The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-04-04
WAR BRIEFS

WAR BRIEFS
 Berlin, April 1. - (UP) - The high command asserted today that German airplanes in attacks in the North Sea yesterday severely dam aged a British destroyer, @ patrol boat and two merchantmen; that three patrol beats and merchant man were destroyed by fire which resulted from bombing and that one patrol boat and three mer- chantment were damaged by bombs.
 Two German planes made forced landings and their crews were saved, the communique said; one German plane is missing and one British plane was shot down.
 The German planes, coneinuing new intensified campaign against shipping in the North Sea, made at tacks between the northern North Sea area and the British east coast.
 It was asserted that the destroyer, patrol boat and two merchantmen severely damaged" totaled 1000 tons, that the three patrol boats and the merchantmen destroyed by fire" totaled 5000 tons, and that the patrol boat and three merchant men damaged" totaled 17,000 tons.
 Belgrade, April 4. - (UP) - An official source revealed today that fbo prificI eyNvorpo n, or,k Ioe -vvo 1.1, ad Jugoslav ships that they may be halted If they carry Bauxite to Trieste for Germany.
 It was understood here that Ger many was particularly eager to ob- tain Bauxite - the mineral from which aluminium is refined = through this route in order to pro- vide freight for the increased num- Der of German coal cars which are now in use bringing coal to Italy.
 The British, 1t was said, already have held up for more than two months at the Malta contraband station a supply of cotton destined for Jugoslavia. It also was under stood that the British had declined to supply Jugoslavia with tin cans. Since tin cans cannot now be ob- tained by Jugoslavia from Germany, the preserving industry is seriously handicapped. Dalmatian sardine canneries were reported to be suf- fering severely because of the lack of cans.
 Paris, April 4. - (UP) - The Polish information center alleged today that an epidemic, following famine and aided by lack of medi- cal supplies, was causing 250 deaths a day at Lwow in southeastern Poland and that infant mortality had reached 75 per cent.
 Lwow is in the Russian-occupied part of Poland.
 The Polish information center statement said:
 "Lwow, formerly a city of 350, ,00O inhabitants, and most prosperous has fallen into a state of decay and misery. Sanitary conditions are atrocious due to lack of medicines.
 Terror has been instituted, espe- cially in Ukrainia and White Ruth enia. Acute misery and famine have reached alarming proportions. ''
 The statement said that, in addi- tion to the deaths. Russian authori- ties were arresting 500 persons daily and deporting them to Russia in cattle trains. Hundreds of persons, is was alleged, were freezing to death in Sub-zero weather.
 London, April 4. - (UP) = The sinking of the British submarine Thetis last June with the loss of 99 lives was attributed today to a careless painter and neglect of cer- tain precautions.
 The report of the official inquiry into the disaster published today de- clared that persistent i'll fortune" had dogged the submarine which sank in Liverpool Bay. Only four of the 1o3 men aboard the craft were saved.
 Six causes were listed as con- tributing to the disaster, the most important of which was apparent carelessness by a painter whose poor paint job blocked test-cock.
 London, April 4. - (UP) = Bri- tain, replying to recent Japanese representations regarding British naval activity in the vicinity of Japan, has said that Britain in- tends to exercise its full legal rights as belligerent whenever necessary, though it is anxious to respect Japanese susceptibilities, 1t was made known today.