LOOTING & BLACKMAIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 July 1938, Page 7

LOOTING & BLACKMAIL

CHARGES AGAINST NAZIS IN AUSTRIA THOROUGH PURGE TAKING PLACE HUNDREDS OF COMMISSIONERS DISMISSED LONDON, July 4. The “Daily Herald,” England’s foremost Labour newspaper, says that the admission of Herr Buerckel, newly-ap-pointed Nazi Party leader in Austria, that the 12 Nazi commissioners whom he had placed in charge of Jewish businesses have been arrested, merely cloaks the thorough purge which is taking place among Austrian Nazis. At least 800 Nazi commissioners controlling former Jewish businesses have been dismissed says the newspaper. Corrupt administration is estimated tc have resulted in the loss of £12,000,000. in addition to £5,000,000 worth of goods lost by looting, blackmail and robbery. Herr Buerckel is compelled to stop this, and also to terminate the hurried removal of Jews from their businesses which is bringing Austrian trade to a standstill. “Every man who has not done his duty will be stamped out,” declared Herr Buerckel in a public statement at Graz. It was reported on June 24 that dissensions in Vienna between Austrian and German Nazis had culminated in eight former Austrian Legionaries going to Berlin to demand of Herr Hitler that he remove Herr Buerckel from his position. The seriousness of the situation in Austria was again emphasised in a cablegram published on June 28 which stated that Herr Buerckel, in the course of his purge, had sent more than 1000 malcontents to the German concentration camp at Dachau. Herr Buerckel also ordered the complete reorganisation of the Storm Troopers, eliminating disgruntled members.