TENSION IN BELGIUM

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25053, 17 November 1944, Page 5

TENSION IN BELGIUM

DISBANDING OF PATRIOTS REFUSAL TO GIVE UP ARMS (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 16 Tension, is mounting in Belgium following the order that members ot the resistance movements should hand in their arms before the week-end, says the British United Press correspondent in Brussels. Posters and leaflets are appearing protesting against the order. One resistance leader said: "Tell England we faced the German guns for four years and we do not fear the Belgian reactionaries. We do not intend to give up our weapons; we know how to reply if the gendarmes fire on us." Another resistance official said: "The reactionary Belgian Government is disbanding us because we are demanding the punishment of collaborators and industrialists. We do not want to disperse; we wish to fight against the Germans as a single force." It is estimated that of the 60,000 members of the resistance groups in Belgium and the 10,000 in Brussels only about one-tenth are Communists. FACTORIES CONFISCATED SEQUEL TO COLLABORATION RENAULT PLANT IN FRANCE (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 15 The French Government has announced the confiscation of the Renault motor-car, tank and aircraft engine factories, says the Renter's Paris correspondent. Thus the Societe Anonyme des Usines Renault becomes State property. Louis Renault was accused of collaboration before his death a few weeks ago, and the confiscation was ordered because legal proceedings against him are now impossible. The Renault works, at Billancourt, near Paris, in peace time employed 20,000 workers. The plant was placed under Government administration on October 6, pending the formation of a State monopoly. The Paris radio announced tonight that it was expected that all enterprises which had worked for the Germans would be similarly confiscated. BOMBING GERMANY BERLIN AND DORTMUND (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. lfl A force of Royal Air Force Mosquitoes last night attacked Berlin, using 40001b bombs. Allied bombers from Britain yesterday attacked a synthetic oil plant at Dortmund, in the Ruhr. A Rome message reports that unescorted Liberators and Fortresses yesterday attacked targets in the region of Linz and Innsbruck. Heavy clouds covering both targets forced the planes to bomb by instrument. No enemy aircraft were encountered. SURVIVAL OF WOUNDED MODERN MEDICAL SKILL (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10 The great saving of life on the European battlefront, due to the use of up-to-date medical supplies, including penicillin, the sulfa and other drugs, was referred to by Major-General A. W. Kenner, chief medical officer at Supreme Headquarters. He said that 97 out of every 100 Allied soldiers who are hit survive their wounds. Wounded men now get skilled surgical' treatment within two hours and British wounded can be flown to English hospitals in England in one and a-hnlf hours. American wounded are taken to Cherbourg in about the same I