"ONE BLOW AFTER ANOTHER" TO NAZIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 7

"ONE BLOW AFTER ANOTHER" TO NAZIS.

W WAR AT SEA.

Cruiser Badly Damaged; Over 50 Subs. Sunk.

GERMANS IN U.S. CONCERNED

United Press Association.—Copyright.

(Received 10.30 a.m.)

LONDON, December 20.

Well-informed official quarters confirm that the heavy German cruiser Blucher (10,000 tons) was badly damaged by a British torpedo, according to the Berlin correspondent of the "Neuezurcher Zeitung."

It is officially estimated that a total of over 50 U-boats have been sunk bv the Allied fleets, says a Palis cable.

The scuttling of the 32,565-ton German liner Columbus and the forcing of the German motor ship Arauca. into port have brought the war closer to the United States than at any tin;o since it began, says a New York cable. Thousands of German-Americans living in New \ork's "German section" gathered in bars and at street corners discussing the Reich's latest setback.

There was consternation at the New \ ork offices of the North German Lloyd Lines when the news was received. "Oh, my God!" said the manager, Mr. John Schroedcr. "It is one blow after another."

Indefinite Stay in United States. He added that as the Columbus was unarmed he believed the crew were entitled to an indefinite stay in the United States, where the line would take care of them. Asked whether they would be returned to Germany, he replied: "How could they be?"

There is much speculation as to why an unarmed ship left the safety of a netitral port. The New York "HeraldTribune" suggests that the most plausible theory is that the sacrifice was risked in order to refuel some important warship short of oil. The Mexico City representative of the United Press states reports are circulating there that the cargo of the Columbus included hundreds of thousands of Mexican shoes for the German Army, and also half-filled drums of oil, which were to be dropped overboard for submarines. The "New York Times" says in an editorial: "By this scuttling, the Germans have lost whatever prestige they may have gained by the escape of the Bremen from Murmansk." The "Herald-Tribune" says: "The I liner's fate is unmistakably ominous news. A regime that expects to win the war would hardly be likely to take such extravagant risks with a costly possession that was anchored in a neutral port, from which victory for Germany would have redeemed her."

The recently completed Bluclier, which mounts eight Bin guns, was ii) the German naval squadron attacked by the British submarine Salmon, on its epic patrol a little over a week ago. The commander of the submarine saw one of his torpedoes hit the cruiser Leipzig and, although he had to dive before he could make certain, he thought two more had hit either the Blucher or the Hipper, another cruiser of the same class, which was also in the squadron.