HIMMLER DEAD?

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

HIMMLER DEAD?

STAFF CAR BURNT SHOT UP "BY BRITISH WAR REPORTER’S STORY RUGBY. April 29 The possibility that Reich Fuehrer Himmler, chief of the Gestapo, has been burned to death in a German staff car which was attacked by British armoured cars, is put forward by a correspondent “on the BremenHamburg road.” “Resting on this road,” he says, “are the remains of a big car, completely burnt out and in it are three charred bodies. The question that is being asked around here is whether >ne of these bodies is Himmler’s, The ■nr was shot up by armoured cars o the Household Cavalry on patro 1 Soon after our troops had first oroken across the road, armoured :ars saw a big black Mercedes speed ng down the road accompanied by armoured cars and about 20 Germa ' S.S. troops on motor-cycles and at once they opened fire. They mm have scored a hit on the petrol tank as the car burst into flames a skidded across the road into a ditcl The escort of armoured cars motor-cyclists returned the fire and there was a brief hectic engagement, but as our forces were outnumbered xey did not drive off the enemy. “Himmler, however, Is known tc have been in the neighbourhood las' week when he visited the garrison of both Bremen and Hamburg.

"The advance of the Guard Armoured Division came very quickly and carried them across the roads along which German troops were still attempting to move many hours after our forces had cut the roads. If it is not Himmler, it is hought that it must have been some other very high officer of the Nazi 3 arty, chiefly because of the size of the escort.”

>wn standards of living and put their uvn products at the disposal of the world as early as possible. The post-war conditions from ar.

nti-inflationary viewpoint would be he most difficult yet experienced in 3rilain. It would be possible to support our continuing rate pf expenditure only if, for the time being, ;he greatest restraints were continued ■n personal expenditure. That might

mem a hard doctrine on the morrow of a great victory after five years of great sacrifice, but it was none the ess true. He relied on the savings novement to bring home to the people more than he could himself, the fact that this was necessary in the interests of the country. The present taxation rates, apart from the minor alterations referred to. would remain unchanged for the present, firstly, because the burden of war was still upon us and it would be highly dangerous to throw greater pressure of purchasing power upon the market before there could be, a corresponding increase in supplies; secondly, we had not reached be stage when the task of the Chancellor in relation to post-war taxation could be begun. 49 Per Cent From Taxation Any major reductions in taxation be made as part of a compre•ensive review by the Chancellor c' s e probable cost of post-war expenditure and its effect on the taxation ■ystem as a whole. Forty-nine per rat. of war expenditure ca ne ir. x'dion. This could be done only because the needs of industry for replacement and re-equipment had men postponed It was these sacri’ces anJ deprivations, added to the country’s great productive effort, that made that expenditure possible. He hoped, however, that no one as a result of that would take too pessimistic a view. We must not conclude from the readiness with which Hi classes had borne the pressure of taxation that it would be possible or desirable to carry that into peace r he present level of taxation undoubtedly had been depressing to the spirit ot’ enterprise in industry. There hould be an early alleviation of tlv■envy obstacles to normal develon, nent. Thirty-three per cent, of the taxpayers’ income, apart from the exmss profits tax. was i uch above the Avel that any country should be ex •'•"tea (o maintain in peace. It was his conviction that taxation of tb ,v kind should not be continued nor should it be if we avoided continued defence expenditure on a vast scale If we could achieve that, we could also carry out social schemes to which we had set our hands. Sir John estimated that the income ’ax in the coming year would yield <11.350,000,000. an increase of £35,000,Qpo oyer 1544-45. The excess profits ,tax was estimated at £500,000.000 or £10,000,000 less than was received last year. The tobacco tax, estimated at £400,000,000 yearly and beer at £300,000,000. The amount to be borrowed to balance the Budget—£2,3oo,ooo,ooo—was some £25,000,000