Evening star., 1940-10-08
London
Continued From First Page)

servers along England's heavily
manner southeast coast.
Fnst German plane laid a
smoke screen along the continental
shore. Despite the smoke, trawlers
and drifters-light boats often
mentioned as ferries for invasion
troops-were seen early today put
ting out from near Boulogne, NOV
ing cautiously southwest close to
shore.
All the while, raiding bombers
which came over at 10-minute In
tervals kept up their night-long
attacks, intense over London and
spread from the southeast tip
of England to cities on the west
coast of Scotland.
The Royal Air Force hit back,
bombing Nazi-held Channel ports,
communications in Germany. and
giving Berlin its hardest pounding
of the war.
Bomb Rumania'S Oil Wells"
Londoners at the same time read
that German troops have entered
Rumania and that British experts
possibly would consider whether
countermoves would be feasible
against the axis strength in the
hitherto untouched theater of the
Nwar 1900 miles away in Southeast
ern Europe.
The Daily Express, published by
Aircraft Production Minister LORD
Beaverbrook, headlined its report
that Nazi troops had arrived in
Rumania with a streamer: They
Sold Rumania at the Brenner Pass
"a reference to the meeting OF Hit
Ter and Mussolini last week.
The Express declared: so the
crv will 60 up-bomb the Rumanlan
oil wells. That is big job and one
for the experts. But if 1t Is pos
sible. then there is another military
objective for the broad shoulders OF
the R. A. F.
Observers pointed out any such
British move would be a diplomatic
as we'll as military problem. The
only way British planes could reach
Rumania from accessible bases would
be across countries either neutra
or acknowledgement.
Turkey Is Question Mark.
Turkeys role in any extension OF
activity to the Balkans was consld-
cred the big question mark of the
Near East air map. Turkey, Brit
aims Mediterranean friend whoss
guns guard the DardanelleS, is only
300 air miles from Bucharest.
One London observer commented
Turkey will be true to her obllga-
tions under the British-Turklsf
treaty and may be expected te
resist any violent attempt to change
the status quo in the Balkans" j."
Turkey is pledged by the treaty
of October 10, 1889, to give Britain
"all assistance within its power IL
the event of "any act of aggression
by European power leading to wal
in the Mediterranean"
Britain did not invoke the pac'
when Italy entered the war.
The night-long bombing of Eng
land caused the longest single ralo
alarm of the war for London, where
explosions were heard and anti.
aircraft guns barked from early
dusk to dawn, when the ATTACK
dwindled momentarily.
A government communlqut
termed the raids widespread" bu
said although many bombs were
dropped in London and in thu
suburbs and in towns in northWes
England, reports so far received
indicate that the damage ane
casualties = " were not heavy con-
sidering the scale of the attacks.
Ten sections of London, including
the central city, were bombed witt
heavy explosives and incendiaries
The outskirts again had a heav!
share of the explosives.
The communique said, "An indus
trial plant in one town in Southeas
England was damaged" In anothe
town fire bombs showered down OF
residential districts. Casualtie
were said to be few.
raiders penetrated Intense dIltl
aircraft barrages to attack towns il
the northeast. Bombs fell in tn
Midlands and along the west coast
Wales also was attacked.
Only a few hours elapsed betweel
the dawn letup and the first of tn
daylight attacks on London.
Some persons stayed in the street
for while to watch the first dozel
bombers diving in ahd out of shell
burst patterns of anti-aircraft fire
OF the three formations of Ger
man planes seen owe. the southeas
coast headed Up the Thames, tn
last was heavily attacked by Britisl
defense aircraft ana diverted to tn
south. The formations all were de
scribed as large, but there was n
Immediate estimate Of their number