LONDON The Prime Minister spoke to the Commons for half an hour this afternoon and gave it few facts. He said British troops are in France, and left out how many, where, and when they will fight. He said the French advance has been completely successful, and left out its objective, its opponent and its depth.
OTTAWA The Canadian bill creating a Department of Munitions and Supply completed its passage through Parliament and received Royal Assent at 17:15 GMT today.
PARIS Édouard Daladier has reorganised his government and taken Foreign Affairs himself. He remains President of the Council and Minister of National Defence and War, and so now holds three portfolios.
WASHINGTON President Roosevelt has called Congress into extraordinary session, to meet at noon Washington time on Thursday 21 September, which is 16:00 GMT. The proclamation was signed shortly before noon in Washington today, and the only reason it gives is the constitutional formula. Washington expects the session to deal with the neutrality legislation and the arms embargo, which Roosevelt brought into effect by proclamation on 5 September. The proclamation itself leaves that subject unmentioned. The operative text follows.
The President of the United States
Official text
Whereas public interests require that the Congress of the United States should be convened in extra session at twelve o'clock, noon, on Thursday, the Twenty-first day of September, 1939, to receive such communication as may be made by the Executive;
LONDON News that British troops had arrived in France was released, withdrawn, seized by police and released again within six hours on Monday night, according to an account read to the Commons this afternoon.
LONDON The General Staff overruled the release of news that British troops were in France on Monday night, the Lord Privy Seal, Sir Samuel Hoare, told the Commons in a reply that began at 16:33 GMT.
CASABLANCA The French navy has announced the accidental loss of the cruiser La Tour d'Auvergne at Casablanca, in a brief communiqué that is its only statement so far. The fire at the jetée Delure was still burning through the afternoon.
LONDON Three destroyers of the Polish Navy have joined the Fleet and are taking part in the work of the light forces, the Prime Minister told the Commons this afternoon. He described them as very efficient.
LONDON British troops are in France and have yet to go into action, the Prime Minister told the Commons in a statement that began at 14:51 GMT. He said reports that the British Expeditionary Force had already been engaged are inaccurate.
CASABLANCA A French naval vessel lying alongside the jetée Delure at Casablanca was torn open by two explosions this morning. The second explosion followed the first within seconds and was the heavier of the two.
WARDHA The Working Committee of the Indian National Congress has been in session at Wardha since Sunday and has yet to publish anything.
BERLIN The ring around Warsaw was closed in the east yesterday, according to German reports issued through the night, which present the Polish position as collapsing.
WARSAW German attempts to force the Narew and the Bug rivers have been frustrated, according to Polish communiqués that have been circulating since yesterday. They say heavy fighting is continuing between Kutno and Warsaw and that the fortress at Modlin is holding out.