NAZIS' VICTIMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23545, 4 January 1940, Page 7

NAZIS' VICTIMS

PERSECUTED CZECHS NEW WAVE OF ARRESTS GERMANISATION EXPEDITED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received January a, C 5.20 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 3 A new wave of arrests has swept over Czecho-Slovakia, says the Belgrade correspondent of the Times. The victims are Army officers, including four generals, and members of the Government troops, also journalists. The arrests of Government troopers are due to the presence in the ranks of German spies. The entire foreign correspondence staff of the Skoda works is in custody. The Gestapo raided the headquarters of the illegal newspaper To Arms and are believed to have killed a number of editorial writers. The prisons in Prague are full. Dungeons which formerly were exhibited as examples of mediaeval barbarism are again employed. The process of Germanisation is being expedited. Villages have been evacuated for German colonisation. All educational establishments have been closed. Quantities of food are being transferred to Germany.

WESTERN FRONT RAIDER DRIVEN OFF ACTIVITY RESUMED AIR RECONNAISSANCES LONDON, Jan. 2 Standing beside an anti-aircraft battery, Captain H. TT. Balfour, UnderSecretary for Air, watched British aeroplanes and anti-aircraft guns drive off the first German raider of 1940, says Renter's correspondent with the Royal Air Force in France. Air activity on the whole front has been resumed, in spite of the bitter cold. The French made a number of reconnaissance flights over the German lines. The Germans mostly evaded tho front, but made long-distance reconnaissance flights over eastern France and in the Paris area. A French official communique states: "There were a few patrols on both sides at various points of tho front." In an article published in the Shipping World, Sir John Gilmour, Minister of Shipping, reveals that the British Expeditionary Force was conveyed to France in 174 ships, which made a total of more than 400 voyages.

. NUMEROUS RESCUES BRITISH LIFEBOATS GALLANT WAR SERVICES (Received January 3, 6.50 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, Jan. '2 Exceptionally heavy, demands have been made upon the services of the Hoyal National Lifeboat Institution in the past four months owing to the brutal and indiscriminate use of mines and torpedoes by Germany. This is reflected in a review published to-day of the year's work of this great voluntary society. The institution, which maintains a fleet of lifeboats and life-saving apparatus round the British coasts, and is served by fishermen crews, is entirely supported by voluntary contributions. In the past year 1356 lives were saved, constituting a vecord in the history of the institution. The previous highest figure was 1348 in 1917. In order to effect these rescues lifeboats were launched 677 times. Most of these launches and consequent rescues were effected during the war. Since September 2 boats hare been out 411 times and rescued 1101 persons, an average of 61 in each war week. Twenty-four medals for gallantry were awarded last year to members of lifeboat crews. The institution put into service 17 new motor-lifeboats and there are now 145. These and 15 sailing lifeboats are stationed round the British and Irish coasts.

HEROIC SEAMEN SINKING OF ATHENIA SERVICES REWARDED (Received January 3, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 2 The chief officer of the liner Athcnia which was torpedoed and sunk on September 4, Mr. Barnett Mackenzie Copeland, has been awarded an 0.8. E. and the boatswain, Mr. William Harvey, the medal of the civil division of tho 0.8. E. Mr. Copeland was responsible for the arrangements, preparations and actual loading and despatch of 26 life-boats. He was among the last to leave the sinking ship and was taken aboard a warship. Then he discovered that a woman Avas missing whom he remembered lie had taken to the sick bay in an unconscious condition earlier in tho day. Tho captain of the warship supplied a boat in which Mr. Copeland returned to the Athenia. There tho woman was found still unconscious. Mr. Copeland spent 15 minutes in examining the Athenia's condition and then took the woman to the warship. The Athenia sank shortly afterward. Mr. Harvey showed outstanding coolness and efficiency in despatching the lifeboats and accompanied Mr. Copeland to the rescue of the woman. Torpedoed by a German submarine on September 4 the British liner Athenia, of 13,581 tons, with 1400 passengers and crew, including Americans, sank in the North Atlantic, 200 miles west of tho Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. Tho Athenia, which was taking Canadians and Americans home from Europe, had left Liverpool for Quebec and Montreal. She radioed the Admiralty at 4 o.w. that ehe had been torpedoed^