SECRET WEAPON

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 248, 18 October 1939, Page 1

SECRET WEAPON

BOAST BY HITLER ALL lEH ARE / SCEPTICAL “DJSATH-J.?A|Y” RUMOURS LONDON, Sept. 21.—The new and secret weapon with which Herr Hitler, in his speech at Danzig, threatened the Allies cannot he entirly secret as far as the Allies are concerned—if it exists—although it is admitted that Germany’s “Big Berthas,” use of gas, aiid introduction, of flame-throwers were. fjurpriscs prepared by, Germany for the war of IPi 4-1 S'. It is pointed out that the greatest surprise so far in this war is France’s 7<J-tou tanks, which the Germans Jiad not dreamed had existed,- and which were so closely guarded by the French that, they were unknown by Britain until a few weeks before the declaration of war, when British and French defence secrets were mutually revealed.

Herr Hitler’s description of bis new weapon as being one “with which we could not ourselves he attacked” is regarded as ruling out the introduction by Nazis of a microbe Far against the Allied countries, although many German military experts, especially under the Nazi regime, have been openly encouraged to prepare in a cold-blooded manner for waging such a typo of war against civlian populations. Microbe Warfare Deutsche AYchr, the official organ of the German General Staff, in a recent issue dealt with the subject of a microbe war, declaring: “In preparing for the use of germs ■ in the coming war we must first coherent rate our attention on three principal questions— firstly, what kind of germs would produce the strongest a.iid most irresistible eli'ect; secondly, the best Way, of spreading the microbes ; thirdly, what are the mpk favourable J'or spreading tmd bringing .abor.i< epidemics.” '

Deutsche \Yehr wants against the spread of microbes among the enemy’s soldiers, because epidemics? at the front might easily affect German, soldiers, ami consequently urges microbe attacks against the civilian population.

“Aeroplanes will prove the best weapons in microbe warfare,” it states, “because they permit several ways of spreading germs—by squirting them from. specially built apparatus or by. raining down bombs or glass containers filled with microbes.”

The scattering of great swarms of Hies or lice contaminated with, the virus of yellow fever, spotted typhus, of small pox, is also urged. , 4 . Although from time toy time there are rumour,s of, successful experiments with so-called “death l-ays,” designed to kill battalions by. an electric ray or designed disastrously to affect the mechanism of aeroplane engines or the firing mechanism of guns, or designed t«f unrivet vessels, it is !not .believed tliat any country has sportt nioro time in .examining the possibilities of such inventions than Britain, or that, if there is a successful death ray, Britain is unaware of it.

THAMES TUNNELS REASON FOR CLOSING .Mil RAID .MEASURES LONDON, Oct. .‘3, —It is now disclosed wliy two oil the three underground railway tunnels' under the Riyer Thames were closed in September, 1938. and again last month. Last year, it was decided! that tho risk of flooding the underground system if a bomb hit the river bank was"’ too serious to be ignored. Therefore, two tunnels in 1938 were blocked at each end with concrete, which was removed when the crisis subsided. A new device is now employed, eachtunnel being fitted with sliding doors, which will he closed immediately an air raid warning is given, shutting off the water even if tho .river hank is broken. " . A veteran farmer directs attention to the potential danger of enemy"* bombers setting fire to thousands of acres of standing corn at harvest time with incendiary bombs, laying the countryside waste and entgiling heavy economic loss. He suggests as a precautionary measure that- when sowing large areas of white-straw crop, farmers should sow through it fairly wide strips of some green, non-inflammable crop. s .