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Hitler's Surprise Speech
Still Truculent, with Nothing New
Empire's Big Air Force Training
Scheme
London, October 12.
"if others choose war they can
have a war of life and death/' said
Herr Hitler, in a speech which, al-
though defiant, disclosed nothing un-
expected.
He said no Power in the world
could defeat Germany, crush her
militarily, or starve her economic-
ally; nothing could turn her aside
or prevent Germans from realising
their destiny.
He had shown his willingness for
peace; it his oifer were rejected Ger-
many would take up the challenge
and'fight to a finish.
Fate had compelled Germany to
take up arms and fight for the safety
of the Reich.
Poland's impudence in believing
she could imperil German interests
was crushed in à few weeks, thanks
to military achievement unique in
world history/
They did not know what the future
had in storey but in no circumstances
would the world see Germany capitu-
late. , , ¡ y
Germany had no reason whatever
for war with her Western opponents,
who started it for ridiculous reasons.
The fact that the Fench are fight-
ing on German soil is a blow to Nazi
pride, says a report from Paris,
which states Herr Hitler is under-
stood to have ordered that they must
be driven out to salve the hurt.
The millions of men who aire now
facing each- other are ready; the
Germans to attack and wrest back
their territory, the French to hold
their gains and consolidate them.
If the expected big push material-
ises the Germans will face stern. re-
sistance, for the French have con-
structed a series of miniature Magin-
ot lines as they advanced. /
If the Germans succeeded in re-
gaining the lost territory they then
will be faced by the fortress of
Thionville on the Moselle in France,
22 miles north of Metz.
The French estimate that to capture
this fortress it would cost the Ger-
mans a million lives. It is thought
the Germans, in the event of their
push succeeding, might seek to avoid
Thionville by violating the neutra-
lity of Luxembourg, but France is
prepared for this and all other con-
tingencies.
A communique from Paris states
- the weather on the Western front
is deteriorating rapidly.
Desperate German attempts to
take prisoners to obtain information
about the dispositions of French and
British troops have failed, the raid-
ing parties being repulsed.
Whilst the British Admiralty re-
ports no British ship was hit or
damaged by enemy bombs in an en-
gagement with aircraft off the west
coast of Norway early this week, a
Berlin High Command message
claims two bombs hit a British
warship.
The enemy casualties are unknown
but reports from neutral countries
indicate several planes failed to re-
turn to Germany.
Two had forced landings in Den-
mark and another in Norway.
Ominous military preparations are
proceeding on both sides of Finland's
border.
A Russian battle fleet is concen-
trated off Kronstadt, and hundreds of
thousands of troops are massed near
the frontier.
Vowing they will not bow to a for-
eign tyrant, the Finns are preparing
to resist. They are evacuating civi-
lians from the capital, Helsinki, and
other towns on the Gulf of Finland
coast. ! *
Negotiations are now proceeding
between Finnish envoys and Soviet
leaders. ^\ÛàLë
The latter's demands have not
been made public. . Manwhile, the
Russians are pouring planes and
troops into the newly-acquired bases
in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania,
which yielded peacefully to the So-
viet's terms during the recent ne-
gotiations.
It is generally recognised the
Moscow discussions present a prob-
lem, not only for Finland, but for all
northern countries, None can ex-
pect assistance from tile Great
Powers.
Germany has indicated she is com-
pletely disinterested in the new rela-
tions between Russia and the Baltic
States.
England is occupied by a war with
Germany, and the United States is
too far away;
Finland has taken military mea-
sures to maintain its integrity dur-
ing thc Moscow negotiations.
The Swedish steamer Victula was
sunk in the North Sea by a German
submarine.
The Oslo Powers have protested^io
Germany against the sinking of neu-
tral ships.
A terrific explosion occurred on
the Brocklebank steamer Marawarri.
7800 tons, near the Welsh coast
Five members of the crew were in-
jured. The ship was disabled and
towed to port.
Melbourne, October 12.
The Prime Minister (Mr. Men-
zies) announced that the British,
Australian, Canadian and New Zea-
land Governments had agreed in
principle upon a great and compre-
hensive scheme for training on a co-
operative basis, many thousands of
air pilots, observers, and gunners for
war service.
The plan would be associated,
wherever possible, with the expan-
sion and production of aircraft.
The Minister for Civil Aviation
(Mr. Fairbairn) would represent
Australia at a conference of air mis-
sions from Britain, Australia and
New Zealand in Canada to discuss
details of the scheme.
Mr. Menzies said training schools
would be established and maintained
in Australia, Canada, and New Zea-
land, but more comprehensive tech-
nical facilities required for ad-
vanced training would in the main be
centred in Canada.
London, October 12.
Reports from the Western front
state that the Germans are still send-
ing out large patrols in the hope of
taking prisoners and thus obtaining
information, but so far they seem to
have been completely unsuccessful.
A French communique says activity
by enemy patrols between Moselle
and the Saar continues to grow
stronger. There was artillery action
on both sides in the same region.
Some German patrols got near the
French line, but were repulsed by
machine gun fire and hand grenades.
Some of the patrols were 150 strong,
and on one occasion 30 men were
lost from a single patrol.
Paris reports that for the first time
German reconnaissance aircraft flew
over the French line, apparently to
take photographs.
It is believed that the Germans
are preparing for a big offensive.
A German fighting machine which
was forced .down behind the French
lines was captured and it has been
closely examined by military experts.
They say its four machine guns
are inferior to the eight machine
guns of the British fighter planes.
The encounters between French
and German tanks in East Moselle
have shown that while the French
tanks are more difficult to stop by
shell fire, they are slower than the
German units.
The attack by a German squadron
on British cruisers in the North Sea
is now 'learned to have lasted five
hours.
According to the Admiralty, loo
bombs were dropped and one landed
near enough to throw a few splinters
on a cruiser, but the others fell wide
of their mark, some a mile away.
The attack was as prolonged as it
was unsuccessful. No ship was dam-
aged and there were no casualties.
The Finnish delegation to Russia
arrived in Moscow this morning and
discussions are expected to begin to-
morrow.
The evacuation of women and
children from large Finnish towns
is continuing. AH schools are closed.
Divisions of Soviet troops and a
large number of tanks have been
moved to the Finnish frontier.
The Soviet advance in the Baltic
has created great - anxiety in Norway
and Sweden. They now recognise
that they lay in the danger zone.
The Latvian Government has rati-
fied the Russo-Latvian military alli-
ance. Soviet forces are said to have
withdrawn from the Latvian fron-
tier..
The Lithuanian, military pact with
the Soviet is believed, in Moscow, to
have closed the iron ring of defence
in the near Baltic.
The march of soviet «troops into
the garrison and air bases conceded
to Russia has been postponed.
Recruiting has begun in Jerusalem
amongst Palestine nations for a force
of 2000. They will be liable for ser-
vice in any garrison or theatre of
war.
The American Federation of Lab-
our to-day reaffirmed its boycott of
German goods and extended it to
Russia.
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