The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-26
BRITISH TROOPS
 STAND READY
Continued from Page D

Continued from Page D however, after a second bombless night in ignorance that the British and German air forces were observ- ing the truce.
 The truce, effected without nego- tiations of any sort, entered its third day at dawn. It was known to peo- pie all over the world-except in the British Isles and perhaps in Germany.
 A report from Washington that Germany had intimated that it would not bomb Britain during the Christmas period if British planes refrained from attacking Germany reached London too late Christmas Eve for the. afternoon papers. The British Broadcasting Company did not broadcast it, and as is cus- tomary in Britain the newspapers did not publish Christmas Day and are not publishing today. Today is also a holiday = Boxing Day..
 Neither Side Knew It
 The result was that while Britons knew that in their own localities there had been no bombings since dawn Christmas Eve, they had no way of knowing that both British and German planes had been grounded for more than 48 hours, so far as normal bombing activities were concerned.
 One German reconnaissance plane did fly over the Orkney Islands, in the vicinity of Britain's Scapa Flow naval base, Christmas Day. Fleet air arm and air force fighter planes spotted it, forced it down and made the four men fits crew prisoners. It was the first time in monhts German plane had been reported over the Orkneys.
 All German radio stations were on the air last night, and British stations broadcast programs at full strength, including a dance band program relayed from the United | States.
 But the ordinary Briton knew nothing of the informal truce. London's streets were almost de- serted, as usual, during the night. A few stragglers made through the intense blackout for saloons, restau- rants and night clubs. Movies closed as usual at D. m. Many family parties were held in raid shelters. At one shelter, a Santa Claus distributed gifts from tree | and there was a dance afterward, on the floor of the subway station. which was the shelter. to the music of piano and a violin. Typical Reaction Those persons who were told by newspaper men and others of the informal truce were not impressed Typical reaction was:
 That's fine, but what makes you think you can trust the Germans?" The air and home security min isters said in their morning com munique: There is nothing to re- port since the last communique.' The air ministry in a separate com munique said: There were no Royal Air Force operations of any kind durin gthe night from Eng land."
 i French Items
 Vichy, France, December 26. = (UP) = A city in German occupied France which suffered heavily from German airplanes and the German army while France was in the war has been fined 100000 franks (nominally $25. .000) because a single strand of German army telephone wire was cut, it was made known today. French authorities were un- able to find out who cut the wire and the Germans fined the munic- ipality.
 Vichy, France, December 26. - (UP) = Paris police have abolished food shop queues in order to keep people from standing for hours in bitter cold weather awaiting nations, it was announced today. Hereafter patrons may make appointments, by number, for their food supplies, and food queues will be forbidden. It was believed that the system might be extended over both occupied and non-occupied France in order to safeguard health. |