Swift Reprisals Against German Savagery

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 52, 4 March 1944, Page 5

Swift Reprisals Against German Savagery

Received Friday 8.50 p.m. LONDON, March 3. The French Consultative Assembly stood and cheered for three minutes when the Minister of the Inter. d’Astier) told of the reprisals carried out by the French resistance movement against those Germans who refused to release hostages, says the Daily Mail': Algiers correspondent. M. d’Astier said the Germans in the Grenoble distric arrested 300 hostages in reprisal for the sabotage of the powuer works. The resistance movement demanded the release of the hostages and threatened reprisals if 113 mand were not granted. The Germans rejected the ultimatum after which the Grenoble barracks were blown up and more than 200 Germans killed and ou. injured. The resistance leaders have been arrested and shot. M. d’Astier revealed that the arming of the resistance movement had been discussed at arakesh between Mr. Chur chill and General de Gaulle. He paid tribute to the Allied technical services and the understanding shown by Britain. Every day thirty French youths pay with their lives for joining the underground movement, M. Autrec, who left France three weeks ago, told the National Executive Committee, states an Algiers message. He said counter measures against the resistance movement were becoming more severe. The committee discussed the general situation in occupied France and liaison between Algiers and Franco. When M. d’Astier, Commissioner for the Interior, paid tribute to Britain the Assembly replied with prolonged applause.