WAR NEWS IN BRIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 May 1943, Page 5

WAR NEWS IN BRIEF

BRITAIN'S ELECTORAL TRUCE

LONDON, May 21

The British Labour Party executive has issued a manifesto in defence of the electoral truce, saying that mere party interests are not sufficient cause for breaking the truce. The manifesto added: “Our men are fighting a hard life-and-death struggle. Their assessment of the relative importance of military and political warfare might not exactly coincide with the views of those at home.”

ALBERT GOLD MEDAL.

LONDON, May 21. The highest award of the Royal Society of Arts, the Albert Gold Medal, will be conferred this year upon Sir John Russel, F.R.S., Director of the Rothamsted Experimental Station in Hertfordshire. General Smuts was awarded the medal in 1942 and Mr. Roosevelt in 1941. Sir John Russel is perhaps the greatest living authority on agriculture. He is at present adviser to the Soviet Relations Division of the Ministry ol Information.

DUTCH EXECUTED

LONDON, May 21

The names of 10 more Dutchmen executed since martial law was imposed on May 1. have reached Dutch circles in London, making the number known to be executed at 64, but it is believed the total is several hundred.

NORWEGIANS EXECUTED

LONDON, May 20

Ten Norwegians, mostly from Trondheim and aged under 30 yeais were executed after Terooven s refusal to grant a reprieve, states 'lne Times’s” Stockholm correspondent. Six were sentenced to death for making military preparations to help the enemy in the event of* cin invasion sncl ‘three for not divulging the other s plan, of which they had knowledge. The tenth was a teacher, Peder Morseth, aged 58 who offered armed resistance when arrested for attempting to escape from the country. His case somehow symbolises the present rule of terror throughout Norway. During Peder Morseth s arrest his son, Helge, was shot in an arm which was later amputated. Helge is now in a concentration camp. Peder Morseth’s wife, at the same time, became insane and was put in an asylum.

IRISH SHIP SUNK

LONDON, May 20. , The master of the steamship lush Oak, after landing at Cork, with members of his crew, by plane, reported that his ship was torpedoed without warning on April 15, aoout 1800 miles out on the normal Queens-town-New York route. The first torpedo struck forward and the crew took to the boats. Then a second rnrpedo hit the ship, which sank. The weather was fine and visibility good. The submarine was not sighted