SABOTEURS CAUSE HAVOC IN RUMANIA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 170, 21 July 1941, Page 7

SABOTEURS CAUSE HAVOC IN RUMANIA

OILFIELDS RUIUCD

Air Raid On Moscow Not

Confirmed

United I'ress Association.—Copyright

Rec. 1.30 p.m.

LONDON, July 20,

The "Daily Telegraph" Istanbul correspondent says it is reliably reported that the Rumanian Government is seriously concerned at the ever-growing effects of sabotage, especially in the oilfields, for which so-called Communists, co-operating with Soviet agents, are responsible. It now appears that Fifth Columnists, not Soviet bombers, have been responsible for most of the devastation at Ploesti, Tulcea, Sulina and Constanza. Constanza is described as one huge area of ruins.

Sabotage and other co-operation with the Russians cannot be the work of Communists because all are either exterminated or gaoled. The majority of Rumanians do not forgive General Antonescu for subserving Rumania's true interests to Germany. The Rumanian High Command has issued only five communiques since the outbreak of the war, apparently because the carnage of Rumanian troops is so great and the progress so disproportionate that it cannot risk public reaction. Moscow Radio Appeal The Moscow radio throughout the day has been calling on Serbs and Croats to join the great army of saboteurs and adds: "Do any damage you can. Derail trains, blow up bridges, destroy factories, cut telephone wires. Arise and overthrow the foreign usurpers." Reports from Stockholm say that Germans heavily bombed Moscow on July 19. Unconfirmed reports state that the Kremlin was laid in ruins, and the Academy of Sciences and cultural buildings were also destroyed, but the Moscow radio was still broadcasting last night while officials at Berlin said they had no knowledge of the raid. The Berlin radio summed up the position at the end of a month's fighting by saying: "The Stalin Line has been broken at all decisive points. Kishinev has been captured. The Finnish Army is advancing on both sides of Lake Ladoga. The battles now in progress, some 100 miles east of the Stalin Line, are paving the way for decisive events." This summary is in mild contrast to the High Command's flamboyant statement a week ago. The German news agency states that the crossing of the Dniester reported in the Berlin communique on July 19 was effected in the neighbourhood of Kamanet Podolsk. Russia's Good Harvest Moscow, reporting on the feverish gathering in of the harvest throughout the country, estimates that by July 10 Russia had collected three times as much as in the corresponding period last year. The collective farms in Georgia had handed over six times the quantity, while the rate of collection in the Crimea was enormously increased over previous records. The crops generally were heavier than in 1940, and the quality excellent, especially of those grains used for bread.

A message from Bucharest says the whole of Rumania is celebrating the recovery of Bessarabia and Bukovina. The streets of Bucharest are decorated with flags, portraits of King Michael, Antonescu, Hitler and Mussolini.

The Moscow radio reports that Fritz Mehnert, deputy-chief of the Nazi Labour Front, has been killed in action.

The Moscow radio stated that Stalin has been appointed Commissar for Defence, in place of Marshal Timoshenko, who becomes ViceCommissar.