(The Africa Shell was actually sunk by the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee.)

(An expanded version of the report from the Liverpool paper at top.)

I wish to point out that while the press was reporting what was happening to the Jews in Nazi occupied Poland and other parts of the Reich, high officials in government knew much more. The following excerpt is from a top secret (now declassified) War Cabinet summary from Nov. 1939. This outlines information on both the German and Soviet occupation of Poland and the treatment of the people therein.

"From recent reports in would seem that any former inhabitants of Poland who can choose their place of residence within the old boundaries are faced with a choice of misfortunes. The Russians, professing to bring freedom to the Ukrainians and White Russians, have killed or deported the landowners, professional men and political leaders, removed most of the food supplies and commandeered all "spare" clothing not actually in wear. Boots can still be bought for £8 a pair.

By way of conciliation, the land has been divided to give each peasant about 2 hectares; collective farms have not yet been formed; churches are still open; self-government is pretended and the Poles that are left are treated without hostility.

German policy, on the contrary, is founded on hostility. Many Poles have been shot and whole families exterminated. All Poles and Jews are being driven from the Corridor and the Silesian districts, and all, except peasants, from the Lodz area and south of it. Large estates are being divided to provide farms for repatriated Germans. The homeless are left to settle in the devastated area east of Lodz, and Jews, including many from the Reich, are to be herded into a small area about Lublin which is unlikely to be able to support them.

As in Russian Poland, food queues are general. Whereas the Russian attempt to prevent emigration to Roumania has not been very successful, the Germans have organised a special corps of Ukrainian emigrants, the Sitchovitsi, to prevent the escape of the miserable Poles over the Slovakian border. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that these Ukrainian malcontents may later be used for subversive activities in Russian Ukraine. In both parts of Poland guerrilla bands, organised by ex-Polish officers, are active in the forest districts, and considerable secret stores of arms are available to sustain their efforts."

Not only is this report incorrect, through the lens of history it's ironic. The papers of the days before constantly reported that Admiral Scheer and Deutschland were operating in the world's oceans. While Deutschland was, Admiral Scheer was not. In fact Admiral Scheer was the only German cruiser mentioned in the news reports that never made a sortie into the Atlantic. The ship that was operating in the Indian Ocean was Admiral Graf Spee.)

(This report was in the British press yesterday, but again this is a false report. Bremen fled to Murmansk, Russia, but then sailed back to Germany only to be destroyed by a fire.)

(It should not be necessary to mention the obvious parallel to today's election. It's enough to remind people of a famous historical axiom, "it's not the people who vote that counts, it's who counts the votes.")

(This was one of the few U.S. papers which carried this story on the front page.)

(This was one of the first steps taken by the U.S.A. against the Japanese Empire due to their aggression in China.)

(This is about the ongoing trial of Fritz Kuhn, the so-called American Führer.)

(This is in addition to the 9 students executed the day before.)

(Unsuccessful air raid on Wilhelmshaven.)

(German airmen over the whole of France.)