Foreign & General
1. Military mission probably leaving for Moscow this week. Leader (Admiral Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax) took part in mission to Tsarist Russia just before the Great War. Daily Telegraph [a]
2. Polish Gov.t taking economic sanctions against Danzig amounting to refusal to import products of certain factories. Daily Telegraph [b]
3. British authorities apparently agreeing to hand over the 4 Chinese alleged terrorists hiding in the Tientsin concession. Daily Telegraph [c]
Social
1. Number of unemployed for July about 1 1/4 million[1], 1/2 million less than same period in 1938. Total number in insured employment close on 13 million, more than 1/2 million more than a year ago. Daily Telegraph [d]
[1] 100, 000 less than estimate of a month previously [Orwell’s note]
2. In first 34,000 militia men° called up only 58 absented themselves without leave. Daily Telegraph [e]
3. Prohibition inaugurated in Bombay Presidency. Daily Telegraph [f]
Party Politics
1. Queipo de Llano appointed chief of Spanish military mission to Italy. Daily Telegraph [g]
2. Socialist Correspondence claims that Labour members who voted against I.R.A. bill are being threatened with discipline by Parliamentary Group. Socialist Correspondence, 29.7.39
3. P.O.U.M. Youth Group managing to issue leaflets. Socialist Correspondence, 29.7.39
Miscellaneous
1. New method of bracken destruction by mowing plus sodium chlorate successfully extirpates bracken using only 20 lb. of s.c. per acre. Daily Telegraph [h]; Farmer & Stockbreeder
2. This year’s European wheat production, excluding U.S.S.R., estimated at 44 million metric tons, slightly above average but 14% less than last year’s. Daily Telegraph
[a]
[b]
[c]
[d]
[e]
[f]
[g]
[h]
Orwell Diaries 1938-1942 
In [c], Our Own Correspondent wrote:
“Mingled, eh?” I thought, reading over Eric’s shoulder. Spontaneously, I flung my right eyebrow skyward and said, “Hm.”
A veteran German Shepard attack dog had crept up behind me in the crawl space, sniffing ominously and drooling profusely. I had hitherto been utterly oblivious, absorbed as I was, peering through one of the many portholes positioned randomly along the entire surface of the wormhole. I could feel and smell its ravenous breath on my neck when I heard words come directly from its larynx, something like: “Sehr interessant“. My peripheral vision verifies (as do the recently discovered surveillance tapes) that its lips did not move.
Good to see old Erlie – – Drax is back having a word with the Ruskies. Old Stalin is bound to be impressed by a British public schoolboy. He probably went to a bog standard comprehensive or something somewhere in the Caucasus. Don’t teach you Greek and Latin there. Puts a chap at a considerable disadvantage, that.
And good also to see unemployment coming down as war looms. So come on Gordon, declare war on France and get the boys back to work!
Max
I think this was the Drax who was later imortalised by Fleming (rather than the more prosaic power station)