ARRESTS IN GERMANY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 March 1943, Page 3

ARRESTS IN GERMANY

PLOT AGAINST HITLER REPORTED BY THE 8.8. C. f MANY EXECUTIONS. . (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 29. A 8.8. C. broadcast to Germany last night reported a * plot against Hitler resulting in more than 100 arrests, including those of a member of the staff of the Supreme Command, a member of Ihe staff of the Foreign Office and a member of the staff of the Economic Ministry. Fifty of the 100 persons arrested were later shot for high treason, including the Foreign Office official, Herr Scheliha. The announcer said the information came from very reliable neutral sources. “RUSSIAN SPY RING” SEVERAL NAZI MINISTRIES IMPLICATED. GESTAPO RAID ON MUNICH UNIVERSITY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 29.

The discovery of a Russian spy ring in Berlin has resulted in 134 persons so far being arrested and 50 of these have been executed, says a “Daily Telegraph” correspondent somewhere in Europe. ’ The activities of the Russian agents were not limited to the Wilhelmstrasse but extended to three other Ministries, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Those arrested were charged with supplying Russia with information concerning the work of the Ministries.

The inquiry has shown that conspirators transmitted the information to Brussels, from where it was presumably smuggled to London. It is reliably learned in Stockholm that three students in Munich University were hanged after the Gestapo had discovered a group who were engaged in writing and distributing antiNazi tracts among the students, says the “New York Times.” A number of prominent students were arrested, including Count Metternich, who was later released after proving his innocence.

The Gestapo closed the university for the day, and when it reopened many seats were empty. The anti-Nazi faction is reported to have included young aristocrats, scions of leading industrial families, and fervent Catholics ' who were apparently motivated by idealistic patriotic motives. The incident has caused much uneasy comment in Munich, where morale is already depressed by the recent destructive R.A.F. raid. There is much grumbling among people, who commonly greet each other with the Communist clenched fist salute instead of the Nazi greeting. Universities throughout the country are now being combed for slackers.-