SHARING ARMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 13 April 1939, Page 8

SHARING ARMS

ROME AND BERLIN CZECHS' MUNITIONS HUGE STOCK DIVIDED LONDON, 30th March. Swiss reports allege that German troops have been moving into Italy via the Brenner Pass, and thence to Libya (North Africa) and that the German and Italian dictators are sharing the military equipment and munitions of the late Czech army. Swiss military observers, says a Geneva message, believe that 200.000 German troops are massed adjacent to the Swiss border, and are crossing the Brenner. According to the military observers immense stocks of Czecho-Slovakian guns, materials and ammunition are crossing the Brenner from Germany. This substantiates the hitherto unconfirmed rumours that Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini agreed to halve the Czecho-Slovakian armaments in payment to Mussolini for Hitler's enlargement of his sphere of influence, and explains the rumours that the Brenner has become choked. The observers point out that much Italian equipment is antiquated and I largely dates from the Great War. Therefore, the Czech armament is most welcome. Most of the Czech anti-aircraft equipment has been sent to German industrial areas, but other small, light armament has been earmarked for Italy. It is estimated that the total Czech equipment is sufficient to equip 40 divisions.