Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
The Weather
¦unday:  Cloudy, cooler, •now flurries. Monday: Cloudy, rain or anow.
35TH YEAR, NO. ft-52 PAGES
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1940
PRICE TEN CENTS
THREATEN INVASION OF ITALY
k
British Battleship Steaming in Chase of Nazi Raider U.S. Navy Asks $300,000,000 tor Aircraft Defense
Knox Wants Our Ships to Lead World
^ Swiss Mobilize for a Better Cause
Anxious to Use Lessons Learned In Present War
PLANS ARE MADE
Secret Changes Would Add Power To American Ships
Washington, Dec, 7, (UPi Secre¬ tary of Navy Frank Knox today j ajiked Congreaa for $.'!no,00n,000 to five U, S, warahipa anti-aircraft de¬ fenses more than aufficient for their normal protection. j
In making his request, Knox ex¬ plained that the defenaea to be in- | atalled are arret but that lhey have been teated in the war at aea be¬ tween Great Britain, Italy and Ger¬ many. I
Thesa improvementa are in addi- 1 lion to present anti-aircraft de¬ fen.ses now on American warships which Admiral Harold R, Stark, chief of naval operations, conaiders "good," I
The propoacd alterationa. Ad- | miral Slark explained in a atate- ment iaaued after Knnx'a requeat had been revealed, are "designed to have our ahlpa not only abreast of requirements but ahesd of them," .Stark disclosed that a board hesded
s
1'
1
^¦¦¦-¦.>^^^M
0^^Z»^^
i
1
¦J  If
1 m
f . m
W' " '-¦ •¦/"'"¦'¦/¦
¦r V z^^.
1
1
f     ¦
t
f    - -
i        ¦
i2s. ....¦¦   ,:     \
mm mwm^'T-"r   ^^h
llf^^lMII
:                    ?^'W^%^^^
'^ffl
HV ^^H^^^H^^f*   s^
^^H^^B^!^^^^
wmimh
b .
\                   ¦^ *
l"^***!
^_
1   '
<   .. .-
^^^^B^^
t ''A^'^Hk..
\^H. A
im
LABOR, INDUSIRY TOLD 10 REALIZE
RAF Raids on Germans Give Britain Quiet Day
End of Bickering Asked by Patterson; Presents Problems
Pound Bases Used by Nazis To Launch Attacks
Boston. Mass,, Dec, 7. (UP)- Assislant Secretary of War Robert P, Patterson said tonight that in- by Rear Admiral E, ,1, King hid duslry and labor must nol bicker recommended the new project in If the nation is to rearm in time Ihe lighl of le.ssons learned in the   to   properly   defend   itself.
rurreni sea engagements. Reeult n( M ar .Study
Knox described the improvements
Speaking before the Harvard Alumni Association, Patterson said that the greatest disaster for America   would   be   not   to  awaken
By KDWARD W. BEATTIK .IR.
L,ondon iSundayi, Dec, g, (UP) A smashing Royal Air Force aa- aault upon Ih German air bases within easy striking distance of Britlah rities waa credited eajly today with causing a atrange calm over all Britain, wilhout report of a aingle bursting Nazi bomb, de¬ spite   fine   weather.
For the firsl lime in months London wenl throughoul Saturday without once hearing the shriek of air alarm sirens and the calm continued   early  today.
From every part of Britain came
aa "major" and he added thai  the   )„   time   to  the   serioii.sne.ss   of  the   '^f'I">"»   °'     »"   ''»""•
program was adopted after careful study of reports from abroad. II waa not known whelher these re¬ ports Included details of the Rritish raid on the llalian fleet at Taranto.    The  Italians  admit  that i
nation's   position   in   the   world   of loday,
"The   achievement   requires   only that  we  go  aboul  it  as  men  who realize   Ihe   gravity   of   the   threai .,_... . ,, . , presented bv the dictators and who
the   British  scored  a  direct hit on   j,^^,^ ,^0 resolution to go the limit .   battleship  and  the  British  claim   j^^   ^^,^^^  j, ,.   paue^^on  aaid, hat this ship was destroyed, ».    „.        .    ,.
.„.,_ ,     . ,    No Time to Uuarrel
The    purpose    of    the    proposed       „j,„ sensible men  in such a pre- egislaiion   is   to   authorize   major
London's millions were wary however, and many slept in shel¬ ters or crowded subway stations. Breaking up New Blitz
The wide-ranging RAF attack on the l.'i airdromes Friday night, in France and the Low Countries in¬ cluding the Paris region, appeared on the basis of air ministry ac¬ counts to have been designed to break  the   force  of the Luftwaffe'
mnrovernenl.    n   U^^p   antT«ir^.r»       'l'^""'^"'   ""I'   P""d"''ti""   because   „,,,. ..bm,.. technique at ils source mprovements   in   the   anti-aircrafl ; „, „  „,,.,.,.i „v.r «•!.»..¦' no thev ...     _._
.lafenses to combstant improve¬ ments in the anti-aircraft defenses »f combalAnl vessels," Knox ad¬ vised Congress, "Information on developments hi the Kuropean war, augmented by experience obtained during our own fleet maneuvera, haa conclusively indicated the necessity of improving the means by which our combatant vessels may oppose aircraft attacks,
DeUlla Worked out
"The rhanges necessary have heen worked out in aufficient delail to make definite reconimen»lationa and It ia estimated that the cost will approximate .$300,000,000.
"The     supporting     data,     being
of a quarrel over wages? Do lhey resist priorities urgently required by the needs of the army on the plea lhat some competing civilian activity of Iheir own might have a trifling value for national defense? Do they hold back from vigorous effort because they are not aure what the effeci may be on their business afler lhe time of atreas may have passed,
"No-not if lhey appreciate the gravity of the situalion. Failure lo appreciate that gravity is the only thing we have to worry about. The greatest evil that ran befall ua is nol to awaken in time to the crit¬ ical seriousness of our position and to the tremendous magnitude of the
And We Thought It Was the Nazis
Rome, Dec, 7. (UP)—Benito Mussolini's Milan* newspaper Popolo d'ltalia claimed today that an entire fleet of Italian submarines is operating al present in 'lhe Atlantic Ocean and assert¬ ed that it had sunk 112,000 tons of British shipping since Italy's entry  into  the  war.
The newspaper said thia ton¬ nage represented 12 British ships sunk since August, when the flrsl Italian action in the Atlantic occurred.
Popolo d'ltalia listed the fol¬ lowing dates and ships sunk:
Aug. 18, 9,000-ton tanker; Aug, 26, large tanker; Sept, 8, a war¬ ship; Sept, 12, a 17,000-ton tanker and a 10,0(X)-lon steamer; Sept, 13, a 10,000-ton tanker and an 8,000-ton steamer; Dec, 18, 5,800- ton steamer; Nov, 6, total of 24,000 tons; Nov. 16, a destroyer and a 10,000-ton steamer; Dec, 3, a destroyer.
¦PLANNING TO SENO
The  air bases  attacked  by RAF bombers are tho.se used by the Ger- i mAna  in   launching  their mass  at¬ tacks  on   individual  Brilish  Indus- i trial centers such as Coventry, Bir- ! mingham, Southampton and Bristol,
In addition to last night's RAF attacks on the German air bases, it was pointed oul that the cumula¬ tive effect of seversl days of rain may have waterlogged the airfields rustomaril,v used by the T^iiftwaffe and prevented the take-off of Ger¬ man night bomheis. British Know the delda
British airmen are thoroughly familiar with these bases and oper¬ ating      conditions      in      Northern
E
Hurry Survey of Available Material; Spain Wants Aid
effor' we are making. Lel it noi he   Franre, since  lhey operated  Ihem-
By SANDOR S. KLEIN
Washington, Dec, 7,  (UP)    War weapons
planes     and     other
largely of a confidential nature, the g,,^ „f „,   .t„o yaUe and loo Iste'," ,splves from  the same  area all  last   .scheduled     to     begin     moving
.Navy  Departrnenl  prefers  to  pre- p„ttPrson    described    the    huge winter. They learned then that the  Greece aoon in fulfillment of P
sent   It   to   the   Congrejis   at   auch i,,,,  „f   increasing  an  army   from "elds of Northern France are poor-, dent Roosevelt's forthright pro
Ti*j"     .    PJ""'""'*''   '""  ¦"">¦  " 170,000   to   1,400,000   men   wilhin   a ly adapted lo constant winter use   of ,i(j ^^ nations resisting agt
called up for hearings," y,,,,  ^^^ furnishing modern equip-   by big planes because of rain, fog,   g^rs.
The House and Senate naval af-   ment  surh  as tanks, guna and 28-   anow    and    alternate    fhawa    and faira   committee   are   expected   lo   ton bombers. i freezes.
are
g    to
Presi-
mise
reaisting aggrea-
take   up   thia   requeat   immediately   Weapons Take Longer
after    tha    new    Congress    meets,      "It   takea   longer   to   forge
Jan, 3, ' (Continued   on   Page  A-R)
Shortly  afler  the  Stale   Depart¬ ment  revealed  Mr,  Roo.sevelta  as-
the
RAF Classes American Planes 'Among Finest' Says Army Heads
Washington,   Dec.   7   (UP)—The   air   corps,   and   now   commanding   ^gp^ i.vtr department  aaid  tonight  that ' general of tha southeast air district.
Yount's    "informal   report,      the
By knocking out these bases, the ,urance   of  aid  to  King George   II
RAF would go a long way toward | of Greece, it became known tonight
equalizing   bombing   odds   between that Philip Young, assistant lo Sec-
Brila n  and German>'^  Up  to  now retary of the Treasury Henrv Mor-
thc   Luftwaffe   has   been   able   to genthau jr„ was completing'a aur-
operate from dose-in bases against vey   of   available   material   which
Britain, carrying many bombs and would be senl to the Geerks small  quantities  of gasoline,  while       Greek    oflficials    have    informed
he British have had to carry heavy ,his  government  that,  mo.st  of  all
loads of gasoline and fewer bomba airplanes    are    needed    quicklv    If
for the long flight to Germany and General   Meta.xas'   troops   continue
their  advantages  against  the  Ital-
The attacks last night continued ian   attack   from   Albania.
the    Royal    Air    Force    conaidera   ^^.^^  Department said, stated  that ' f*"" *''''^' hours and reporta reach- '     Membera of the British purchas-
American warplanes aa "among the   older types of Anierican  warplanes '"*¦ "'"¦ '''''<''»•'' ""i'l that they were j ing  mission   have   been   in   confer-
flnaat' in the world.                              "cannot  be   compared   in  effective- 'l'«^''¦   "'"'''''"f)''-    I"   some   cases ! ence  recently  with  representatives
The statement was issued in the   ne.ss  wilh  modern   British   or Ger- ?'''""'\ fJ'""  ''""  *"  "''"^'", l^"^   "'  *he Greek  legation  here and  it
.JTa    of    published    reports    that >an  machines"  but that the  later '"'  "' ."''  """"".r  *"""•. raking   was   suggested   that   arrangements Aw^rican  planes,  bought by Great ; 'VPe-'' f"]fi" »" requirements. Britain, were ao deficient In speed,   f"Ult* Corrected
armament,    gun-power,    and    self-      "Action    to    correct    the.se    de- u b    i   i
sealing   gasoline   tanks   that   lhey   ficiences which became apparent as The    attack     hit    al    Dunkirk,   »f"i»n l^eeK i>o«n
were fit only for training purposes.   "^* result of actual combat was be- Calais   and   Boulogne   as   well   aa       Meanwhile,   in   the   seclu.sion   of
gun in Febuary, 1940. and American the airdromes.   Two British planes   the   walled    British   embassy.   Sir
I the   airdromes  with   machine   gun : were   being   made   to   give   Greece fire, j flrat  call  on   some  armaments   be-
Attaeked  ",Many Timea"
ing   produced   for   Britain.
New Battle Expected in South Seas
Predicts Warspite Soon Will Catch Pocket Battleship
MAY BE SCHEER
British Ship Shows Damage from Combat; In Montevideo Harbor
Creeks Hope fo Use Porfo Edda For 'Offensive'
More Fascist Officers Captured As Troops Occupy Del vino; Still Driving IS orth Along Coast; Sifting Through Mountain to Flank Italian Positions on Central Front And Draw Near Main Base at Elbasan
IL DUCE TAKING
French war wounded passing i quered homeland are fed and | women are ambulance drivers, through Switzerland from Ger- comforted by Swiss women at i who are being drilled In march- man  prison  campa  to  their  con-      railway    stations.    Among    .such   !   ing at mobilization  point.
By RICARDO ALVARRZ
Montevideo, Dec, 7, (UP) The British legation, in a statement Is¬ sued from the shell-battered decks of the British auxiliary cruiser, Carnarvon Castle, tonight predicted the apeedy end of a German high seaa raider which the dreadnaught Warspite reportedly is hunting In the northern reaches of the Soulh Atlantic.
The Carnarvon Castle received • total of 22 shell hits in the aea battle which lasted an hour and 12 minutes, beginning al 8:05 p, m, Thursday, The Nazi raider also fired two torpedoes at her, it was said.
In addition to the Warspite, the 7,,''i80-ton British cruiser Enterprise with her aeven 6-inch guna, recon¬ naissance plane and 16 torpedo tubes also was reporled searching for the raider.
The 20,122-ton Carnarvon Castle, a converted passenger liner, steam¬ ed into Montevideo harbor tonighl after a long-range encounter wilh the German raider Wednesday, The action was reported to have oc¬ curred ahout 700 miles northeast of Montevideo on the outsliirts of the Western Hemisphere neutrality zone.
The 30,600-ton Warspite was re¬ ported by the Uruguayan cruiser, Uruguay, to be steaming norlh under forced draft, presumably in search of the raider.   Some reports
OF GREEKWAR
Blitz Specialists Put in Charge for New Campaign
By REYNOLDS PACKARD
Rome, Dec. 7, (UPt Benito Mus¬ solini was reported tonight to have assumed personal charge of plans for a counter-thrust against Greece after re-shuffling lop Fascist com¬ manders to place blilzkrieg special¬ ists in key posLs.
II Duce conferred at length dur¬ ing lhe day with Gen, Ettore Bas- tico, who a few hours earlier as¬ sumed the governor.ship of the strategic Dodecanese Islands from Mus.solini's veteran companion of Blackshirt day.s, Ce.sare Maria de Vecchi, and with Gen, Ugo Caval- lero, who yesterday replaced .Mar¬ shal Pietro Dadoglio a.s commander of all Italian armed forces.
It waa believed here that Caval- lero and Bastico would have i^e.v roles   in   the   campaign   which   II
B.V BKN AMKS
Athen,s, Dec. S (Sunda.v) (IT)—A Greek war communique toda.v announced occupation of Delvino, 10 miles northeast )f Poito Edda, and repoited successful local engagements alonjf the entiie fiont. while Greek s^pokesmen talked of invading Ital.v with British aid.
A war mini.str.v communique said:
"Local successful fixhting occurred at various places alonjt the entile front. We captured .<»ome prisoners, including a number of officers. We occupied Delvino."
The ministry of public .securit.v reported in a communique:
"Yesterda.v the enem.v carried out a few air raiiis in the Interior of the Ionian Islands and two Epirus villages were bombed, but without casualties or damage." Rear Guard Trapped
The fall ^f Delvino had heen expected, frontier reports indicated last night that Greek ti'oop,s had trapped Italian rear guaid forces and laid siege to Delvino and Arg.vro- kastron.
(Jreek troops were said to have taken positions on all siiies
of Aig.vrokastroii from which, it was believed, most Italian
troops have been evacuated. .M the same time, Greek troops
I were moving in heavil.v in the region between Porto Edda
and Arg.vrokasti'on, cleaning up small Italian units which
became isolated from the main Italian retreat.
I    Jubilant (^reek spokesmen mentionrd utilizing the fallen
Italian seaport of Porto Edda as a hopping-off point for an
attack on southern Ital.v.
i     (In London, however, it was .^aid tliat Porto Edda was
poorly located and equipped for any
Duce   Is  preparing   against Greece, here said the Nazi warship wai the , Called Blili Siieclalists pocket   battleship,  Admiral   Scheer, I     Both Cavallero and Bastico were but  there was  no •confirmalion  of , described   here   as   blitzkrieg   spe-
such operation. II  was said nol to have     facilities     for     basing     any number  of  ships   and   to   be   wide open  lo attack  from  the air.) Surrender F.Jii»ected
it   was   believed   here   that   the Italians   still   in   Delvino   would   be
Map   of   Greek   advance   will be  found  on  Page  B-4.
Italy since that time.   The Greeks were  estimated  to  be  using  about
this report,
Shoota Mke BaMleshlp
Uruguayan naval experts said that the shell holes in the Car¬ narvon Castle's hull and super¬ structure indicated that the Ger¬ man raider was not an auxiliary cruiser such as an armed mer¬ chantman but a warship.
Few merchant vessels, they aaid, carry guna of such caliber aa to produce the hits the Carnarvon Castle auatained, i
They    aaid    they    considered    It likely   that   the   Carnarv'on   Castle had   been   attacked   by   a   pockei battleship   auch   aa   the    Admiral | Scheer, |
Officers of Carnarvon Caatle to- ' night asked permission of the Uru¬ guayan government to remain 48 houra In Montevideo harbor—the limit under Internalional law which the ship can remain without being interned.
The Carnarvon (%stle arrived with one funnel shTT away, its bridge wrecked, a collision plaster over its bow and other extensive evidence of tha hot fight she had ; waged.
It    said   the    Carnarvon   Castle fought at long range  for  an  hour and   a   half,   making   every   effort to   come   to   close   grips   with   the j raider  which  finally   got   away   at I high   apeed  under  a  smoke  creen, i
"The  German   ship  was  wilhout i doubt greatly damaged," the state¬ ment   aaid,   "and   it   is   probable   It , will be caught and destroyed very soon,
'The action lasted one hour and a half and began wilh a long chase at high speed during which the enemy attempted continually to break off action, disappearing finally    at   high    speed    under    a
cialists, men dedicated to 'the I theory of fast, smashing attacks, Bastico, in conininnd of the Dode¬ canese Islands base whicii lies be¬ lween the Turkish coasl and the new British-occupied base on the Greek Island of Crete was believed to occup.v an important position in the preparations for the new cam¬ paign againsl Greece,
The directorate of the Fascist parly mel and adopted a series of resolutions in this connection in what was expected to be a fore¬ runner of increased party activity throughoul Italy.
(Reporls from Turkey have stated that the Dodecanese Islands, virtiiall.v cut off from reinforce¬ ment and provi,sioning from the llalian mainland, are suffering severe food shortages, Greeks have indicated Ihcy may shortly organize an attack on the islands wilh their British allies. The British base at Crete lies athwart routes from Italy to the Dodeca¬ nese,)
The Rome annuoncement of thr shift was laconic. It said merely that Cesarc dc Vecchi, governor of the Dodecanese, had resigned at his own request and had been re¬ placed   by   Gen,   Ettore   Bastico.
However, it was said that the post was a most important onr since it envisaged command of all llalian forces in the Aegean Sea, which ia expected to become one of the most important sectors of Italo-British combat. Spanish War Hero
Bastico is an llalian hero of the Spanish   War,   where   he   led   the j Italian   troops   in   the   Sanlander | campaign.    He is 64 years old and was   the   firat   llalian    general    to
forced    to    surrender    unless    thry   -00,000 troops in the campaign  nut fought to the death,    Greek troops   "f.^'o'sln^obilizedjorce of^BOOOuO.
'rhe Royal Air Force added to Italian difficulties by blasting at the Albanian port of Valona, one of three harbors which remain in Italian    hands.      An    ammunition
cul all roads from the city which lies between Porto Edda and Argyrokastron,
Argyrokastron  was   described  a.s R   pillar   of   smoke   which   belched
high   into  the  clear  mountain   air. """^P ""O " "¦"''^•"" transport park
The   fires   were   started   by   Greek "«'¦« »*"' '° have been hit.
artillery   fire   and   fleeing   Italians u     ci      h.-
who attempted to burn their stores (rreefca t tanking
so they would not fall into Greek Italian  PositionB
hands, '
Other Greek detachments were ^^ I.*t)\ KAV driving up the old mule road along! Belgrade, Dec, 7, (UP)—Frontier the coast now being used by the reports tonight described Greek ad- Italians retreating from Porto Edda vance forces aa sifting through nar- northward toward Khimara, Many row mountain defiles, over craggy rear-guard actions were fought. peaks    and    down    rugged    w.iter
The   Greeks   reported    that   the courses   to   flank   Italian   positioni
Italians had abandoned their forti- on    the    central    front    and    draw
fied positions around Argyrokastron closer to F^lbasan   tiie main Italian without a fight,                                      I base   In   Central   Albania,   only   20
Italians Rush Ri-plHceinenU •"''*'    soiilh   of   Tirana,   Albania'!
Fresh   Italian   prisoners   brought eapital.
in  for questioning at Greek  head- These     reporls     indicated     that
quarters    were    reported    to    have Greek   troops   have   nol  yet   driven
said   they   were   flown   to   Albania Into   Central   Albania   in   sufBcient
in  airplane  troop  transports   with- force   to   threaten   the   main   lines
in   the   past   four   days   in   a   dea- of    Italian     defenses    along    the
peratp   effort   to  stiffen  the  crum- Shkumbi River,   However, at many
bling Italian  lines, points   along   the   entire   front  re-
Tlie number of troops masted in ports   were   received   of   increasinj
Albania  by Italy  Is now estimated numbers of Greek Evzones operat-
at   between   240,000   and   '250,000,   of ing on the flanks or to the rear o(
which belween 13 and 16 divisions Italian   positions   in   the  southwest
were on the ground before the war '^nd along the coast,
started   and    possibly   three    divi- On  the  northern  front,  a  Greek
sions have been brought over from (Continued  on  Page  B-4»
New German 'Yfesfwall' with Powerful Guns on Channel Coast
smoke screen. The damage to adopt shock troop tacUi-s Ihrough HMS Carnarvon Castle, altnougii use of a two-regiment division a very noticeable, ia mostly superfi- system whirh has been adopted re- cial  and  can easily  be repaired.     i cently   by   the   Italian   army.     He
"The  conduct of her  sailors  up- : tested   these   tactics   under   aciual held  the  highest  traditiona  of the   warfare conditiona during the San- Royal  Navy," i lander drive, 7 Believed Killed '     De Vecchi's retirement was a aur-
It was  reporled unofficially thai   Prine  because  of his  high  position Carnarvon     Castle     suffered   '"  fascist party councils.    He was
Tn Today't luut
auaifled A—U
Editorial    C—J
,MoTle8    B—•
Politics   C—S
Radin     K—ii
Sporta   _ B—I
Story    A—M
Social    A—IT
airplanes in the world," the depart- heavy clouds. Treasury Morgenthau, It will be ment said. At Chateau Dun, near Orleaii,-*, the second In a seriea of confer- The department said that it did i said the air ministry, bombs bural ences that may lead to aome form not consider il "in the intereat of across the hangars and runways in of financial aid to Britain, national def'ense" to reveal apeci-! several raids. At Melun many fires In a corollary move that may fications of new-type planes but ' aiarted and fragments of buildings give indirect aid to the British- thai il "feels that the public is en- were hurled in all directions by Greek allies, .Sec retary of .State titled to assurances" that both mill- bomh explosions. At Charlres, di- Cordell Hull revealed that this tary authorities and the aviatinn rerl hits were scored on hangars governmeni is considering a food industry are incorporating latest 1 and "a spertscular explosion fol-| credit tn Spain. .Such aid, said lo developmenta In new aircraft.                     IContinued on  Page  B-4) tContinued on Page B-4)
one of the four Fascist "Trium>'irs" who prepared for the Blackshirt march on Rome in 1922. The olhers were the late Marshal Italo Balbo, the  late  Michele  Bianchi,  one-time
(Continued  on   Page   B-4)
the
seven fatal casualties. The bodies of the Britsh seamen as well as some of the wounded and 22 Ger¬ man prisoners who had been taken
off   the   Brazilian    steamer    Hape . ,..,.. ^
earlier in the week were reporled "ecrelary-general of the parly, and lo have been transferred at sea this morning to the British steamers El Argenlino and Duquesa, which alip¬ ped out of harbor here about mid¬ night last night.
There were said to be 14 injured seamen aboard the Carnarvon Caa¬ tle,    The   wounded   men   wera   not landed since thev would have been (Continued on Page B-4)
Berlin, Sunday, Dec, g (UP)—A German "Serond Westwall'" of con¬ crete forts with giant guns capable of blasting English coastal cities, porls and shipping has risen along the .Nazi-conquered channel roast, informed quarters reported early today.
The new "Westwall" line of forta and guns, built in four months by lens of thousands of men working nighl and day, was described in (ierman press accounts as being "both offensive and defensive." .More  Powerful Utina
Ita guns, il was said, are far more powerful than the "Big Berthas" now planted along the channel coasts of France. Holland, Belgium  and Denmark,
In addition to the big guns of the new wall along the Nazi-held continental cnast, all placed on a level with the coastal dunes, the line includes a strong anti-aircraft gun girdle to proiect the bigger gun emplacements againsl British air attacks,  it waa said.
Deeper    Inland    are    alrdromsa
I from which Luftwaffe reconnai»> aance planes take off to acout th« enemy and report to German gun¬ ners the ranges of enemy ships ta the Channel, ports and citiea. Begun after Arraiatioe Mosl  of  the  work  on  the  gun*
' studded wall has been completed, it was said, and steam shovels have been moved back inland. Only enougii workers romain to "polisti off' the work, the presa said. The work on the line was begun,
I according to the Nazis, almost be*
' fore the ink waa dry on the armis¬ tice agreement between France and German.v fnd thousands of work¬ ers of tiie Todt organizalion began pouring concrete into the coastal sanda  behind  blinds  of atraar and
' cane.
Dinpalches from Euro¬ pean countriea are now aubject   to   cenaorahip.
v<
J