MURDER GANGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25051, 15 November 1944, Page 3

MURDER GANGS

ROUND-UP IN ROME LONDON, Nov. 11 Two gangs, including American, Canadian, and Foreign Legion deserters, have been rounded up by military police in Rome. The gangsters are wanted for several murders and a series of highway robberies and thefts in the Rome and Naples areas. One gang of six Americans and two Canadians was Jed by a 2:.J-year-old Pennsylvanian under the alias of Robert Lane. The nolice took the first step to round tliem up one night when they discovered a wrecked jeep with an injured Canadian, armed with a revolver, lying beside, it. Both the jeep and revolver had been 'stolen. Guards were pasted, and when two more members of the gang came to collect the jeep they were rushed. They tried to shoot their way out, but were arrested and taken to hospital, as they were found to bo ill. The rest of the gang forced their way into the hospital with tommy-guns, but retreated when they found military police on guard. The men in custody gave information which enabled the police to track down four others, who were arrested as they were taking an Italian civilian away irLa car. . The leader, Lane, was traced through a girl in whose flat his photograph had been found. He was arrested in a Rome bar. The other gang numbered 13. The leaders were a Yugoslav and a Corsican. BRITISH SACRIFICES *ln the mean ; attempt to stir up trouble between the United States and Britain in some sections of the American press, we are being told that American casualties in northern France have been greater than British and Canadian casualties. This is true, but in Italy the circumstances were reversed, states the New York Times. There the British and Canadian armies had 84,462 casualties from the landings till the fall of Home, the Americans 64,992 casualties. For the whole war to the same date the British forces had 667,159 casualtics, the Americans about 170,000. To the British figures should be added 109,111 civilians hurt or killed, and to this number must be added again the wounds and deaths of the robot campaign.