31 Jul 1940
Page 1
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Newspaper
Canberra Times
Location
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Date
Jul 31, 1940
Page
1
Unclear OCR reads scattered fragments including numbers and names like Minaie Friedman. Mentions music and dates but information is incomplete. No coherent event or outcome is identifiable from the legible text.
A Daily Telegraph report from Madrid and London notes Portuguese and Spanish tensions as Salazar offers aid to Franco in exchange for a Spain for Spain stance. It cites German troop shifts to the Biscay border, a canceled San Sebastian parade, and a new Spain Portugal friendship pact seen as conflicting with the Anglo Portuguese alliance.
RAF bombers raid northern and western Germany targeting oil depots docks and goods yards. Seventeen aerodromes in Germany Holland Belgium and northern France attacked. Coastal Command aircraft hit Cherbourg oil tanks starting fires. One daylight attack hit Leeuwarden aerodrome in Holland. Several enemy aircraft on the ground damaged and one destroyed. All Coastal Command and Bomber Command crews returned safely.
A British communique describes light armoured car patrols penetrating behind enemy lines in the western desert before heavy Italian air attacks. Casualties to men and vehicles are reported. In Kenya a RAF operation targeted troops and camel transports near Moyale, with a South African contingent arriving. British leadership vows eventual triumph with Allied help. The Leatta alarm marked multiple enemy air incursions, anti aircraft guns engaging. Italian bombers attacked shipping at Aden and Kurmuk forces advanced in the Eastern Mediterranean.
New York reports Britain has purchased the ship Guba once a world finisher. It is expected to make semi weekly trips to England carrying three tons of aluminium each voyage, linking to wartime industrial efforts.
Bucharest announces Romania favors talks with Bulgaria and Hungary on peace in Southeast Europe. Germany reportedly gives Romania until September 15 to address Bulgarian and Hungarian claims, else a settlement will be imposed. Romanian and Bulgarian leaders express optimism about Salzburg meetings and future discussions.
An official British note states that renewal of Anglo Romanian ties is contingent on resolving issues with the Romanian government. The statement signals ongoing strain and delays in diplomacy between London and Bucharest.
Major General A. R. Austin addresses Palestine and Trans-Jordan forces, urging patience as they defend England from invasion and promising each unit a future chance to strike Germany if the axis fails. He highlights the hope of turning eastward and emphasizes the contribution of their service to the broader war effort.
British air defenses claim a sharp Dover raid repelled with 20 German aircraft shot down. RAF fighters trapped raiders, damaging or downing planes while British forces reported fighter superiority. Fourteen Welsh raids caused no casualties as German losses mount in this theater.
Selrut correspondent reports France will not demobilize more classes retooling the army in mandate territories. General Weygand’s command dissolved. army now called the French Army in the Levant. General Fougere vows to resist invasion and concentrates forces at the frontier and coast watch.
The Vichy government in France has decreed the death penalty for all French volunteers serving abroad. The announcement appeared in Monday reports from Vichy detailing the harsh new measure amid wartime actions.
Official forest office statement cites rising foreign espionage activity in the country and prosecutors’ charges. The report notes arrests of foreigners as part of a broader espionage network spanning the area, tied to wartime security concerns.
Across Hong Kong and Shanghai reports detail China’s rejection of five provincial cessions and a proposed Wang Ching-wei government, while Japan faces U.S. licensing claims and ongoing port closures. Guerillas clash near Swabue and Chennai as tension grows.
American radio commentator C. D. Alcott told the United States Consul that Nathan Rapinovitch, a Russian born Japanese operative, demanded the cessation of American radio broadcasts. Authorities consider the threat serious, as Alcott is among six prominent Americans ordered deported by the Chinese government.
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