DUTCH SABOTAGE

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1943, Page 2

DUTCH SABOTAGE

SUBTLE METHODS USED. A special correspondent writes in the Swiss daily newspaper Weltwoche the following story about the subtle sabotage and resistance which continue in Holland in all fields:— “Though the wages have been lowered and prices have risen, the Netherlands workers continue the : r passive resistance. The whole significance of this passive resistance can be read in the production reports of the Netherlands factories and mines. No other worker in the world can create the appearance of being busy while actually doing nothing: as can the Dutchman.

“In this way a contingent of Netherlands workers 'can often get a German factory manager severely punished. He will always find them friendly and willing. He will see smiling faces and understanding nods —the only trouble, however, is that the work does not get done. There does not seem to be a weapon against this mute resistance. “The friendly, but extraordinarily persistent, sabotage characterises the fighting methods of these Dutchmen. For instance, naturally all the daily newspapers have to' publish the proclamations of the German authorities, but when they publish their speeches, strangly enough, the columns are suddenly full of fantastic printing errors. “The German soldiers m Holland are obliged to report daily the theft of weapons; not only do rifles disappear, but whole machine guns, cannons, and army trucks. German occupation forces and officials are outlawed and terrorised in the most subtle wav. and are showing growing signs of dissatisfaction and discomfort.”