FRENCH GUIANA

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21361, 4 March 1941, Page 4

FRENCH GUIANA

FIFTH COLUMN WORK SOUTH AMERICA PRO-BRITISH PANAMA CANAL DAMAGE (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Tuesday Liberated convicts from Devil’s Island completing an enforced incarceration in French Guiana comprise a most dangerous breeding ground for German - fifth column activities, according to Mr E. H. Dow, formerly of Gisborne, but now engaged in survey work in Venezuela. He is here on furlough. He explained that if a man were sent to Devil’s Island for five years’ servitude he had to serve another five years after his release in French Guiana and was not allowed to leave Cayenne. They were the outcasts of civilisation and, as such, their outlook was fed on hatred. They were despised by residents of Cayenne and they promptly set out to rob and steal as soon as they reached the mainland. Being outcasts they were discon tended and a ready field for Nazi activities. Importance of Colony The importance of preserving the integrity of French Guiana will be better realised, he said, by remembering that Dakar was only 2100 mkes away—about nine hours by fast military aircraft. There was a big German-owned airline in Colombia known as Scadta and it was quite well known to the United States Government, who told the Colombian Government to buy them out. They were operating from seaplane bases in the Magdalena River, which was about 1000 miles long and provided the main route of access to a large portion of Colombian territory. He did not think that there was any support for General de Gaulle in French Guiana. The feeling in South America, as a whole, as far as he could judge, was very pro-British. Even as far back as two years ago the people were very pro-Allied and were definitely opposed to Germany. All Germans in Venezuela were roped in when Germany invaded Holland. Demands For Money After the Nazis had invaded Holland, civilians in Curacao, who had relatives in Holland, received cablegrams from the German authorities. “Send money overseas. It is concentration camp for him.” There was quite a big organisation for the raising of funds for the assistance of those overseas and the money was forwarded through the American Red Cross.

He happened to be in Costa Rica when Italy entered the war and the feeling was so violent that the Italian quarters were the scene of demonstrations, in which shop windows were smashed. The United States was definitely on the alert. Though it was not talked about much, there had been some damage at one of the locks on the Panama Canal as a result of sabotage and that definitely led to a clean-up in that area. He was there some time afterwards and the air strength in that region was amazing, military craft taking off and landing at one airfield at the rate of about one a minute.