The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-12-21
Much Activity On High Seas;
Allies Give Aid To Finland

taken the spotlight in European
war this week, as Germans have
continued to sing British ships
and have destroyed two of their
own to keep the British from do.
ing so; while Finland is being
given the support of the allied
nations in their combat against
Washington, Dec. 19.-The huge
German luxury liner Columbus
reported to have been scuttled tc
thwart British man-of-wal
which was hot on her wake, was
aflame and sinking tonight in the
Atlantic while an American ma.
val cruiser performed a drama
tic rescue of her entire crew OF
SIG.
The 32,381-ton liner, the third
largest in the German merchant
marine, had slipped out of Vera
Cruz, Mexico, last Thursday in q
desperate attempt to elude the
British fleet and possibly reach
Europe-but her gamble failed.
First word of her grim end
came from the United States
cruiser Tuscaloosa, which flash
ed that she was being scuttled
about 400 miles east Of Cape Hen
ry, Va. A British destroyer was
in the vicinity, the Tuscaloosa
reported, but there were no signs
that any hostilities had occurred.
Buenos Aires, Dec. 19.-The in
ternment of 1,039 nazi officers
and men from the sunken Ger
man raider Admiral Graf Spec,
some of whom will be sent to
Argentina's land-locked provin-
ces far from the sea, was order
ed tonight by Pres. Robert M.
Ortiz.
The presidential decree declar-
ed that Germany would bear the
cost of the internment, which
presumably will be for the dura-
ton of the war.
Capt. Hans Langsdorff, of the
Graf Spec, and his men came to
Buenos Aires after the captain
blew up his ship outside Monte
video harbor Sunday night on
the personal order of Adolf Hit
Ter. The Graf Spec was forced
into Montevideo after a long sea
fight with three British cruisers
last week.
Trade winds still played with
smoke spiraling from the wreck
age of the Graf Spec in the Plate
River. Uruguayan officials said
the fire in the hull of the Graf
Spec would continue to burn a
day or two longer.
London, Dec. 19.-Aerial tor
pedoes made their appearance
today in an offensive against
British shipping which sent two
fishing trawlers and four other
ships-including three neutrals-
to the bottom.
Bombing and machine gun at
tacks on six other fishing trawl-
ers by German planes brought a
new problem for Britain's naval
strategists because England sup
plements her meat imports with
Seafood.
Paris, Dec. 19.-The allied SUI
preme war council was reported
today to have decided to give to
Finland all the moral and MA
terial support possible without
weakening the western front
with Germany.
The possibility of giving effec-
tive aid to the Firms in their
stubborn defense against invad-
ing Russias was understood to
have been the main topic dis
cussed at a three-hour meeting,
attended by Prime Minister
Chamberlain and Premier Dala-
der and their highest assistants,
including diplomats as we'll as
war experts.
A communique issue after the
meeting had ended and the Bri-
fish had started for home said
the council "ordered necessary
measures to reinforce the means
of action which the FTanco-Bri-
fish collaboration has at it's dis
posal in the diplomatic field as
we'll as the military.