THOUSANDS OVER FRONTIER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 78, 14 January 1936, Page 5

THOUSANDS OVER FRONTIER.

DETACHMENT SURRENDERS ARMS. THE UNREST INTENSIFYING. ("United Press Association —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 13. The “Standard’s” special correspondent dispatched to Southern Tyrol to investigate the anti-Italian demonstrations among the German-speaking populace, confirms the reports of the mutiny of the Alpine Regiment at Merano, and states that the troops are daily drafted from Italy to preserve order. The correspondent adds that the frontier villages are filled with soldiers armed police, protected by barbed wire. Nevertheless the unrest is increasing. After the outbreak of war 10,000 deserters reported to relief organisations, who found some of them work on farms and in hotels. A number have been sent ter concentration camps in Switzerland, Yugoslavia, and Germany. The major cause of the resentment is that Italy, is calling up all motor drivers in South Tyrol, because mountain experience is invaluable in Abyssinia. One driver abandoned his car on a. snowy mountain-side and tramped to Innsbruck. The relief organisations cover 500 miles of frontier and help deserters. A prominent member, Dr. Edward Reutnicolussi, discloses that 1700 Ger-man-speaking deserters have taken refuge in Germany and Austria. A detachment of the Italian army crossed the frontier and surrendered machine-guns and rifles, to the North Tyrol police. Disturbances marked the entrainment of Tyrolean officer reservists for the front. Arrests were numerous. TYROLEANS FLEE TO AUSTRIA. TEN THOUSAND DURING WAR. (Received This Dav, *9.40 a.m.) LONDON, January 13. “The Standard’s special correspondent at Innsbruck states that since the outbreak of the war 10,000 'Tyroleans have fled to Austria.