entering raid battle, have been picked up at American territorini-limits. sea in a collapsible boat.

Subsequently, when it became East Coast port.

A Naval trawler landed them at an evident that the British warship

Towns Not Bombed would trail her until she left the LONDON, Dec. 20 (Reuter).----Ar 800-mile neutrality limit, the hainistry announces that the German Arucas turned back and put into News Artney report that British or

craft yesterday bombed towns in the PLEASE Turn To Pago 4."

island of Byls, is ̈äntirely false,

The chief war. credits for the first quarter of 1040 are:

War Ministry, 22 inilliard franes; Armaments, 13 milliával franes; Navy, 8% millard franes; Alr, 12 milllard franès. Much larger credits are contem- plated..

OSAKA, Dec. 20 (Daniel)The Osaka-Shosen Kaishin has declared dividend of 8 per cent, for the cur-

rent term,

The U.S.S. Tuscaloosa has up 679 survivors. All the crew and officers appear to have been saved,

In Washington, US Navy head- quarters states that the ship was set afre by its crew in Latitude 38.1 north, Longitude 65.41, west, or 420 miles south of New York.

.

A broadoost warning has been sent" to ships warning that the Columbus and 22 of her lifeboats are still afloat and are a menace to naviga tien.

Before leaving the ship, the com-

PLEASE Turn To Pago 4.

Owing to the Impregnablo nature of the Blaginot Line, it is believed that any German offensive against France could coin via either Switzerland or the Lowlands,

Due to weather conditions In Switzerland, it is hardly likely that Germany claimed that Rumania's vast exports to Czecho-Slovakia beny attempt will be made to flank the Maginot Line from the south, at fure the absorption of that country least until after winter. should be added to the quota for the Greater Relch.

Germany Invaded France in 1814 The German demand, It is under-through violating the neutrality of stood, was rejected at the last Belgium and Luxembourg.

A message yesterday stated that minute, when all other arrange- meals for a new treaty had been certain precautions had been adopted

jin Luxembourg. concluded,

You May Not

Know

That only one-tenth of the Ru- capital invested in mania's oil is: Rumanian. Nearly half is Anglo-Dutch. Control of oil exports is, however, exercised by the Rumanian Government,

Last year exports totalled 4,503,431 metric tons, of which Germany, took 705,732. This was about one-tenth of Germany's total imports of oil.

It is estimated that in seven years the known re- serves of Rumanian oil will be exhausted. Under the trade agreement of last March Germany acquired prospecting rights,

Before the war most of Germany's oil imports from Rumania were brought by sea-through the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Now they are brought by rall or up the Danube. Difficulties have been encountered with the supply of railway waggons and tankors.

LATEST

S'HAI LAD ABOARD GRAF SPEE

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH. SHANGHAI, Deo. 10 (UP)/ Archer Dixon, the 21-year-old son of Mr..C, D, Dixon, manager of the Tientsin brunch of Mackenzio #m Company has telegraphed to Shanghai from Montevideo revealing Uni", he was one of the Engilah prisoners aboard the Graf Spec.

WAS

77 English ship upon which he was employed as a cabin boy halted and sunk by the German raider. and he was taken prisoner.

Dixon was travelling from New Zealand to England. to join up. In the British Army.

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