GERMAN OFFER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21697, 26 April 1945, Page 5

GERMAN OFFER

LEAVE PRISONERS

RETREAT FROM CAMPS STERN ALLIED WARNING (9 a.m.) LONDON, April 25. The German Government has offered to leave all Allied war prisoners in prison camps as the Allies advance. . The British Government has replied accepting the offer where British prisoners are involved. A Washington message says that the War Department has accepted the offer as far as the Americans are concerned. A warning signed by Mr. Churchill. President Truman and Marshal Stalin has been broadcast to Germany by all available means from London, Moscow and Washington about the treatment of Allied war prisoners, internees or deported citizens of the United Nations in the battle zones, on lines of communications, or realareas. The warning was addressed to all commandants, guards and also members of the Gestapo and other persons of whatsoever service or rank in whose charge such persons have been placed. The signatories declared that they would hold all such persons, no less than the German High Command and competent German military and naval authorities, individually responsible for the safety and welfare of those in their charge. Any person guilty of maltreating or allowing maltreatment will be ruthlessly pursued and brought to punishment. The signatories gave notice that “they will regard this responsibility as binding in all circumstances, and nne which cannot .be transferred to any other authority or individuals whatsoever.” 143,000 Captives Still Held

The Press Association says that about 143,000 British war prisoners were still in German hands a week ago. The United States Department of State estimated that 05,000 Americans are still in German hands. The White House announced that Allied planes dropped leaflets on Germanheld portions of the Reich warning all German officers in charge of Allied prisoners that they would be held individually responsible for the prisoners’ safety. The warning was signed by President Truman, Mr. Churchill and Marshal Stalin.

“The great bulk of British prisoners of war are still in Germany and most of them are probably in Bavaria,” said the Secretary for War. Sir James Grigg. answering a question in the House of Commons. “It h becoming increasingly difficult to get accurate, early information about individuals, whether they have beer released or are still in capitivity. The tenuous signals service is heavily strained with military messages, and the military authorities are rightly concentrating on sending back freed prisoners themselves rather than information about them. Sir James said. The Allies recently captured a German prisoners-of-war information bureau, and inquiries about individual prisoners could not be fruitful at least for the time being. About 30,000 British prisoners had been liberated from north-west Europe. o’ whom 23,000 had arrived in Britain and of whom 0400 were from the Dominions. British commonwealth prisoners liberated by the Russians numbered 3GG2, of whom 2932 had sailed from Odessa. Sir James Grigg said that there were 19,G00 German prisoners in Britain. lie declared that Britain still adhered to the Geneva Convention. On the other hand, he was clear that we must not do more than we need for German prisoners, and he was examining the matter from that point of view. The Prime Minister. Mr. Churchill, replying to another member, said: “Our gratitude for all that is being done by the Americans l'or he prisoners released by their valour is being conveyed to General Eisenhower.”