MATTER OF DAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25177, 14 April 1945, Page 8

MATTER OF DAYS

RESISTANCE ENDING HIMMLER'S NEW DECREE DEATH FOR SURRENDER LONDON. April 12 High army officials in Washington told the Military Committee of the [ United States Senate that a Nazi collapse is imminent and that organised fighting in Germany will probably end within a few days, after which only pockets ot resistance will remain. Himntler, director of Home defence in Germany, has issued a decree threatening death to anyone who surrenders a German town or village. "The enemy is trying to trick the German population by misleading statements," he says in the decree. "The enemy by swift advances of his tank spearheads is trying to intimidate the population into sui'render by threatening to shell their® homes to rubble.'" . A special supplement to a High Command communique, repeating the substance of the decree and threatening the death penalty to anyone attempting to divert German garrison commanders from their duly, said _exceptions would be exclusively on the orders of the High Command. This was signed by Himmler, General Keitel and Martin Bormann, Hitler's deputy. Keuter's military correspondent says it is the first time since the centralisation of the German State and Army with the Nazi Party that an official pronouncement has appeared with the separate names of the leaders of the Wehrmacht, the S.S. and the Nazi Party. It seems certain, therefore, that Hitler is not at present in central control at his headquarters, as otherwise he would have signed this important pronouncement. The correspondent is of the opinion the dissolution of German Army discipline has begun. Pie says the pronouncement implies an admission that commanders have surrendered towns in defiance of strict orders, having been persuaded by the civilian authorities to save the towns from further destruction. Apparently the instinct of self-preservation is gaining the upper hand over the terror of the Gestapo . 50-MILE ADVANCE L THREE ARMIES MOVING ! g "GERMANS ARE FINISHED" ; (Kecd. 1.20 a.m.) LONDON, April 13 Supreme Headquarters today lost r contact with spearheads of three swiftly-moving armies—one across the Elbe and two driving down the last miles to Leipzig, says the Associated 1 Press correspondent. The pace of the advance, which in the past 24 hours has carried armour , forward up to 50 miles, outstripped communications. Front-line correspondents think Leipzig mav be reached before nightfall. The First, Third and Ninth Armies are all about the same distance from a link-up with the Russians, which would cut Germany in two. Renter's correspondent with the Third Army says General I'atton's , spearheads are 34 miles from Czechoslovakia and 18 miles from Leipzig. The German radio reports that Allied ! paratroops were dropped behind the ; German lines on either side of Weimar. Addressing 500 of his men in the field behind the front, Field-Marshal Montgomery said: "Tbe Germans have been well and truly defeated. They have no possible hope of doing any more good in this war. "The Germans are completely and utterly finished, but the German military machine, which is in the hands of the Nazi Party, will never surrender. I'hey will just go on till the last." CAPTURED GERMANS 1,600,000 SINCE JUNE WASHINGTON, April 12 The Secretary of War, Mr H. L. Stimson, told journalists that the Allies in the West have captured 1,600,000 Germans since June. "The enemy now has scant hope of making a stand between the Elbe and the Oder," Mr Stimson added. "The German western defences are broken up and pulverised. The rate of disintegration increases as the Germans surrender en masse." HITLER'S REDOUBT BACK TO BAVARIAN ALPS LONDON, April 12 It is now almost certain that the Germans are moving masses of men and equipment as quickly as they can to what may become known as Hitler's redoubt in the Bavarian Alps area, says the British United Press correspondent at Supremo Headquarters. Fighters have spotted a considerable movement on tho road to the redoubt through Leipzig, and the Germans are reported to be moving from Austria toward Berchtesgaden. German fanatics fought for everv shell-blasted house in Schweinfurt and Heilbronn, apparently because they were on the roads leading to the redoubt. Reliable reports indicate that the Nazis have vast underground .stores of food, petrol and ammunition, together i with hangars, synthetic oil plants and other equipment with which scores of thousands of troops could be maintained indefinitely. NEW SCHOOL BOOKS ' RE-EDUCATING GERMANS (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 12 The re-education of German children has begun under the guidance of tho Allied Military Government, states an official at Supreme Headquarters. Printing plants at Aachen are turning out text bonks for the first primary grades in new schools. These are needed, because even former arithmetic books included Nazi teachings. New books for higher grades cannot ho produced before next, vear BOULOGNE HARBOUR LONDON, April 12 British and American engineers have rebuilt Boulogne Harbour, which is being used for the evacuation of Western Front casualties to Britain, states Renter's correspondent at Supreme Headquarters. Tho correspondent adds that two British hospital ships are working a shuttle service across the English Channel. FRENCH FAMILY FREE (Reed. 0.10 p.m.) LONDON, April 13 A message from Dijon reports the arrival there of General Giraud's wife, two daughters and grandchildren. They were recently liberated by American forces in Germany alter having been arrested by the Nazis in France a year ago. A third daughter of M. and Madame Giraud died in captivity.