BEER HALL BOMB

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20091, 10 November 1939, Page 8

BEER HALL BOMB

NINE KILLED

FUEHRER’S ESCAPE TALL PILL OF DEBRIS PURGE PENDING FEARS IN GERMANY (Reed. Nov. 10, 1.50 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 9. It l.s ollicially stilted in Berlin that nine persons were killed, and (il injured, 29 seriously, in. the explosion in the Munich beer hail yesterday. The dead include two Storm Troopers who were members of the beer hail putsch in 1923, the woman cashier, employed in the waiter beer hall, two members of the broadcasting staff and two others, all party members.

The official statement says that the Fuehrer’s escape was a miracle. The time of tlie speech was advanced half an hour owing to the short time available. He spoke for only 50 minutes, instead of the customary DO and then did not follow his usual custom of chatting with old comrades, but dashed to the station. The statement concludes: ‘it was a divine ordinance that Herr Hitler missed the explosion by only 11 minutes. If the meeting had followed the usual routine, all the party leaders would have been victims.

“The ceiling fell on the spot where they were sitting and is now piled in ruins 10ft high.’’ Increase in Reward

Private individuals are said to have donated £IO,OOO, increasing the reward offered of £OO,OOO for information leading to the apprehension of those responsible for the outrage. Several arrests have been made. Cable messages arriving at the Berlin Chancellery congratulating HenHitler on his escape include those from Queen Wilhelminn of Holland, the King of Italy, and Signor Mussolini.

The Munich correspondent of (lie Amsterdam paper I-landelsblads telegraphs that it would virtually be impossible for a foreigner to enter the beer hall unnoticed. "There is not a shadow of evidence to support the German insinuation that the British Secret Service was responsible," states tlie correspondent. He asks how an attempt would be possible without the complicity of tiio.se having tiie right to enter the premises. Gestapo Investigation v The British United Press learns from Berlin that a special commission of the Gestapo is investigating the explosion. A great purge is in progress throughout Germany. People fear a Gestapo reign of terror and are anxiously wondering on whom revenge may fall. Many suspects already have been detained. Herr Hitler resumed his duties at the Chancellery, but did not appear on the balcony in response to repeated calls from the crowds. Special squads of police are maintaining day-and-r.ightlong vigils. The United States Charge d’Affaires signed the guest book at the Chancellery to mark Herr Hitler’s escape. The Belgian Ambassador and other diplomats sent messages of sympathy. Tlie Berlin evening press and radio echoes the lurv of the morning press indicting Britain for "attempted murder," but not a shred of evidence lias been produced to support the fantastic charge that British Secret Service agents were responsible.