Surrender of Criminals Absolute Impossibility.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7339, 16 February 1920, Page 3

Surrender of Criminals Absolute Impossibility.

Berlin, Feb. 13

Reinhardt has issued an order of the day, which states that the surrender list includes all the great army leaders. The order adds : " Germans regard the surrender as an absolute impossibility. The army agrees in this standpoint, and the army leaders, under no circumstances, will < abandon it. United Service. Rec Feb 16,9.25 a.m London, Feb 13. The Guardian's Berlin correspondent states that under the infuence of Herr Noske, Minister for War, the German refusal to surrender war criminals is stiffening. The Government shows itself weak and treacherous, and has allowed the Noskeites. to stampede the position. The militarists, like everyone else in Germany, forsee national collapse under the weight of the Treaty, and say: "If it must come "it I would be better now. Let us at I least have national honour."

The correspondent adds: "If the Allies compromise over the war criminals question, a later crisis will see the Germans adopting a similar attitude until en forcement of the Treaty is impossible. The German workers are unwilling to shield the criminals, but are largely apathetic.