SYMPATHIES OF BELGIANS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23053, 22 June 1940, Page 12

SYMPATHIES OF BELGIANS

™ 80 PER CENT. OPENLY PRO GERMAN ” (CXITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COi'VRIGUT.) (Received June 21, 7 p.m.) , . . . ... . : LONDON, June 30. Mr Reg. F. Conrad, formerly of Adelaide, and his N.ew Zealand wife have arrived in London after five weeks under aerial bombardment in Belgium and France. They were in Paris when the Germans entered the outskirts. Mr Conrad, who lived in Brussels, saw German propaganda slowly turn the minds of the Belgians until the invasion of the Low Countries, when. Mr Conrad estimated, at least 80 per cent, of the papulation was openly pro-German. CONSUL’S DENIAL EVIDENCE OF BRUSSELS NEWSPAPERS U’EESS ASSOCIATION TELEGEAiI.) WELLINGTON, June 21. The statement by Mr R. F. Conrad, cabled from London, that at the time of the invasion of the Low Countries at least 80 per cent, of the population was openly pro-German, was challenged by the Belgian Consul (M. Armand Nihotte) in an interview tonight. “When I read that statement my blood boiled,” he said. ‘Tn the last war the Germans destroyed our country and machine-gunned our people. If you had experienced that treatment 25 years ago do you think you would be pro-German? “I know Brussels. I have a collection of all the Brussels newspapers since the beginning of the war last September. If anyone can find anything in them to support the statement that the people were openly pro-Ger-man, I shall be very much surprised Field-Marshal Goering himself said it was because the Belgian press and the Belgian people were too openly proAlly that Belgium was invaded. "Such statements as Mr Conrad's, which tend to cause disunion, are most distressing. They'savour of fifth column work.”

INDIA’S PART IN WAR

INDUSTRIAL HELPvi FOR BRITAIN (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) . / - RUGBY, June 20. ; The Secretary of State for India , (Mr -L. S. Amery) gave an assurance in the. .House of Commons this afternoon that the Government of India was no less anxious than he himself 1 to develop India’s war capacity to the” full. He referred to a statement broadcast by . the , Commander-in-Chief. in , India in May in which the latter'gave .details of measures being taken by the Government of India to raise and equip forces to India's maximum capacity and also to expand her industrial" and productive output to provide war materials and necessaries for. use both in India and overseas. Mr Arnery added: “It must be remembered that in India, as elsewhere, the development of resources in manpower is conditioned by the supply of -equipment. . With irrvietv, to making the' best Use of those resources the Government of India and I are exploring every method of expediting the supply-both of equipment and of the means of producing it, and are pressing forward with our efforts to the utmost extent that is possible -without hindering the Supply of essential equipment required -for, immediate use elsewhere in the present emergency.” ■ , ' ;— 1

HOUSES IN SECRET SESSION DEBATE ON HOME DEFENCE - (Received June 21, 7 pjn.) ■ . LONDON, June 20. After questions, the House of Commons entered its secret session. The number of members was so great that they overflowed into the galleries. The following report of the proceedings was issued under the authority of the Speaker:-“ The adjournment of . the' House was moved, and a debate took place on home defence and other matters.” The House of Lords’ official account states; “The House is in sqcret session.”

EMERGENCY POWERS ;;:y;; : in' Australia; ■ '■m - - BILL APPROVED BY BOTH HOUSES (Received June 21, .11.30 p.m.) CANBERRA, June 21. The Federal Treasurer (Mr P. C. Spender) to-day introduced in the House of Representatives a bill authorising the raising of a further loan of £20,000,000 for defence. He stated that the money would not be'raised immediately. * The Federal Parliament rose this Elf ternooh. until early in August. r The Senate passed by an overwhelming majority the National Security Amendment Bill. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives by 59 votes to 10,

POWERS TAKEN IN CANADA (Received June 21. 11 p.m.) ~ OTTAWA, June 21. The House of Commons passed the Emergency Bill giving the Canadian Goverhment almost unlimited power to conscript men, industry, wealth, and property. Approval by the Senate is considered certain. BOMB EXPLOSIONS IN NEW YORK (Received June-21, 7 p.m.) NEW YORK. June 20. Bombs exploded in the offices of the German Money Exchange at New York, adjoining the Nazi Consulate, and in a building two miles distant housing the national office of the Corm rnunist Party also the Communist newspaper "Daily. Worker,” Seven were injured in the first explosion and none in the second.