THE VENLOO AFFAIR

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

THE VENLOO AFFAIR

OFFICERS STILL IN BERLIN. GERMAN PEACE APPROACH. NATURE NOT ASCERTAINED. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received February 22, 10.18 a.m. RUGBY, Feb. 21. The Under-Secretarv for Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler) stated in the House of Commons that, so far as was known, Captain Best and Major Stevens, who were abducted by the German police near the Dutch frontier a few months ago, were still in Berlin. Mr Butler said there was no question of these officers carrying peace proposals on behalf of the British Government. “All they were authorised to do was listen to and report upon an approach which had been made from the German side,” said Mr Butler. “The exact nature of this approach could not be ascertained in view of the forcible abduction of these officers on Netherlands territory by agents of the German Government.’’ Agents of the Gestapo dashed across the frontier at Yenloo on November 9, 1939, killed a Dutch olliccr, and pushed a car in which was a Dutch chauffeur and two alleged British intelligence officers, across the border into Germany. 'J he Dutch subsequently demanded the release ofj the chauffeur and the return of the body ol llie officer.