UNREST & SABOTAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1941, Page 5

UNREST & SABOTAGE

RISING FEELING IN EUROPE NAZIS ORGANISING VAST SPY SYSTEM. TROUBLE IN EVERY OCCUPIED COUNTRY. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, September 5. The Germans throughout, Europe are clapping on fierce repression in an attempt to stamp out the growing unrest and sabotage. ? In Germany even the juridicial journal, "Deutsche Justiz,” clamours from a nation-wide mobilisation of civilians as a vast spy army. The journal says that the Gestapo chief. Herr Himmler, is preparing decrees to make all Germans informers, compelling them to denounce even the most trivial “fifth column" activity or treasonable talk. Italy has banned all foreign newspapers. Though the special courts in France are meting out violent sentences they are failing to check the tide of sabotage and resentment throughout France. A number of young Communists in Dijon, have just been sentenced from two to seven years’ imprisonment, and it is also disclosed that Gabriel Peri, one of France’s most important Communist leaders, has been held for trial since June. The special court in Paris sentenced 12 persons to three years' imprisonment, and sentences of up to 12 years were imposed in Lyons. In some cases private fortunes in addition were forfeited. The special court at Posen, Poland, sentenced to death 18 Polish police officials on a charge of murdering Germans. The Germans at Bergen. Norway, arrested 50 public servants and dismissed the mayor and assistantmayor. Such measures only produce further resentment. German army telephones have been cut in Belgium arid the Germans have compelled the Belgians to provide guards, who are liable to be shot if wires are cut while they are oiT duty. Two forests have been destroyed by fire in Corsica, it is believed as the result of sabotage. A man was arrested in the forest, which yielded chestnuts and cork for the Germans. Reports from Turkey say that the Montenegrins have driven the Italians out of Montenegro. The Germans hanged several Serbs and other Serbs replied by blowingup a German train neai’ Belgrade. Guerillas are so serious a problem in Croatia that the German army has undertaken operations against them. Some of the guerilla bands are 400 strong.

OPINION IN FRANCE NINETY PER CENT OF PEOPLE PRO-BRITISH. STORY OF ESCAPEES. LONDON, September 4. A group of Frenchmen who escaped from France are emphatic that 90 per cent of the people in the occupied zone and a clear majority in the unoccupied area are sympathetic toward the Free French movement and desire a British victory. This is reported by the. “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent with the Free French forces in the Egyptian Desert. He says he has been told that everybody in France listens to the British and Free French broadcasts in spite of the severe penalties. A progressive withdrawal of German troops from occupied France, he is informed, began weeks before the Russian campaign. The Paris garrison was reduced from 60,000 to 20,000 and the German posts were withdrawn from the small villages. Apart from two small political parties which the Germans were subsidising, the only circle where definite anti-British feeling exists is the navy, which sullenly obeys Admiral Darlan and remains bitter over Oran.

WAVE OF SHOOTING FRENCH REPLY TO REIGN OF TERROR. LEADING COMMUNIST SHOT. (Received This Day. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 5. A wave of shooting is the French answer to the intensified political reign of terror. Three more members of the German army, believed to be officers, have been shot, two in Lille and one in Paris. All are reported to have died. A Terrorist shot and killed M. Marcel Gitton, a former leading Communist. M. Gitton. who left the Communist party in 1939, opposed the war against Germany and was a regular contributor to pro-Nazi newspapers. Hd was shot in the left lung and died in hospital. His assailant escaped. SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITY ALLEGATIONS BY GERMANS. (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 5. The Vichy News Agency reports that seventeen municipal councillors in Helsinki have been arrested for alleged subversive activity on behalf of Russia.