Shanghai people listening in to the British Broadcasting Corporation over the week-end enjoyed what must be considered a first class piece of journalistic enterprise by this institu-ion which, hitherto, has received more brick-part of the 4 p.m, news (midnight Shanghai time) on Saturday, an offer of H.MS. Exeter, which bore the brunt of the battle with the Graf Spee off Montevideo and arrived at Plymouth a few days ago, gave his own impressions of the battle, The Royal Navy has long been credited with a deep and impregnable sitenee, but this particular officer, in a quiet, official and matter. Jof-fact manner, described the fight In a way [which makes his contribution to the reporting, fof this historic encounter one of the most vivid yet produced, and his radio audience must have appreciated it, He told how the Exeter was battered and struck by the Graf Spec's eleven jineh guns long, before the Exeter, with lighter armament, could get within striking distance. Her bridge was badly damag: d and her naviga~ tion apparatus was put out of action but this did not prevent her gallant captain from contiiu= ing to move in on the Graf Spee by auxiliary means until he could get his guns into action, the meantime, HMS, Ajax. and. H.MS. Achilles were gradually closing on the German fbatueship, with the successful result which the Jworld already knows a magnificent feat of strategy, navigational skill, gunnery and bra-'Which sealed the fate of the German vessel. HMS. Exeter put into Plymouth last week exhibiting her sears of war and the BBC, are to be congratulated upon their terprise in broadcasting from a man who took part a personal version of the Aight. More effectively than printed words or photographs, the officer's narrative made the listener feel was sharing in the pride of a great naval achievement, Similarly on Sunday night, one fof the British sailors from one of the ships sunk by the Graf Spee and transferred to the 'Altmark, trapped in a Norwegian fjord, was brought "before the microphone and in an ac~ Jcent reminiscent of the Tyneside told his story of three months' imprisonment in this German vessel before being Hiberated by HLM.S. Cossack. Apart from the absorbing interest provided by Such opportunities to obtain a sort of ringside view of the great drama being enacted in Europe and the Atlantic, and heering from 10,000 miles distance the personal versions of men involved in the drama, the value of these efforts cannot be over-estimated. They bring the [Shanghai British community into close contact with events and make them fect their respon sibility in the successful conclusion of the has tilities, There is one point that might be made. If possible, advance notification by the London broadcasting aul planned "broadcasts, but if such arrangement these accounts could be re= corded and repeated, with due notice, over later broadcasts. They are far too good to be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.