GOERING’S FOREIGN FORTUNE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 14 October 1942, Page 2

GOERING’S FOREIGN FORTUNE

HIS CHALLENGE AND THE REPLY Field Marshal Goering’s recent speech, which has come in for some pointed comment from Mr. Churchill, contained a passage referring to the charges against him that he had vast deposits of money In foreign banks. “I would be grateful,” said Goeriug, “if someone would supply me with details of the banks in which these deposits were made, and the names under which they are held.” The original report regarding the fortunes held by Nazi leaders in foreign countries was made by Mr. H. R. Knickerbocker, soon after he had left Germany on the orders of the German Government. The report was hotly denied by Dr. Goebbels over the radio, and he offered a forfeit if Mr. Knickerbocker would substantiate his charges by the following weekend. This challenge called forth a caustic rejoinder from the American journalist, who was on the high seas between Europe and the United States when it was made, and did not reach port till after rtoj time period had elapsed. “Like all Nazi ultimatums,” said

Knickerbocker, “it had expired before reaching me.” Taking up the portly marshal’s plea for information, the 8.8. C., in an edition of the daily Radio Newsreel this week, recited details of the marshal’s foreign investments. About 4,000,000 dollars’ worth of insurance policies on the marshal’s life, the 8.8. C. stated, are deposited in foreign banks, and details were given of the firms through which they bad been negotiated. The sums of foreign exchange held on deposit in foreign banks, mostly in South j and North America, were also given, , as were the amounts of his foreign 1 bond holdings and the places in which , they were deposited. Some of the lat- < ter were in banks in the United States, including a branch of a Japanese bank j in San Francisco. The United States holdings, have, of course, been estreated : under the war measures. The total ( given was 8,000,000 dollars. Having completed the details of ' these holdings the 8.8. C. announcer added: “And last week Marshal Goering, under his sister’s name, purchased 1 a villa in Sweden, no doubt as a bolt hole for the coming cataclysm.” « In concluding the announcement, the 1 8.8. C. announcer said that to make sure that Goeriug got the information he asked for it had been broadcast in ' the 8.8.C.’s European Service, in the German language. The War At Sea Mr. Churchill, in his Edinburgh speech, said that he saw no reason why the U-boat problem should not be . solved by the prodigious measures for defence and offence and replacement on which the United States and Great i Britain are engaged. An instance of the violence of the U-boat warfare is given by a recent engagement in the Atlantic. A British destrojer and four sloops of the Norwegian Navy fought a 4S hours’ engagement with a pack of U- < boats. In all these vessels carried out 33 separate attacks on submarines. Four of the underwater vessels were badly damaged, and seven were directly hit with shells. At one time seven of them were to he seen surfaced round the Allied ships, which suffered no casualties or damage. It is seldom that the veil lifts and gives illuminating stories such as this. But the bitter struggle goes ou all the time. No quarter is given and none taken. German losses of submarines and crews are very heavy, but they continue to concentrate on the building and manning of more and more U-boats. They are still hoping to bring Britain to her knees by the blockade, and Mr. ■Churchill’s confidence will increase their unease at the turn the war is taking. Reprisals Against Prisoners Point is given to Mr. Churchill’s opinion that it is partly due to fear and desperation that the Nazis have begun the manacling of British prison- i ers by the news that the German radio, in returning to the subject, refers to the British commando raids as “Red Indian.” and says the German command has no alternative but “to take measures to lead the British back to a decent mode of warfare.” Nothing more could be needed to prove Mr. Churchill's case. The Germans have undoubtedly been badly shaken by the raids, and are getting disturbed by their effect ou the garrison troops along the coast. They know that despite the number of men they captured at Dieppe it was not quite the failure they have said it to he, and they fear what, is to come in the future. Mr. Churchil’s assurance that no weakness will be shown in handling the matter may prove to them the futility of using reprisals as a method of defence.

Alfred Gould announces details of an auction sale to be held at the rooms, Hardy street, on Friday next.*