FIRST OPEN MOVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 February 1943, Page 2

FIRST OPEN MOVE

ITALIAN PEACE FEELERS PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN. NAZI ACTIVITY IN TURKEY LONDON, February 18, “Signor Gayda’s statement that Italy could consider peace negotiations with Britain and America is the first open peace appeal by an Axis spokesman,” commented the Chief of the Office of War Information, Mr Elmer Davis, at a,Press conference in Washington. Mr Davis said that the German broadcasts hitherto have denied the existence of peace overtures, at the same time suggesting that Britain and America would have to join Germany in order to destroy the menace of Communism. The Axis started its propaganda campaign on the day that the German forces suffered their first defeat on the eastern front, but the campaign was failing in the neutral countries and had only slight effect in Britain and America. The Ankara correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says that, sounding the same note as Gayda, Herr Brell, chief of the official German news agency in Ankara, and the propagandist Herr Matsel through the German Embassy have launched a strenuous campaign throughout Turkey with the object of persuading Britain and America that a Soviet victory over Germany would mean danger for them. German news,;.,, papers arriving at Ankara have com-j pletely dropped the usual abuse' of Britain and America. The correspondent adds that Hitler is clearly ready to go to any lengths in an attempt to avert a British-Arne-, rican invasion while his Russian defences are hard-pressed.