FATE OF AIRMEN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 203, 25 May 1944, Page 5

FATE OF AIRMEN

Report About Guards’ Riot Untrue (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, May 23. The British Air Ministry has issued the following statement:—“lt can be stated nothing occurred at Stalagluft 3 in the nature of the report which appeared in the Press. The suggestion that the guards ran riot and shot the prisoners is without foundation. The Government has already promised and will make a full statement as soon as a report is received from the protecting Power.” Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent says that the British Minister to Sweden, referring to reports that escapees from Stalagluft 3 had reached Sweden, declared: “We have no information whatever. I have never heard of the presence in Sweden of any man who , could have given an eye-witness account.” In the House of Commons, Mr. Eden said that he had asked the British Minister in Stockholm for an immediate report about the story. German Counter-blast. Berlin radio announced that the German Supreme Command deems it necessary to place before the world a number of “outrageous violations of international law” by the British and American air forces. There have been 20 such cases between January 24 and April 14, it is said. Since April 14, Anglo-American attacks against hospitals, etc., have .occurred almost daily. No dressing station, no hospital, train, or transport of wound’ ed soldiers has been safe from attach. The targets attacked in all these cases were clearly marked with the Red Cross. Berlin radio added that Peoples Courts would in future try any pilots shot down who were suspected Of breaches of international law. The “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm correspondent says that a barrage of German propaganda has been launched against the Allied flyers in the past 24 hours. “Few here doubt that this counter-blast is to excuse the Stalagluft 3 shootings, he comments.