SABOTAGE AND REVOLT

Evening Star, Issue 24007, 4 October 1941, Page 10

SABOTAGE AND REVOLT

POSITION IN OCCUPIED COUNTRIES MORE EXECUTIONS BY GESTAPO LONDON, October 3. Following wholesale death sentences and arrests, the Germans are attempt ing to belittle the resistance in Bohemia and Moravia. A German spokesman said the Czech revolt was under control and the Gestapo had established an economic supervision bureau with the object of controlling food distribution and combating sabotage of foodstuffs. Heydrich has issued an order forbidding peasants to deliver grain to the mills or to receive from the mills during the blackout with the object of preventing concealment of grain. A dozen German soldiers walking to Zagreb airport were fired on from the shadow of buildings and two were killed and one seriously injured. It was originally reported yesterday that 30 were executed in the Banat area. The Associated Press now reports from Budapest that over 60 wore executed there. The newspaper ‘ Magyarorazag ’ also reports that the Germans have threatened in the event of further violence publicly to hang 38 of the imprisoned Communists. Forty-two have already been executed in Hun-garian-occupied Yugoslavia. The Quisling Croat leader, Pavel itch, interviewed by the ‘ Popolo» d’ltalia,’ admits that it is impossible to stamp out guerrilla warfare in Croatia, where every yard of the railway and every bridge must be guarded. According to the Prague radio, 15 were shot and three hanged in Prague and Brno to-day. SENTENCES FOR TREASON, The Spanish, newspaper ‘ Corrier E Della Sera ’ estimates that 543 were arrested in Varna on September 27 and 28, and arms and explosives seized. A Hungarian military tribunal sentenced 18 persons to from 13 to 15 years for treason, while in Bucharest five wore condemned to forced labour for from seven to 25 years for political activities. Communications between Thrace and Bulgaria were cut off as a result of a reported armed Greek rising in the mountains in the Drama area. In spite of warning, sabotage is increasing in Poland, and it continues to be aimed particularly against German lines of communication to the Russian front. The line was Mocked for 10 days when a bridge near Bialystok was blown up. The Germans arrested 300 and shot 15 and publicly exhibited the bodies. UNDERCURRENTS IN AUSTRIA, The Lisbon correspondent of the ‘ Daily Mail ’ says that two underground movements in Austria are preparing for a revolt against Hitler-—the Communists and the Monarchists. Two secret radio stations broadcast regularly to Austrians, and the Communists have been revived and are secretly circulating their own newspaper. The 35 who were arrested and the eight sentenced in Amiens were accused of Communism. The Belgians are giving the German troops an uncomfortable time, and the German commanders are disturbed at the deleterious effect on the morale of their troops as the result of billeting among the population. The troops are now quartered at hotels.

Norwegians are short of fish for the first time in history, and have been forced to introduce rationing because exports of fish to Germany are reported to be as high as 95 per cent. The Germans are rapidly taking oyer the entire fishing industry, and anti-German inscriptions are appearing on the walls of buildings throughout Norway.

CZECHS AND SLOVAKS. The correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ on the German frontier says the closest secrecy is being maintained in Berlin about the repression of Czech patriots, hut from references in German-eon-trolled Prague newspapers it is dear that two groups are operating, the first seeking to resuscitate the Czech State on a basis of separation from Bohemia and Moravia from the Reich, and the second is accumulating large quantities of all kinds of weapons in readiness for the overthrow of Germany as soon as a favourable chance presents itself. It is composed largely of officers, including army generals, manv of whom have already been executed. It is out that the breach formerly separating the Czechs and Slovaks is closing up under German domination. FIVE VICTIMS AMERICAN SQUADRON'S TALLY (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. noon.) RUGBY, October 3. The American Eagle Squadron destroyed five 109's yesterday, not four as’ previously announced. A pilot officer who made no claim for having even damaged a German fighter when the squadron returned from a scrap over Noi'thern France, was credited with the fifth to-day on the strength of evidence' supplied by two other pilots in the squadron. The pilot officer fired at the Messerchmitt from long range while diving on to its tail. He saw no effect from the bullets beyond the machine being pulled up out of its dive and being turned away out of his line of fire. So he cut in across, turned, and fired again. This time he saw black smoke from the Messerschmitt, but thought it was only caused by the engine choking as the German pilot pushed the throttle wide open to try and escape. The pilot officer turned and reformed with his section, but two other members of the Eagle, Squadron who were behind him then saw a stream of black smoke from the Messerschmitt. A moment later the machine burst into flames and dived down. To-day it was decided that the pilot officer could be credited with the Messerschmitt, though he made no claim himself. DEATH SENTENCE FORMER MAYOR OF PRAGUE (Rcc. 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 3. Over 200 people were charged before the People’s Court in Prague for participation in widespread sabotage plots. Otokar Klapka, former Mayor of Prague, was sentenced to death for alleged attempted high treason and connivance with the enemy. COLETTE NOT TO DIE. A Vichy message reports that Marshal Petain has commuted the death sentence on Paul Colette. Lava! had asked the Minister of Justice (M. Barthelmy) that Colette should not be executed.

The Moscow radio stated that Fritz Klausen, chief of the Norwegian Nazi Party, had resigned. NORWEGIAN QUISLINGS. The anti-Nazi newspaper in London, the ‘ Die Zeitung,’ quotes a report from Stockholm that negotiations between Terboven and Quisling resulted in an agreement stipulating that the German civil administration will bo withdrawn from Norway after the war on condition that the Quisling Party has won sufficient support among Norwegians. It stipulated that Quisling should he appointed Slate leader. The German occupation army is to remain in Norway with the object of guaranteeing the country’s safety until the Norwegian defence force is trained under German instructors. It was also laid down that the Germans will retain some localities for bases, also the right to maintain perpetual garrisons. GERMANS LIKE APPLES! LONDON, October 4. Germany is confiscating the entire apple crop in Czecbo-Slovakia.