GERMAN ANXIETY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24423, 5 November 1942, Page 3

GERMAN ANXIETY

OUTCOME OF BATTLE "DECISION EXPECTED SOON" (Reed. 11.55 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 4 Reports reaching Stockholm from Berlin indicate mounting anxiety in Germany about the issue of the desert battle. A Wilhelmstrasse spokesman admitted that an enormous number of British tanks and heavy guns were pressing on the Germans' northern Hank. Tile Berlin radio stated to-day that the battle in Egypt had reached its climax and a decision was to ho expected soon. The German news agency states that General Montgomery has thrown about 500 tanks into the greatest battle of the whole African campaign. All attempts by the Allies to break through on Monday failed, but, in spite of heavy losses, they persisted to-day in the attempt. A German communique says the battle continues with increasing violence. An all-out German counterattack held the penetration in the northern sector by strong enemy tank detachments. The Italian communique says the violent battle of Egypt continued on Monday with greater violence. Axis forces bravely stemmed renewed pressure from powerful enemy armoured forces. The enemy suffered very heavy losses. Axis losses also were high. BATTERED FROM AIR NO REST FOR ENEMY ALLIES' GREAT SUPERIORITY (Reed. 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 4 Since the present offensive in Egypt started, Royal Air Force, American and South African light bombers have been dropping 100 tons of bombs a day, mainly on the enemy's front line concentrations. The Allies have suffered some losses from anti-aircraft fire, hut not a single bomber has been lost through enemy fighter attacks. Another message from Cairo says the enemy's dive-bombers have been knocked out of the skies during the past few days. Our fighters mastered them every time they came to attack our troops. After a raid by South African light bombers on Monday many enemy troops walked over to our lines with their hands up. Heavy American bombers attacked shipping in Tobruk Harbour on Monday. They scored direct hits and started huge fires which sent smoke billowing to an altitude of 3000 ft. One enemy fighter definitely was shot down and others probably were destroyed. Referring to General Montgomery's statement that the offensive would be undertaken by the Army and Allied air forces as one striking force, a correspondent says the general spoke no more than the truth. The co-operation between our ground forces and light bombers in particular has been developed to a pitch without parallel in any other theatre of war. ESPIONAGE IN CHILE ACTIVITIES OF GERMANS LONDON. Nov. I A report showing the extent of the German spy system in Chile and other South American countries was issued j yesterday I t was prepared by the I United States Government for the American Continental Defence Committee now sitting at Montevideo, capital of Uruguay. The report shows that information i about the sending of ships from South ; America, defence plans of the Latin- ' American countries, and many other 1 subjects were broadcast- by illegal radio j and picked up in Hamburg. Details are I given of 71 coded messages sent in this | way. The head of the ring is said to I have been the German air attache in j San Diego. it is considered that the report amply | justifies the references made to espionage in neutral South American countries by Mr. Sumner Welles, United States Under-Secretary of State, last month. MORE BOMB VIOLENCE EXPLOSIONS IN FRANCE LONDON, Nov. 4 A series of bomb explosions occurred in Vichy France yesterday. In Vichy itself one bomb exploded outside a recruiting office of the organisation try-

ing to get French workers for Germany. Another exploded outside one ol Deriot's Fascist regional offices, and the third outside a propaganda centre ol the Vicln Government. in Lyons, eight bombs exploded. Similar occurrences are also reported from Marseilles, Nice and other towns in the unoccupied zone. In one of the towns electric pylons were destroyed. One bomb exploded prematurely in a man's hand and several people were wounded. A Vichy statement says these explosions are obviously all part of the concerted attempt to disrupt public or:ler. The statement adds that fragments of the bombs show that they W'?re not made in France. Paris radio announced that a special tribunal at Lyons had sentenced 45 Frenchmen to six years' imprisonment for spreading de Gaullist propaganda. INDIAN INDEPENDENCE GANDHI'S PLEA TO AMERICA NEW YORK. Nov. "The United States, as Great Britain's ally, cannot disown responsibility for what the British do in India," said Gandhi in a special message to America published in India To-day, the bulletin of the India League. He added: "I. would not have asked niv country to invite Britain to withdraw her rule over India if I had not seen it necessary for the sake of Britain and the Allied cause, "By that supreme act of justice Britain could have taken away all the cause for India's seething discontent, ft would be worth all the battleships and airships your engineers and financial resources can produce. You will do the Allied cause a grievous wrong if you do not sift the truth from the chaff while there is still time. "Is there anything wrong with the Congress Party demanding unconditional recognition of India's independence? This is the psychological moment for that recognition. Only then can there be irresistible opposition to Japanese aggression." STATE AID FOR STUDENTS

MELBOIJBNE. Nov. <i The Australian Commonwealth Government has decided to provide financial assistance to universities in order to ensure a steady stream of doctors, dentists, physicists and other science specialists for the fighting services, war production and post-war civilian life. Such assistance will take the form of contribution to fees, together with living allowances proportionate to the existing financial means of the students The Commonwealth will discuss with the universities some modification of the existing system of selection and reservation of students. It will propose that outstanding students who have enlisted or been called up should, where possible and desirable, be recalled to continue their university training. It will also propose that students with good school records who do not choose to apply for admission to a university should be invited to enrol. i