MURDER ALLEGATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 April 1943, Page 3

MURDER ALLEGATION

NAZI PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN WHIPPED UP BY GOEBBELS. ATTEMPT TO COVER UP • REALITIES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, April 27. “Goebbels has won the first objective in his minutely-planned campaign to cause dissension among the Allies and represent Germany as Europe’s saviour from Bolshevism.” says the foreign editor of the “Daily Express,” commenting on the Russian-Polish breach. He adds: “Goebbels intends the forest of Katyn, near Smolensk, to replace and obliterate the world-wide names of Rotterdam and Lidice.

“The first report from the German military authorities at Smolensk of the discovery of a mass grave containing the bodies of 10,000 Polish officers came only a fortnight ago, and the Axis radio stations wither 24 hours were all plugging the story, which was the subject of a special Press conference in the Wilhelmstrasse, and was front-paged by the Axis newspapers. “The Transocean News Agency’s star reporter, Robert Broese, immediately broadcast an eye witness account from the graveside. He declared that the Russians had planted the area with pine trees in order to cover up all trace —but conveniently left the officers’ credentials on the bodies.

“Loudspeakers broadcast the news throughout Poland, and the Germancontrolled Polish newspapers, in black borders, were filled with gruesome details. Poland, where Nazi barbarity has cost 250,000 lives in executions and mass murders, was urged to express horror of the ‘Jewish-Bolshevik crime.’

“One German propagandist declared: ‘All problems, all European quarrels, have been wiped out in the face of Katyn.’ A docile correspondent of the Spanish Fascist newspaper ‘A.B.C.’ cabled: ‘The most formidable anti-Fascist propaganda remains colourless compared with what I saw in the awe-in-spiring forest of Katyn.” Most of the other neutral correspondents refused to commit themselves. “The Germans so far have indentified only 150 bodies, and weekly lists of names and details will spin out Goebbels’ carnival of death.” RED CROSS REFUSAL. With reference to the Polish request to the International Red Cross to investigate, the “Daily Express” says that the Red Cross declined as Russia, one of the interested parties, did not join in the request. The German news agency sent out the news of the breach to Europe and overseas within two minutes of the Russian broadcast.

The diplomatic correspondent of “The Times” says: "It is all too clear that the German Government is the only party that will benefit by the PolishRussian dispute. Its tactics in sowing dissension among the Allies seem to have succeeded in this instance.”

The “Daily Mail” says in a leading article: “The breach is deplorable, and the other allies should seek every means to common victory for which the Russian and Polish people are fighting and working with equal heroism.”

The diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says that the Foreign Secretary will start discussions without delay.

CALL ON STATESMANSHIP COMMENT BY AMERICAN NEWSPAPER. NEW YORK, April 27. “There is no blinking the fact that the relations between Russia and her allies suffei' from old, deeply-rooted suspicions,” says the New York "HeraldTribune.” “These conflicting forces are difficult, and it requires patient and farseeing statesmanship not only to solve them when the guns are silenced, but also to prevent a weakening of the common front against aggression now. “Polish statesmanship should avoid making an issue of the alleged executions, and Russian statesmanship should have realised that a brusque dismissal of the whole matter does not meet the realities of the situation. “The road to victory is too long to permit of the luxury of squabbles on the way:” POLISH CABINET EARLY MEETING LIKELY IN LONDON. LONDON, April 26. Members of the Polish Government are reported to have been completely surprised by the Russian Note, but no statement is forthcoming at present, because most of them are away from London. The Polish Cabinet will probably meet tomorrow, after which a statement is expected. BRITAIN ACTING BUT NOT TAKING SIDES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, April 27. The British Government is in touch with the United States Government about thq Soviet announcement of a breach of diplomatic relations with Poland. Among Mr Eden’s visitors today was Mr Winant (American Ambassador).

During the day Mr Churchill, in company with Mr Eden, received the Polish Premier, General Sikorski. It is understood that the Polish Cabinet is meeting today. Meanwhile, no official Polish statement has been made.

The British Press shows no disposition to take sides in the dispute, which generally is regarded as a most deplorable event, occurring as it does between two allies for whose gallantry and fortitude in the common struggle the British people have the utmost admiration.