ARREST OF AMERICANS

Southland Times, Issue 24863, 1 October 1942, Page 5

ARREST OF AMERICANS

German Action In France (Rec. 9.35 p.m) WASHINGTON, Sept 29. The Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, announced that he had received a report from the American Charge d’Affaires in Vichy that the arrest and detention of 1400 American citizens in Occupied France was a reprisal for the alleged arrests of Germans in the United States. Mr Hull said he hesitated to credit this explanation as there was absolutely no justifiable grounds for such German action. Such a report made it necessary for him to seek more complete information.

NAZI GENERALS REPORTED - CHANGES LONDON, September 29. Hitler is reported again to be juggling with his military commanders. According to Vichy radio Field-Mar-shal Fedor von Bock, who was in charge of the offensive against Stalingrad, has been removed. He has been replaced by Field-Marshal Siegmund List, the general largely responsible for the swift conquest of Poland and for the lightning campaign in which Yugoslavia and Greece were broken. Yet it is only a matter of weeks since FieldMarshal List was removed from his post as Military Governor of the Balkans because he wrote to Hitler criticizing the conduct of the operations on the Russian Front and warning him of the danger of a second winter campaign in Russia. The New York Times Stockholm correspondent reports that General Hoth has succeeded Field-Marshal von Bock. Russian troops north-west of Stalingrad have captured two populated places and have reached the east bank of the river Don. The whole area between the Volga and the Don is again

ablaze. The Germans have been found to be deeply entrenched in well fortified positions. The Russians in one small sector destroyed 42 pillboxes before they could advance. The Soviet newspaper Pravda says that the Russians have improved their anti-tank technique in this area and. are putting enemy tanks out of action without support from their own tanks. The Germans are trying their utmost to end the deadlock in the fight for Stalingrad by sheer weight of bombs, shells, tanks and troops. They, firmly hold the workers’ settlement in the north-west. BATTLE FOR STREET

Violent battles are now raging for the top of a hilly street, the capture of which would bring the Volga ferries under German artillery fire. German tommy-gunners yesterday stormed a street leading to the hill while the main forces crept across the rubble and the ruins in an attempt to outflank the defenders. Only urgent radio calls, to the Volga gunboats saved the situation. Under cover of fire from the gun-boats the/ Russians successfully counterattacked. The Germans three times reattacked, but were beaten off. One cross-street changed hands four times in a night-long battle and was still in Russian hands in the morning when it contained 355 dead Germans and 18 damaged tanks. Vichy radio declares that the Germans have brought up siege guns to smash the Russian resistance, which is now centred in the Stalingrad factory district Military circles in Berlin consider that the conquest of the town will virtually be achieved when the factory area is occupied. Therefore,. they are concentrating everything against this area.

Moscow reports that the Germans are trying frantically, but vainly, to stem file Russian advance north-west of the city. The Germans counterattacked in one place with 100 tanks, but the Russians beat back the enemy and knocked out 35 tanks. A powerful German counter-attack in another place resulted in tile capture of an important height, but the Russian wedge prevented German consolidation. RUSSIAN ADVANCE

The newspaper Izvestia says that the Russians, advancing from the northwest, are determined to rescue beleaguered Stalingrad. . The Luftwaffe is dropping special incendiaries and. also bottles filled with inflammable liquid, which are setting fire to the brush in the Volga steppes. A German communique states that tiie Germans in Stalingrad have penetrated the northern district, while the Russians vainly continued their relieving attacks from the north. The Germans on the central front have repulsed all Russian attacks. The Germans in the Caucasus south of the Terek river have captured strongly fortified positions in difficult wooded country. A Moscow correspondent says that, mistaking each other for guerrillas, two German units fought a violent forest battle for three hours in which 700 were killed. A German, battalion earlier had lost 300 dead when it was surrounded by real guerrillas.. The battalion retreated to its own lines and its own outposts fired on it, mistaking the men for guerrillas.