RESISTANCE TO AXIS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 125, 29 May 1942, Page 5

RESISTANCE TO AXIS

Sabotage Of Supplies For The

Russian Front

SERB GUERILLAS' SUCCESS

RUGBY, May 28

News of sabotage and strong resistance to the Nazis has reached London from Axis-occupied countries. From Belgium it is stated that 32 railway engines were sabotaged recently in a railway station at Kinkenpois, an important junction near Liege. A number of other railwav trains ready with materials for* the Germans on the Russian front have been destroyed. Machines were put out of action in a factory at Herstal. also near Liege, where a store of rifle butts was also destroyed by fire. The Italians in Yugoslavia appear to be growing anxious over the continued successful fighting resistance of General Mihailovich and his guerillas. According to the Yugoslav' Government in London, the Italian commander-in-chief in Bosnia issued an appeal to the population to lay down their arms and not support patriot units, "which have been utterly defeated by victorious German, Italian and Croat units and have retreated to the mountains." Contradicting itself, the statement continues: "All further resistance of these rebels is useless. The population should therefore avoid helping them with food and otherwise." Commenting on this pronouncement, the Yugolsav Government circles in London suggest that it is rather peculiar that the commander of a victorious armv should think it necessary to appeal to the civil population to lay down their arms and cease supporting fighting units, of whose defeat the supporting civil population should after all be aware. Moreover, the appeal reveals that the patriot forces in Bosnia actuall"-* have succeeded in withdrawing the bulk of their manpower into the mountains, a fact which so far had lacked confirmation in London.