“GERMANY WILL LOSE”

Evening Star, Issue 23832, 12 March 1941, Page 8

“GERMANY WILL LOSE”

AMERICAN EDITOR'S OPINION STATEMENT ON RETURN FROM AMERICA NEW YORK, March 10. Air Paul Tierney, war editor of the ‘ New York Post,’ who recently visited Britain, in a front-page article to-day, said; “ 1 went to Britain fearing that Germany was on the verge of winning the war. I have just come back certain that Germany will never win. 1 am confident, moreover, that Germany will bo • beaten decisive!}'. “ I believe the people of Britain will not crack. The defences of Britain are strongly manned, and the people, are eager for Hitler to attempt an invasion. Britain will not starve. The Nazi-held nations of Europe are being organised to take part in a great up-surge of re volution when the hour is ripe. “ British capital and British labour are working with marked harmony in the common cause. Given shipping and given supplies, Britain can and will carry the war to the Continent and bring Hitler to bis knees.” OCCUPIED COUNTRIES NAZI FOOD LAWS BREACHES ON INCREASE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 10. The latest information reaching official circles in London indicates an increasing tendency in occupied territories to break the German official regulations. In spite of stringent penalties hoarding on the part of both producers and consumers is frequent. Livestock is slaughtered surreptitiously, and producers and dealers overcharge customers. Scarce but unrationed foods are sold by a retailer only if the customer buys at the same time articles in ample supply (coupled sales). Smuggling is frequent. Not merely food itself, but food coupons are subject of theft, while food coupons are often forged. These are all . punishable offences in every country under German rule.

Coupled sales, which can obviously only take place where certain goods are plentiful, are frequent in Germany, but rare in occupied areas, where theft and coupon-forging are more common.

In the German countries Austria is the centre of illicit trading, and members of the Nazi Party are among the worst offenders. In Denmark one

hoarding case involved the cold storage of 50,000 kilos of butter, and there have been numerous convictions for forgeries and thefts of coupons. Overcharging in Holland recently resulted in the confiscation of two factories’ entire stock of 170 tons of cocoa and an importer’s stock of 400,000 kilos of coffee. '

Notwithstanding the sever® penalties, prosecutions for hoarding mounted steeply at the end of last year in Belgium. In August 320 prosecutions occurred, involving 1,000 kilos of goods, •by November the number had risen to 7,000, while in December the total was 8,531, covering 1,000-1,530 kilos of foodstuffs. Theft and the forging of coupons have become increasingly common inoccupied France, and in one district 220,000 forged coupons were recently issued. The severity of the measures taken to protect foodstuffs in Italy is indicated by the fact ■ that the theft of staple foods has been made punishable by the death penalty since December. PETROL IN AUSTRALIA PRIVATE RATION GUT BY A QUARTER MELBOURNE, March 11. The petrol allowance for private motorists has been cut by approximately one-quarter—from 4,000 miles t0'3,000 miles a year. This new scale was announced to-day by the Minister of Supply, Senator M'Brido, and it will apply to the rations for April and May. BRITISH BY-ELECTION CANDIDATE RETURNED UNOPPOSED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 11. (Received March 12, at 8 a.m.) Captain Sir Seymour Berry, aged 31, the son and heir of Lord Camrose, was returned unopposed as National Conservative M.P. for Hitchin (Herts). The by-election was caused by the death, on active service of Sir Arnold Wilson. UNITED STATES ARMY MILLION MARK REACHED WASHINGTON, March 11. The United States army to-day exceeded 1,000,000 men for the first time since the World War.