LOST COLONIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22345, 17 February 1936, Page 9

LOST COLONIES

MR. THOMAS' SPEECH NO BRITISH CONCESSIONS S GERMAN PRESS RESENTFUL By Telegraph—Press Associntion—Copyright BERLIN. Feb. 14 Anger is expressed in the German press at the speech made by the British Secretary for the Colonies, Mr. J. 11. Thomas, in the House of Commons on Wednesday, when he stated that "the Government has not considered, and was not consider--1 ing, handing over any of the British ; colonies or territories held under - mandate." The Koolnische Zeitung claims that a secret but honest plebiscite among the natives of British tropical lands prob- " ably would show a large majority in ■ favour of a return to German admin- • istration. : The influential economic weekly, Deutsche Volkswirt, describes Mr. Thomas' statement as the worst service ' the British Government has done itself 1 and the world for a long time. "It is i a sign of naked Imperialism," continues the journal, "at a time when the conI tinned existence of the British Empire j can be assured only by the mainten- ' j ance of world peace. All might be saved ' I by a small sacrifice." RELIGIOUS BODIES \ . NAZI ANTAGONISM BIBLE SOCIETY SUPPRESSED (Received February 16. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 15 A message from Berlin says excitement and apprehension have been caused in Upper Silesia by a speech of a leading Nazi official, Herr von Oelssen. He warned opposition pastors that they may be put against a wall and shot like the recalcitrant Brown Shirts. Pastor agitators, said Herr von Oelssen, should take care not to provoke a second purge like that of June 30, 1934, when Herr Hitler "ruthlessly shot down old Nazi fighters because they did not heed his warnings." Similarly in the Church conflict the time would come when Herr Hitler's patience would be exhausted. He would then put the obstinate pastors out of action. "I hope they have understood me." concluded the speaker. The Manchester Guardian's Berlin correspondent says the German Government is preparing a statement alleging that Roman Catholic priests and youths' leaders have collaborated with Communists in plotting against Naziism. The authorities complain that they have been considerably hampfered in their "supervision" of Catholics owing to the sympathy of many local officials j for them. The Nazis also have launched a drive against the "Ernste Bibelforscher," a Bible Society somewhat resembling the English quakers, which aims at studying and propagating the Scriptures independently of the churches. The authorities have ordered the immediate suppression of the organisation and have : arrested, and placed on mass trial at 1 Elberfeld, 47 members, eight of whom ' are more than 60 years of age and three more than 70. # The society consists mainly of elderly ; people, but has a certain following 1 among the young, especially serious- i minded students who object to drink- ' ing and duelling. It is quite non-poli- ' tical, but naturally opposes neo-pagan- ' ism. Some members already are in con- ' centration camps because they refused ( to say "Heil Hitler," maintaining that 1 no temporal authority is entitled to such reverence. ( 1 HITLER'S SPEECH INDIAN IRE AROUSED EUROPE'S "BULLY NO. 2" CALCUTTA. Feb. 14 Herr Hitler's speech to Munich university students on January 26, in j which he said, "Colonies are acquired j by right of might," adding. "Germany , is now so strong that she does not need the League's help or treaties of alii- s mce," has caused bitter resentment c throughout India. It is fiercely con- s lemnecl by spokesmen of the Nationilist press. Following the recent appeal by K. F. Nariman, Bombay Congress leader, or a boycott of German goods as a protest against the "insulting refer>nces to India by 'Bully No. 2' in European politics," the leader of the Punjab Socialist party has called upon lis followers to observe next Sunday ts an "anti-Hitler day" and to hold irotest meetings and demonstrations. The German Consul at Bombay has I ssued a statement to the effect that '■ lerr Hitler's speech was not of a poli- t ical but a historical nature, and did s tot refer to any actual racial or colonial P iroblems. j 1