The Bay of Plenty Times WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1942 WAR CRIMES OF GERMANS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13771, 14 October 1942, Page 2

The Bay of Plenty Times WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1942 WAR CRIMES OF GERMANS

The German gangsters, headed by Hitler, have been innumerable atrocious war crimes, and there is now a ‘ the criminals will not go unpunished. In London and m V. aslm ton committees of investigation are being set up am ■n mittees will make reports from time to time. It and cruelty is part of the German war strategy, but this kind 01 strategy does not conform with the laws' of war. *” e , mj; J.” in warfare accepted by civilised nations to raiinmis ■ , . war. In war it may be impossible to avoid unintentional cruel s but the kind of cruelties and brutalities practised by the Geimans .n this war have been premeditated. What could justify .innocent men and women and even children being shot as lepnsals to sabotage committed by someone unknown to the victims or _ firino' party? The Poles, the Czechs, the Yugoslavs, the Cioatiaus, the Greeks, the Norwegians, the Dutch, the Belgians and the French have suffered the horrors of German domination, and the amazing part is that sabotage does not cease but rather is it increasing, the hatred against the Germans is growing in intensity and we cannot be surprised at this. The investigation committees are preparing the cases, and no doubt there will be punishment to follow, but is this enough? . r The Germans are thugs by nature. Brutality is their hrm beliet and the question is whether such a nation should be allowed to exist as a nation. So long as Germany remains Germany so long will Europe be in danger of a recurrence of wars. All the nations of Europe, except Germany, desire to live at peace, and should these nations maintain in their midst a nation of thugs and bandits who revel in cruelty, brutality and bloodlnst? We think not. The nations of Europe must discipline the brutal neighbour and so render her harmless. After the war Germany should be placed under foreign rule. Germany will be disarmed to stay disarmed, but Germany will need to be very closely watched while she, is disarmed, to see that she does not secretly rearm. The rising generation of Germans should be taught manners and the ethics of international relations. In point of fact we cannot have the old Germany back again. If placed under the rule of either Britain or the United States something may be made of the German people, but they certainly* should not be allowed to remain as they are, free to prepare for another blood bath in Europe. After the war the Germans will be the best hated nation in Europe, and it is doubtful whether any European country will allow a German to find shelter. The German nation must be punished in a way that would help to reform the character of its people. There is now growing evidence that the position of the Germans is becoming very desperate. The Russians have wrecked the German war machine. No longer do we hear talk of the Germans capturing the Russian'oilfields, and the Persian oilfields, or of occupying Egypt and the Suez Canal, and marching on to India, there to join hands with the Japanese. The Germans and the Japanese are fighting for their very existence, and both are showingsigns of war weariness. Germany is beginning to suffer from the lack of manpower for the fighting front and the industrial front, and is conscripting men from the occupied countries for both fronts. British subjects in the Channel Islands are being made slaves for this purpose. The latest criminality of the Germans is to put several thousands of Britishers,- who took part in the Dieppe Commando raid, in chains, and they no doubt hoped to get away with it. The British reply to this has been to put an equal number of German prisoners of war in chains. It is time the Allies ceased, to treat Germany as an honourable enemy. If Germany treats prisoners of war brutally then the Allies must treat the German prisoners of war with equal brutality. The road to a German’s reason is via brutality.