TIMELY DECISION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18581, 15 December 1934, Page 5

TIMELY DECISION

TROOPS FOR THE SAAR. COMMANDERS CONFER NAZI PLANS KILLED (British Official Wireless.) Rec. noon. RUGBY, Dec. 14. The commanders of the Netherlands and Swedish contingents, General Baron van Vosttovoord and Colonel Roolessem, reached the Saar territory yesterday, and immediately made contact with the staff officers in the British advance party. The Italian contingent will be under the command of Brigadier-General Visconti Rrasca, and will consist of two battalions of Grenadiers and one of some other regiment.

Air. Geoffrey Knox, the president of the Saar Governing Commission also arrived at Saarbrucken yesterday, and arrangements are proceeding between him and the officers of the force for the disposal of the troops throughout the area.

Correspondents in the Saar state that the crowds are displaying friendly interest in the parties of international forces engaged in billeting and other arrangements. The British contingent will be accompanied to the territory by the battalions’ bands and colors.

The Daily Mail says that the British contingent for the Saar includes a fleet of 12 wireless cars similar to that from which His Majesty wirelessly directed tank operations at Aldershot during the summer time, and also 20 motor-cycle dispatch riders. The News-Chronicle emphasises that there was no warlike departure of MajorGeneral Brind- and his staff, who all travelled in mufti.

The Times correspondent at Saarbrucken says that the British decision to- send troops to the Saar came in the nick of time, as seriousi disorder would have followed failure to agree at Geneva. It is even declared 1 that : the Nazis had definitely planned a rising- for the night of January 13, the day of the plebiscite, beginning by seizing the main electric station at Saarbrucken and plunging a large area in darkness, and also paralysing the railway services, but a large-scale movement is no longer feared; indeed, it is suspected that the Nazis secretly welcome an excuse for not attempting so dangerous a movement.

The advent ot Christmas has given the Saar a more cheerful animation than has been known for a long time. The streets are decorated with evergreens, Christmas trees and electric lamps, the crowds rejoicing that their appreftensions have been dispelled. Nazi flags have almost disappeared, while tfte Hitler salute is less prominent than six months ago.