UNDER ARREST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24421, 5 October 1940, Page 11

UNDER ARREST

BRITONS IN BUCHAREST IRON GUARD ACTIVITIES INTOLERABLE INCIDENTS ißntisli Official Wireless) RUGBY, Oct. 3. Despite the assurances given by General Antonescu following Lord Halifax's strong representations to the Rumanian Minister in London on Sunday, five British subjects are still under arrest in Bucharest, and no satisfaction has been received as to their treatment. Meanwhile, it is confirmed in London that another British subject, Mr A. Millar, has been imprisoned in Bucharest by persons in civilian clothes, doubtless members of the Iron Guard, and that the Rumanian police profess, quite genuinely, complete ignorance as to his fate. Sir Reginald Hoare, the British Minister,, is pursuing continuous inquiries and.is losing no opportunity of explaining the grave view of Britain regarding a series of incidents intolerable as oetween civilised countries. It remains to be seen how far General Antonescu will be able (or willing) to control the activities of irresponsible members of the Iron Guard who appear to be o'-ily by a desire to imitate Nazi methods. A BRITON KIDNAPPED TRICKED INTO LEAVING HOTEL LONDON, Oct. 3. (Received Oct. 4, at 11.30 p.m.) The British Legation at Bucharest announced that a British subject, Mr Percy Clark, president of an engineering firm at Ploesti. was kidnapoed bv three men, who tricked him into leaving his hotel in Athenee place, in the centre of Bucharest. The Legation is now convinced that Mr Miller was also kidnapped. The Rumanian authorities declared that they were unable to act, and the Iron Guard denies knowledge of the kidnapping. The Legation's repeated demands for trial or release of the five Britons arrested a week ago remain unanswered. Berlin savs the Rumanian Foreign Minister, M. Sturdza, rejected Sir Reginald Hoare's protest against the arrests, and accused Sir Reginald of being involved in the sabotage plans in which those arrested were implicated. M. Sturdza asked Sir Reginald to resign. The Times correspondent at Bucharest says: "Thugs on the frontiers are bullying departing Britons, and the strongest possible pressure from Britain is necessary to i meet the situation, which is still deteriorating."