BRITISH-AMERICAN LOAN TALKS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24740, 4 December 1945, Page 5

BRITISH-AMERICAN LOAN TALKS

"Critical Stage Reached" (N.Z. Press Association —Copyrieht) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, December 3. Washington correspondents say it seems certain that this week will see a decision in the negotiations for an American loan to Britain. Reuter's correspondent in Washington says that an urgent meeting of the leaders of the delegations was suddenly called last night.. It was understood to he for the purpose of putting all cards on the table, as a climax to the three months of discussions. "The whole loan issue has reached a critical stage," says the correspondent. "Long coded cable messages are passing between the British Cabinet and Lord Keynes, leader of the delegation in Washington." The correspondent adds that the conditions on which Britain is to accept a loan are the main problem,- including the reduction of British import -and exchange control and the release of blocked sterling.

WAR CRIMES TRIAL

BRITISH CASE FOR PROSECUTION

OPENING ADDRESS TO-DAY

NUREMBERG, December 2. Sir Hartley Shawcross, K.C., the British Attorney-General anti chief British prosecutor in the war ‘ crimes trial, has arrived from London. He will open the British case for the prosecution on Tuesday. Reuter's correspondent in Nuremberg says: “Mr Sidney Alderman will conclude the American case to-mor-row, when he will present 70 documents to sho\y how Germany took over Czechoslovakia and used it as a springboard for a drive to subjugate Europe. “Informed quarters say that Sir Hartley Shawcross and his colleagues think that the prosecution’s case so far is long and too detailed. They are believed to be planning to present their case in three or four days, laying before the .tribunal a compact mass of evidence to prove' the charge of ‘crimes against peace.’ The British will introduce about 1180 documents, including certified copies of treaties which the accused are charged- with breaking. “Sir, Hartley Shawcross, in an address, which is expected to last most of Tuesday, will snow how the Nazis followed their aggression in Czechoslovakia with the planning and execu-. tion of the attack on Poland. He will describe the development of the war against France, Britain, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland. Luxemburg, Jugoslavia, and Greece. He is determined that all his team shall adhere to a strict time-table. Each will deal with specific phases in order to avoid a wilderness of ‘single instances,’ which has already put the prosecution many days behind schedule.”

FOOD QUEUES IN BRITAIN MORE PROTESTS FROM HOUSEWIVES LONDON, Dec. 2. The “second .offensive” of the antiqueue campaign, which led to the formation of the British Housewives’ League, was launched at the Ministry of Food by three women with four members of the Chamber of Commerce to support them. They threatened that unless something was done about food and the shopping situation soon the women of Britain would riot. Six points towards a new deal for' British housewives were put forward to simplify unnecessary difficulties . which caused - shoppers to wait for hours in queues. Badly organised ' distribution of food and too many restrictions on registration, with dealers were alleged. They said that ■ it was necessary to queue for Almost . every obtainable commodity now,' from the Sunday joint to x the potatoes ; cooked with it. - . One of the supporters, of the “offensive” says: “I think it is quite-; true to say that thousr.ids of women . to-day are dead who would not be if v they had not had to stand ‘for long . hours in queues, summer ; and win-; ter.” . ' ... •' ■ The queues for fish, groceries, v fruit, vegetables, shoes, and buses . - are undoubtedly as ; long as ever or r longer in nearly every district. Tl}e - chief sufferer is the housewife. Many spend anything up to four hours - daily shopping for necessaries. Frequently when there are other articles ■ advertised, such as" sheets or stock- - ings, it means more standing and waiting in winter damp and cold. A typical example is of a former soldier’s wife of South Norwood; Lon- ’ don, who was shopping one -day. last - week. In the morning she stood foe one and a .half hours to get fish, half * an hour to buy some apples, and one hour for fat, sugar, and bacon. *She : ■ had to wait in a .different queue at the same ihop . for, each item. In the afternoon;; she had to line up • for another half-hour to get onions. ; A - woman next to her .waited for the same period to buy a small quantity • of rhubarb. • In ,a number -of cases.small .shop- - keepers are aggravating the problem by autocratic methods, ■ • ' Reports from the 1 big' provincial , centres reveal that the problem is . ‘ even More acute' than in London. ; , HELPING FORMER ENEMIES /.:■;■ PASTORAL TO ROMAN CATHOLICS' “GHASTLY TRUTH” ABOUT EASTERN EUROPE LONDON, December 2. : ", “Too many people are afraid ol expressing Christian sentiments for fear of being accused of softness to the enemy we have crushed,” writes the Roman Catholic Archbishop of v Westminster (the Most Rev. Bernard Griffin) in a pastoral letter. “It is obviously the duty of the Allied Governments to see that German militarism never again has the opportunity of destroying the peace of the' world, but this worthy end cannot be' achieved through a. policy of hatred - and revenge. •• 1 “We as Christians, are bound to love our enemies. We are told that mil- ■ , lions in Europe, especially in Germany, are threatened with death from: starvation during the winter. It is clearly the duty of the food producing countries to save Europe, but if others fail in their duty it does not provide ,an excuse for us to cry with Cain that we are not our brothers’ keepers. V “If those enjoying plenty are tin-• willing to give from their abundance we, as Roman Catholics, must express willingness to offer the widow’s mitet “Those of us who have spoken to returning soldiers know that*the news-:, papers, for the most part, give only a . dim picture of the horror of living con- ; ditions in other lands, v. “It is the duty of Roman Catholics ; ' to read Roman Catholic newspapers. Secular journalists may not be allowed to tell the story of persecution. Roman Catholic journalists are not afraid to do so. The pall of silence 6Ver eastern Europe and beyond is rarely lifted in the secular press, but the Church, with ~ its mission of goodwill to all men, never fails to record the ghastly truth.” POWER OF GERMAN BANKS (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, December 2. “Six German banks dominated banking and industry over most of Europe.” says the Frankfurt correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” giving the result of an investigation carried out by the Enemy # Cartels’ ‘External Assets Division of the United States Military Government. “With capital of £700,000,000.000 in 1944, the German banks by numerous devices obtained control of the leading , banking houses of Austria, Czechoslovakia.. Hungary, Rumania, Poland, Luxemburg, Belgium, and Holland, and eventually dominated more than 200 major industrial .concerns through their connexions with I. G. Farben. Rheinische Stahlwerke. Siemens. Krupps. Junkers, Schweinfurt Ballbearings. Dynamit A.G., and thousands of smaller concerns. “The German banks contributed to the party funds. Their leaders joined the Nazis, who used the banks* foreign personnel for espionage.” BOMBAY TIDAL WAVE EARTHQUAKE IN INDIAN OCEAN QUETTA, Dec, 2. The earthquake which caused a tidal wave in the Bombay area, apparently occurred in the Indian Ocean between Karachi and Bombay. It is believed to be the heaviest recorded for 36 years An official report on the recent tidal wave says that 45 bodies have been recovered.

HESS'S LOSS OF MEMORY

PSYCHIATRIST'S VIEWS

'Rec. 10 p.m.) NUREMBERG, Dec. 3. After again examining Hess, a psychiatrist, Dr. , G. M. Gilbert, said he was confirmed in his opinion that Hess was suffering from hysterical amnesia which “contains.. ; an,. element of . deliberate motivation.’’ Hess’s claim that he simulated amnesia was only rationalisation. Dr. Gilbert asked Hess whether his previous loss of memory was really faked. Hess replied: “May be I just did not try to remember.” Questioned whether he knew that Hitler changed the names of all streets named after him, Hess at first said, “Yes.” He then admitted that he had not known,.but assumed it to be so. Dr. Gilbert said: "The reply showed the defensive mechanism of an hysteric personality reacting to an idea catastrophic to his ego seeking refuge in amnesia.'* CZECHS CHARGE GESTAPO CHIEF (Rec. 10 p.m.) •. PRAGUE, Dec. d. The former Gestapo chief in Czechoslovakia, Kladno Harald Weismann. who is reputed to be one of the men responsible for the massacre of Lidice in. 1942, is in a Prague prison. .Weismann will give evidence against the former Germsn Minister of State (Frank) before being tried himself. RIDDING GERMANY OF NAZIS REPLY TO CRITICISM OF BRITISH POLICY (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. Dec. 3. The diplomatic correspondent of “The Times,” in referring to the British arrests cf Nazi steel magnates and ’industrialists, says there have been criticisms in the United States and Russia about alleged dilatoriness in getting rid of known Nazis in the British zone. He adds: “It is true enough that there has been less brusqueness in the British zone than elsewhere. It has not arisen from a disposition to tolerate Nazi leaders in industry, but rather from severely practical reasons. The British authorities, while arresting the more notorious Nazis, have had to make use of certain industrialists to get German industry going.’* PROPPING GERMAN FINANCES CAPITAL LEVIES AND HIGHER TAXATION (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, December 3. “A series of capital levies and greatly increased taxation have been decided on by the financial experts of the Allied Control Council to prevent Germany’s tottering finances from sinking to complete chaos.” says the Berlin correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” “The new taxation, which will operate from January 1, 1946, will be more severe than British taxation. “The suggestion that some form of capital levy was necessary to underpin the value of the mark was originally made by German bankers and businessmen themselves. Any repudiation of Germany’s enormous internal debt would instantly ruin all the German banks and insurance companies, and even such concerns as agricultural cooperative organisations, which were compelled by Hitler to invest up to 80 per cent, of their capital in State loans and bonds." JEWS TAKE OVER NAZI’S ESTATE (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 2. “A private Jewish charity organisation has taken over Julius Streicher’s estate," says Reuter’s correspondent in Nuremberg, quoting the American News Service in Germany. “The estate is equipped with the most modern agricultural machinery, and it is being converted into an agricultural training school for Jews intending to settle in Palestine." Streicher, the Nazi* jew-baiter, is one of the accused in the Nuremberg trial.