HEYDRICH'S CRIMES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 68, 22 June 1942, Page 5

HEYDRICH'S CRIMES

CZECHS GOT HIM FOR HIS TERROR The number of its victims and the greatness of their suffering places tlie Czechs in the forefront of revolting Europe and is. the best testimony to the rest of the world how active and widespread and dangerous to the Germans Avas the underground action and sabotage of the Czech pat-< riots, since it forced Hitler to send Heydrich to deal with them, wrote Ivor Duncan in C.E.O. Czech Offensive and German Counter-Offensive During the last few months the number of actions threatening the efficiency of the German war machine and the contact between the German arsenals and the Eastern front greatly increased. The Germans had to increase to 3000 marks the reward for catching the- offenders who were constantly damaging the telephone and telegraph connections in the Protectorate which were used for military purposes. Railway accidents were ingeniously managed with German troop trains at important junctions, so that railway connections were blocked for days at a time. A military transport was destroyed by an explosion in Vlara Pass, which is an important railway connection between Moravia and Slovakia. Week after week it was announced that the petrol had leaked out of the drums of the German or Rumanian transports on their passage through the Protectorate. Two million shells had to be returned to one of the munition factories because of faults in sorting. The munition workers made the excuse that the factory was badly lighted. At an aeroplane factory the order informing the management that they need not manufacture certain parts was mysteriously lost. The result was that for months parts were manufactured which were of no use to the German Army at all.

With Bare Hndfe This Czech war against the Germans is different from the English war, different from the Russian war. But all the reports, whether they announce fresh shootings and atrocities, the reduction of Czech industrial output by 40 per cent or an explosion in a powder factory, are all realty war communiques from the front behind the lilies; on this front the Germans have to fight, as Heydrich was fighting in Prague, with a great expenditure of energy. The terrible thing about this war is that the most powerful military and police organisation in Europe is being faced by the heroic Czech nation with their bare hands. For three years they have been carrying on active warfare against the Germans, with no weapon but their inventiveness, cunning, courage and patriotic spirit. Now the Germans are making a counter-offensive on the Czech front. The machine gun, the firing squad and the gallows are advancing against bare hands and brave hearts. All Classes Fight ! In front of tiring squads there stood side b3 r side a general, a workman from a munition factory, a butcher, tailor, doctor, farmer, a bank manager, the Maj r or of Prague, and a Jew without occupation. Could Heydrich give the world better proof of the way in Avhieh all classes of the - nation are lighting actively against the Germans than by giving orders as he finally had to for the arrest of the Prime Minister Elias and his three ministers? He condemned the Czech Prime Minister to death, accusing him of supporting the widespread network of spying in Czechoslovakia, helping the enemy, and being in touch with the present War Minister in the Czechoslovak Government in London, General lngr. Heydrich and Himmlcr could execute simultaneously French patriots, the Norwegian trade unionists. the Belgian champions of freedom, Dutch saboteurs, Czech generals and workmeil& Polish intellectuals. and and Greek peasants. Although Ilimroler, Heydrich and their fellows are professional murderers, they are not equal to all the mass murder, and torture which is now. going on in all the latitudes and longitudes of Europe. They need assistants for this. Not ten, not a thousand, not ten thousand, but hundreds of thousands and millions. ' Trained for Murder In the face of the frightful events in Europe, the Avorst of which have been reported. from Prague, the wor\l is realising the vastness of the German problem. The world (Continued in next column)

knows that it is not merely a case of a lirmdfui of Nazi degenerates, but of thousands and millions of young Germans who have been brought up in the belief thafgvthey are the ruling race, that truth is only what serves the German nation and that the strength of the Reich-*-swehr and the cruelty of the Gestapo are greater and stronger tlran the law. Thousands of young Germans hve< been trained ifi ruthless-* ness and cruelty. Thousands of Germans have been trained in special courses to beat prisoners, tortures those under examination and mat* treat the stubborn.