09 Dec 1939
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 16 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Canberra Times
Location
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Date
Dec 09, 1939
Page
1
Contorted report describes Finland pleading for aid as Britain and Russia press against German fronts. United States may supply planes to Finland amid European crisis. Sweden and Norway pledge sympathy and funds totaling 30,000 pounds for aid. Helsinki reports troop movements and Soviet blockade plans, while Denmark and Poland consider stepbacks to avert further conflict.
Berlin reports the German liner Lahn captured after leaving Sydney Harbour with a cargo seized by the American Supply Ministry. A Norwegian destroyer encountered a British torpedo incident near Une wast coast, injuring several crew members. Rescue efforts continue as officials identify the tanker Alledetcht 97 and other details remain unclear.
A British wartime broadcast quotes Mr. Menzies affirming Australia will not remain neutral and will join Britain in war. He asserts the empire’s unity, warns Germany, and stresses plans to bolster Allied effort with increased aircraft production and deployment.
Australia plans to train 20000 pilots for an Empire air armada and second them to the Royal Air Force while preserving their identity. Minister Fairbairn said Australia would form a national unit with its own uniforms and facilities, boosting bomber training capacity and double the striking power before war. Some trainees would go to Canada for Empire air cooperation, leveraging peacetime aircraft manufacture and aerodrome resources across the Commonwealth.
London reports three thousand Britons killed in road accidents since the war began, double the peacetime rate. If the trend continues for three years the death toll could reach 40,000, akin to an entire army corps.
A Bucharest dispatch reports Romania aims to settle its dispute with Bulgaria while fearing a Bulgarian Russian coalition against Romania. Romania seeks neighborly peace, with Britain France and Turkish forces seen as potential mediators to avert a broader Balkan conflict.
Amsterdam correspondent of the Daily Telegraph reports neutral warnings that Germany may deem invasion of Holland worthwhile despite Allied blockade. Germany is said to view passive neutrality by some counties as aiding the enemy and to have reports of movement toward central Holland, with Germans considering occupation strategies and counter-blockade effects.
Royal Air Force fighters drove off night raiders after clashing off the north-east coast and near Forth. A Dornier seaplane was damaged. one RAF plane failed to return, with reports of another German machine shot down and one enemy aircraft disappearing in clouds.
The record notes German assaults on French positions near Dunkirk and the Maginot frontier. French forces are strengthening coastal lines and pressing operations along the western front as patrols report ongoing activity and countermeasures against raids. The wording reflects wartime dispatches describing active engagements and command statements.
In London today the Dominian Secretary Mr Eden announced plans to increase recruitment for the Navy and Army. Aimed at strengthening defenses, the move is linked to changes in the Exchequer and a potential grant reduction.
A garbled World War II era dispatch notes transfers of German and Russian populations in Poland with figures stating about 100000 Germans, 600000 Ukrainians and others, amid displacement and upheaval.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir John Linton told Parliament the response to savings certificates and defence bonds remained gratifying. On Tuesday 13,250,000 certificates representing 10,000,000 pounds were applied for, and over 1,250,000 pounds of defence bonds were sold.
In Mexico City on Thursday M Leon Trotsky accepted Senator Dies agitation to testify before the Un American Activities Committee. He said he would fulfill a partial duty, but would confine his testimony to the history of Italy and would not discuss communism in Latin American terms.
The German consul general Walter Ragelberg was found battered to death in his bed in the Jewish section of Brooklyn yesterday. Authorities say his assassin likely held enmity from his official duties with the German secret service. Reports quote unnamed sources referencing Hoover.
A fragmented report notes discussions in the House of Commons and House of Lords about upcoming secret sessions. A defence regulation is planned for next weekend to prohibit disclosure that could affect the secret national deliberations.
Reported mishap in a convoy leads to casualties and evacuation. German radio notes an officer’s suggestion for discharging unvaccinated soldiers as the interior minister discusses production and military logistics. Debate centers on troop movements and fuel supply amid ongoing wartime strain.
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