NEWS IN BRIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 September 1945, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF

EIRE AND LIFEBOATS LONDON, September 14. Representatives of the Irish branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have rejected Mr. de Valera’s request to drop the word “Royal” from the title. The representatives whom Mr. de Valera summoned to Government House told him they would not even discuss the matter, and threatened to withdraw immediately all their lifeboats and equipment from Eire if Mr. de Valera attempted to force the issue.' “WOE JOE” DETAINED. FLORENCE?" September 13. The Italian police arrested Giovannie (Woe Joe) Ansaldo, ex-editor of Ciano’s newspaper “Il Telegrafo,” while changing trains at Empoli. He was dressed as a lieutenant-colonel without proper badges of rank. Ansaldo was en route home from a concentration camp in Germany, from which it appears the Allies had deliberately released him. The Italian police are holding him for investigation. TROOPS LEAVING NORWAY (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) OSLO, September 14. The Russian Government has ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from Norway. The British and American troops will be withdrawing by the end of October.

INDIAN ELECTIONS (Recd. 11 a.m.) POONA, Sept. 14. The Working Committee of the All India Congress Party decided to contest the forthcoming elections for the central and provincial legislatures “to demonstrate the will of the people.” The committee protested against the manner in which the elections were arranged, and alleged that under one per cent, of the population was e 1 igi ble to vote.

The second course at the dinner at which General Wainwright made his speech was “Crown of Pilaff” (rice with lobster). The New York “Post” said: General Wainwright’s prison diet for 39 months consisted of rice. AIDING ALLIED AIRMEN HANOI, September 14. A secret French organisation, at the risk of torture and death, saved the lives of many British, American, and Australian airmen who were forced down in Indo-China. The organisation also provided information to MajorGeneral Chennault’s air force for the bombing of Japanese ships and installations. . , q , Nurse Suzanne Burgard told how an American flyer was stripped of his Insignia and carried into hospital under the noses of the Japanese. Dr. Fargas, who was' killed by the Japanese last March, mended the airman’s broken skull, and nurses later dressed the injury. The Annamite staff ffelped the flyer to escape. NAURU CANNIBALISM SYDNEY, September 14. The Japanese forces on Nauru Island became so desperate for food that they ate their own men, who became too ill to fend for ‘themselves. This ghastly story of cold-blooded cannibalism was admitted by Lieuten-ant-Commander Akiho Hishimoto, the Japanese surrender envoy on board H.M.A.S. Diamantina. Hishimoto said food was so short on the island that the Japanese, natives, and Chinese lived on fish and pumpkins. More than 300 Japanese had died of starvation. One hundred and thirty Japanese were in hospital, and of those 40 were too ill to walk. When told that the Japanese must evacuate the whole of the main residential area of the island immediately, Hishimoto pleaded for permission to continue fishing, as fish were all they had upon which to live. He was told that the problem of feeding the Japanese would be dealt with later, ahd that he must obey instructions. MASTER SPY ARRESTED LONDON, Sept. 13. The man the Secret Service believes responsible for the sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse in 1942, was arrested says the “Daily Express” correspondent at Singapore. He is John Kemperley, aged 40, described as of mixed European blood. He was one of Japan’s ’master spies in the Far East and radioed to Tokio information which resulted in tracking down and sinking the two ships.