FACTS CONCEALED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1943, Page 3

FACTS CONCEALED

1 FROM GERMAN PUBLIC GOEBBELS IN DIFFICULTIES. LIES AND NEBULOSITIES. LONDON, January 4. Radio reporters in London attach significance to the German prevarication and even silence regarding the Russian successes. For example, the fall of Velikiye Luki is still not admitted, the German radio saying today that all enemy attacks on Velikiye Luki have failed. ' In spite of Hitler’s assurances that “1918” would not be repeated, Reuter’s radio listening post reporter says that Dr. Goebbels has apparently reverted to the last war practice of withholding news of reverses which, when disclosed, caused' a reaction which hastened collapse. The reporter adds that Goebbels has hitherto probably been confident of the ability of the general staff to extricate the army from its difficulties and has not hesitated to say that setbacks can be ex- « pected, but will soon be remedied. On the contrary, a ban is now imposed on frank reports from the front. Instead, nebulous, phrases are being combined into continual reports of fighting in which strong Russian attacks are invariably reported as repulsed with heavy casualties. Ambiguities continually appear, such as the German newsagency’s military writer asserting that a remarkable symptom is the fact that military circles have refrained from summing up the situation at the opening of the New Year. This is combined with'assertions that the Germans are still carrying on the defensive against Russia. ' Germany’s most important radio commentator, General Dietmar, has not discussed the military, situation foi two weeks. Broadcasters to foreign countries refer to the “futility”*of the ■ Russian offensives, in view of their heavy losses of men and material. Lord Haw Haw, who was not heard for several weeks, resumed broadcasting, denying the capture of .Velikiye Luki.