FALSE DUTCH ALARM

Grey River Argus, 6 September 1939, Page 7

FALSE DUTCH ALARM

Only Propaganda ’Planes LEAFLETS DROPPED IN WRONG TERRITORY. NEW YORK, September 4. Yesterday, reports from Holland were that an air battle was in progress over Dutch territory. However, the Amsterdam representative of the United Press says: It is now disclosed that yesterday, the aeroplanes flying to Holland mistook it for Germany, and dropped leaflets printed in German, explaining’" the war situation, saying: “We are at war with the present Government, but not with the German people. We do not believe you even know what is happening.” A message from Berlin to the United States Press says it is announced that “propaganda aeroplanes” are reported to have been driven off from German territory, where they were dropping leaflets last night. An Amsterdam message says that hundreds of planes dropped manifestos, informing the population of the present situation. When the machines reached Cologne, the population fled to dug-outs. The Gestapo endeavoured to seize all the pamphlets.

British. ’Planes FLY OVER GERMANY. FOR RECONNAISSANCE AND PROPAGANDA. NEW YORK, September 4. The United Press London correspondent says that the Ministry of Information has issued the following communique: The Royal Air Force made extensive reconnaissance flights over northern and western Germany, last night, without enemy aircraft engaging them. The Ministry of Information stated that, on the night of September 3/4, the Royal Air Force carried out an extensive reconnaissance over Northern and Western Germany. More than 6,000,000 copies of a note to the German people were dropped over a wide area.

What Leaflets Said ALLIES INVINCIBLE. GERMANS KEPT IN IGNORANCE. (Received September 5, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 5. Pamphlets dropped from British planes in Germany were entitled, “A Warning—Great Britain to the German People.” They declared that the German Government had imposed an unnecessary war on Britain, which wanted to live in peace with the German people. The Nazi censorship had withheld the truth from the Germans. They were living on the verge of bankruptcy. The pamphlet added, "Britain and her Allies are invincible. They are prepared to make peace with any sincerely peaceful German Government.”

GERMAN CLAIMS. BRITISH ’PLANES VIOLATE NEUTRALITY. (Received September 5, 9.50 p.m.) LONDON, September 5. The Berlin correspondent of the British United Press says: “Germany is officially claiming that the British ’planes violated Dutch neutrality when they dropped the leaflets in Holland.” DUKE OF KENT. ARRIVAL IN AUSTRALIA CANCELLED. (Received September 5, 11.55 p.m.) CANBERRA, September 5. It is officially announced that the Duke of Kent will remain in England until the end of the year. The Australian Government is consequently immediately stopping the renovations to Government House at the Capital Territory.