POST FOR ROMMEL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1943, Page 4

POST FOR ROMMEL

COMMAND OF GERMAN WEST FRONT SOME REPORTED CHANGES. ARISING OUT OF ALLEGED PLOTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, December 15. Morley Richards, writing in the “Daily Express,” says that Field-Mar-shal von Rundstedt has been deposed as the chief of Germany’s anti-invas-ion front in western Europe. The German news agency announced that his post has been given to Field-Marshal Rommelr

Swiss reports state that Rundstedt, after a visit to Portugal, wrote to Hitler saying that Germany had lost the war, and that for the sake of Germany Hitler should give up the leadership as it would assist the peace terms.

Baron von Falkenhausen, the German military commander in Belgium, has been removed, says the military correspondent of the “Daily Express.” Information from Belgium says that he is succeeded by the Waffen S.S. General Richard Jaunglas. who is an intimate friend of Himmler. There can be no complaint against Falkenhausen over the degree of his ruthlessness; he has ruled Belgium with such savagery that he rates high among the war criminals who will be brought to justice, says the correspondent. It is plain that he has become suspect for some other reason. The inference is that he is suspected by the Gestapo of being involved in a peace plan which they think Rundstedt, who is Falkenhausen's intimate friend and contemporary, has been unsuccessfully hatching.