CRUEL OVERLORDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 10

CRUEL OVERLORDS

CZECHS SUBJUGATED NAZIS' RUTHLESS RULE FORCED TO GLORIFY HITLER By Telegraph—Pross Association—Copyright (Received March .'JI, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 30 Officials in control of all the Czech Ministries, Law Courts and public offices, have been ordered to hang a picture of Hitler in every room, says a despatch from Prague. This is officially described as "a symbolic close to the relations between the Protectorate and Germany." Details of . German attempts to destroy the Czecho-Slovak nation were given by Dr. Bones, former President, who, in a speech in London, said that the greed of Nazism knew no bounds, says a British official wireless message. In the months following the occupation of Czecho-Slovakia, said Dr. Benes, the Nazis took away all war material and enormous reservo supplies of grain, industrial and agricultural produce—in general, everything on which they could lay their hands. Jews' Property Confiscated The value of the property thus plundered iu the first three months of the occupation was calculated at about £30,000,000. The .Tews in Czecho-Slovakia were plundered, hut the so-called Aryanisation was carried out in such a way that no single piece of confiscated or transferred Jewish property could be given to Czech citizens. Almost all the Czecho-Slovakian banks had been confiscated, the monetary system endangered, and the industrial and banking systems put under the control of German directors. Gestapo Men Rob the Citizens Dr. Benes described as "absolutely incredible" cases of private robbery and theft carried out by the Gestapo. Czechs' houses were searched and everything valuable, even foodstuffs, was confiscated, he said. Every other Gestapo agent in Czech lands robbed for his own personal benefit and allowed himself to bo bribed. The Czech working classes had been dragged down even below the level of German workers. The social and economic situation in Czech lands was one of misery, impoverishment, progressive proletarianisation and complete ruin.

BUTTER RATIONING POSITION IN BRITAIN BIG STOCKS ACCUMULATING OTHER FOODS PLENTIFUL LONDON, March 20 Traders throughout Britain are attacking the farce of butter rationing, which is resulting in stocks piling up in warehouses while the public is rapidly acquiring a preference for cheaper margarine. In spite of the 807. butter ration since March 25. people in even well-to-do districts are refusing to pay the average of Is 7d a lb. when the most palatable margarine ranges from 5d to 9d. The consumption of butter in these districts averages 6oz weekly, and in the poorer districts 4oz. Even Mayfair sales are 011 the Goz. basis. The average consumption throughout Britain before the war was Boz., but the price was then Is 2d per lb. The Food Minister is of the opinion that it is too complicated to fix prices according to grades. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, Mr. A. T. Lennox Boyd, states that stocks of foodstuffs in Britain are far greater than before the outbreak of the war. "I am confident that we can guarantee the people adequate supplies however long the war lasts," he savs. In order to keep down prices Britain was spending weekly between £3OOO and £-.1000 011 Hour, £300,000 on meat, £250,000 on milk. As regards butter, it was questionable whether artificially keeping down the price of an article for which there was an adequate substitute was justifiable.