LARGE-SCALE SABOTAGE

Evening Star, Issue 24326, 15 October 1942, Page 5

LARGE-SCALE SABOTAGE

GREEKS AND ALBANIANS ACTIVE 15,000 CASUALTIES INFLICTED ON ITALIANS (Rec. 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 14. A high price is offered for capture of the men who fired two , shots at the Slovak President, -Tiso, when, he was giving the Nazi salute. A bullet pierced Tiso’s sleeve. Many arrests were made, hut the assailant is not-yet found, says a despatch from the German frontier; The Hungarians arrested 20 hostages, and imposed a fine of 6,000 pengos on the tinv Yugoslav town of Movesamki, after the stoning of an Hungarian-offi-cer. The police fired on the demonstrators, but the culprits escaped. (Reports from Turkey reveal that guerrillas are waging vigorous campaign’s in North Greece, Albania, and Yugoslavia. Eighty-four Italians were killed and 60 wounded in a recent fierce battle in South Macedonia. Other guerrillas, operating in the region of Castoria, Fiorina, and IContza, joined up with Mikhailovitch’s Yugoslav .patriots. Their combined bands are continually inflicting losses on Germans and Italians;. The Greeks are mercilessly dealing with traitors and those collaborating with the occupying forces. Many of these ace shot, and their bodies are nailed to trees under notices announcing the same fate .for all who betray their country. Greek circles in London say that 5,000 Greeks are fighting in Bulgarian-occupied Macedonia and 3,000 in Crete. The Albanians are increasingly hostile to the Italians. They are staging demonstrations in towns and villages, frequently under the leadership of women, and committing sabotage throughout the country. Albanians in the oilfields region of Kuschova attacked Italian guards and forced the Italians to retreat, leaving 110 dead.- Guerrillas drove the Italians out of the Skrapar region in South Albania, inflicting considerable casualties. Yugoslav circles in Ankara reveal that the Yugoslavs in six weeks to the end of August killed 6,000 members of Italian armoured divisions and wounded 9,000. They captured heavy artillery. Twenty per cent, of the guerrillas are women. EMPIRE AIR TRAINING (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 12.5 p.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 14. A conference • will be hem in London next Friday between the British, Australian, and New Zealand Governments to discuss the extension of the Empire air training scheme until March 31, 1945. New Zealand will be represented by Mr Jordan, the Air Secretary, Mr Barrow, and Air Commodore Isitt. AMERICAN ARMY TO BE INCREASED TO 7,500.000 (British Official Wireless'.) (Rec. 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct, 14. Now approximately 4,250,000 men, •the United States army figure will be increased to 7,500,000 next year, _ declared Mr H. L. Stifnson to-day in a statement before the House Military Affairs Committee. Mr Stimson spoke in support of - legislation ho requested yesterday reducing the draft age to 18. Ho said the plans for next year included increasing the air force to 2,200,000 men, with ground units of 3,300,000, and an additional 2,000,000 either in training or engaged, in supply work. The War Department was working towards building up the largest air force which production could sustain.; EVACUTED FROM JAPAN NEW ZEALANDERS SAFE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 15. The High Commissioner (Mr Jordan) has advised that the following. New Zealanders who were resident in Japan or Japanese occupied territory have arrived at Lourenco Marques, and are expected to embark from South Africa shortly:—Messrs D. G. Broughton and C, G. Davis, Mrs E. M. Davis, Miss J. S. Davis, Messrs H. W. S. Mellsop and R. W. Sturt, Mrs H. Sturt, and Master M. Sturt, I - PERSONAL GIFTS HAILE SELASSIE TO MR JORDAN LONDON, October 13. The Ethiopian Minister, Blatta Ayela Gabre, handed to the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr W. J. Jordan, an autographed photograph of the Emperor Haile Selassie, and also a walking stick made from native timber, with a rhinoceros horn handle bearing Haile Selassie’s personal monogram in gold. They are personal gifts from Haile Selassie to Mr Jordan. The photograph is beautifully framed in native-worked silver. A personal message of friendship and goodwill to Mr Jordan from fhe Emperor accompanied the gifts.