London, May 17.
Five hundred German parachute troops who were captured in the low countries last week arrived "somewhere in Enifland" today. "he War Office announced last night that 250,000 applications had been received up to midnight in the call for special local defence volun-Years to Aght any possible parachute troops which might be landed in Britain, The Ministry of Home Security today requested all private motorists and garages in Britain to remove the spark plugs and other important parts fof their vehicles from dusk to dawn every day {0 prevent German Porsehulists from, seizing, the sare rhe Ministry said that there was "now risk that enemy parachutists may attempt to land in this country and they may be expected to attempt to use road vehicles. It is most import fant that practical steps be taken, to prevent fuch use' of vehicles." United Press.
"What could be more fantastic, for instance, than the rumour with which the Germans are feeding their hungry people today. They are telling the Wretched, enslaved nation, who are fas hungry for good tidings as for Dread and butter, that the King packing up his trunks and leaving for Canada immediately. Such rumours make us laugh, but other rumours, only little Jess' absurd, might make some faint-hearted people tremble.
"We at.home should be as pi pared to ecelve. bad news, as those in the battle line are prepared to receive the enemy's bullets,"
'The Minister of Information appealed to people not to go about with long' faces as though at a funeral, 'Concluding, he said: "Let each one of us throw' 100 per cent, of our energies into whatever task' we have to perform, Let us keep our hearts gay, our spirits high and confident in the justice of our cause, and in our own ability to win through to victory, as in all our long glorious history' we have never failed to do," Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.