FRENCH DISORDERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24536, 19 March 1943, Page 3

FRENCH DISORDERS

FltESIi OUTBREAKS RECRUITING OF WORKER 3 SOME GUERILLAS SURRENDER (Reed. 11.45 p.m.) LONDON, March 18 Fresh demonstrations have occurred in Lyons, Toulon and Nimes against the recruitment of workers for Germany. Strikes have broken out in many factories. The Swiss newspaper Tribune do Geneve reports that an atmosphere of terror and rebellion exists in Lyons. German troops are blockading whole quarters which the Gestapo search from floor to floor. Similar measures are taken in shops and businesses, from -which labour is conscripted and deported to Germany without an oppor-' tunity of soeing their families. Conflicting reports are circulating regarding the situation in the Haute Savoie district of France. The Geneva correspondent of the Times states that no new measures have been taken. The Gardes Mobiles are blocking oft the mountains, but so far they have not been ordered to take action against the partisans. Gardes Mobiles' Attitude The Morocco radio asserts that the inactivity is duo to the attitude of tho Gardes Mobiles, some of whom are being replaced by Italians and Germans. The radio adds that more than 500 men of the 27th Regiment are among those resisting. The Daily Telegraph correspondent ]p Europe says the Vichy authorities claim that 70 per cent of the partisans have surrendered. All that ho could say for certain, however, was that a few groups, each from 20 to 50 strong, laid down their arms because they were without food and ammunition. They have agreed rather shamefacedly to go to Germany. According to the Tribune de Geneve 100 patriots surrendered because of the ruthless arrests of local inhabitants who had been supplying them with food. The situation is now quiet. Tho Algiers radio warned the Haute Savoie partisans to be patient. It says: "It is not yet the hour for a general rising. Your lives are too precious to be sacrificed prematurely, it is sufficient that you should be ready for the day when we will briny you effective aid" Country Ready to Rise "France has a whole population that is ready to rise on the day of an Allied landing," said the Fighting French Commissioner of the Interior and Labour, M. Andre Philip, who escaped from Franco last year and joined General de Gaulle. "Let us hope that the landing will not be too late," he added. "If it is. tho whole of the youth of France will be sent to Germany or there will be more and more open revolt, which, without support from outside, cannot lead to anything." M. Philip stated that the French revolting in the Savoy had no hope of success. The Fighting French were trying to organise passive resistance and systematic sabotage rather than open revolt. "We have to be sure," ho concluded, "that General Giraud's words will be followed by deeds, and that all who have held responsible executive posts in North Africa under orders of tho Germans will" be replaced." BOMBER SORTIES PERSISTENT ATTACKS (liecd. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 17 The Bomber Command has been out on 38 nights out of 45 since tho beginning of February, says the British official wireless. Seven thousand sorties were made In the same period the Bomber Command operated on 34 days. Ten thousand tons of bombs were dropped in February, including 1200 tons of 4000-1 b. bombs. The loss rate for all aircraft in all forms of operation was lower than it lias been i'or a considerable number of months. A Royal Air Force commentator today pointed out that a big raid required as much preliminary thought and planning as an operation such as tho raid on Dieppe. Over 100 aerodromes might have to contribute aircraft to the stream arriving at a target hundreds of miles away to a schedule of seconds. In both the recent raids on Essen over 400 aircraft took part, involving the uso of 3000 men. The high explosive power used by an attacking force equalled the power of 250,000 shells from field artillery. The Ruhr was defended by at least 1000 heavy guns. Essen alone had 350 guns, while for every heavy <run there were at least two light ones. The Ruhr was also defended by over 500 searchlights and several hundred fighters. The Germans provided far more men to man defensive guns in the Ruhr than there were Germans in Tunisia, the commentator concluded. It therefore was no easy passage for an attacking force to storm one of the most heavily-defended fortresses in Europe. VESUVIUS AS TARGET LONDON, March 17 There was laughter in the House of Commons when the Conservative member for Walton (Liverpool), Mr. R. Purbrick, put his question concerning tho bombing of Mount Vesuvius._ The Secretary of State for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, replied that all possible targets for bombine were carefully considered. An earlier cablegram reported that Mr. Purbrick wanted tho Secretary of State for Air to arrange at the first opportunity "for a heavy bomb to bo dropped down the crater of Mount Vesuvius in order to make a practical test as to whether tho disturbances created thereby will cause severe earthquakes or eruptions."