MENDACIOUS NAZIS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 72, 22 February 1940, Page 7

MENDACIOUS NAZIS.

TREATMENT OF SEAMEN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Fob. 20. In a Gorman broadcast from Bremen last night to' Holland and Belgium the following statement was made: “Eye-witnesses’ reports have been received to the efiect that the lifeboats of the German ship Watussi, which was attacked by British bombers off the Cape of Good Hope on December 2 and which later scuttled herself, were machine-gunned by British bombers and chasers.”

A complete refutation of this story is obtained by relercnce to South African newspapers which contain verbatim a statement made by Captain Stamer, master of the Watussi. In this statement, given on December 4, he described in detail preparations to sink the ship while a single aeroplane was overhead, and he continued, “When everything was ready, and when there was no danger to life by abandoning the ship, I gave the order to haul up the German Hag and for the passengers and crew in the lifeboats to be swung overboard. Shortly before giving the order the seacocks had been opened and the passengers’ quarters set on fire. “We were only in tile lifeboats for an hour before we were picked up by a British warship. We could not have been better treated by the Royal Navy. The captain stood a drink—believe me I needed it—and the passengers were all given coffee and food. Nor were my crew forgotten; they received every attention possible.” SINKING OF W A KAMA. Though it is not surprising, last night’s story was not included in the German broadcast to Africa. similar story was broadcast in English from Hamburg on February 17 and was also put out to Italy, Sweden, Holland, and Greece. A later story referred to tile German ship ANakama, which was also scuttled to avoid capture. One of its lifeboats, according to the German broadcast, was found off the Brazilian coast “riddled with machine-gun bullets.” The broadcast continued: “In the lifeboat washed ashore was the address of the Society of German Seamen and clothing bearing names of the crew of the Wakama as well as many documents. Machine-gun bullets were found in the side of the boat.” Though the value of this story is about equal to the value of the broadcast about the Watussi, the British Government lias been at pains to inquire into the facts and lias called for a report from the contain of the British warship which rescued the Wakama’s crow. The captain’s report states that he rescued tbo complete Wakama’s crew, and no casualties resulted from the scuttling of the vessel. As the German broadcast alleged that their informrtion was derived from the radio at Rio de Janeiro, inquiries also were made from the British Ambassador there, who informed tj,o British Government that the local chief of police issued the following statement: “A lifeboat has been found on the coast of Stanna Island, but up fo now it has not I>cen identified. The boat is being guarded l>v the police according to orders from higher authorities.” Consequently, all other reports regarding the finding of other boats on the noarliv coast which is bej n(T vat-hed by the police are without foundation.