FEELING THE’PINCH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 258, 1 November 1939, Page 7

FEELING THE’PINCH

GERMANY’S ECONOMY EFFECT OF BLOCKADE I British Official Wireless J Received Oct. 31, 6.5 p.m. RUGBY, Oct. 30. , Interesting evidence of the effect of the British blockade on Germany's economy—which according tc official information is preventing 99 per cent’, of German ships from reaching Ger- | man ports—comes from an authorii tative source in Yugoslavia. It is learned that Germany is unable to supply textiles of any kind, tin plates or rubber manufactures. The shortage of rubber is illustrated by , the fact that 188 lorries delivered to, the Yugoslavian army arrived without tyres. U-BOAT WARFARE NAZI HOPES SHATTERED Received Oct. 31. 6.5 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 30. j The Navy is convinced it has shati tered the German U-boat hopes, i British vessels are keeping the seas while the German are merely trying to slink back home, yet not 1 per cent, is succeeding. The naval authorities describe the German fairy tales of British losses as partly for neutral countries and j partly for home consumption. The I claim to have sunk 475,000 tons is fantastic and exaggerated. Even if neutral casulties are added to the Brtish, we sunk at least 14 U-boats and six are seriously damaged and probably sunk. The Navy is at a great disadvantage as German vessels are able to hug the coast of Norway to Germany inside territorial waters.

BRITISH LOSSES AT SEA DECREASING LESS THAN ONE PER CENT. OF INCOMING TONNAGE [ British Official Wireless. ] RUGBY, Oct. 30. Authoritative estimates place list week's British merchant shipping losses at 21,000 tons and enemy shipping captured totalled about 19,500 tons. In view of the fact that British ships sail from every part of the world and ships of the Royal Navy are incessantly-patrolling the trade routes, naval circles regard these figures as highly satisfactory. British losses suffered are still less than 1 per cent, of the total incoming tonnage. During October Britain lost about 65.000 tons, compared with 156,000 in September. The losses in these first two months of the war roughly equal the losses of one week in April, 1917. German claims regarding successes at sea grow wilder and wilder. Besides unjustifiably claiming the sinking of numerous British warships they claim to have sunk 475,000 tons of shipping since the outbreak of war. Even if this includes all neutral shipping sunk, together with the aircraftcruiser H.M.S. Courageous and the battleship H.M.S. Royal Oak, this figure is clearly a gross exaggeration. It is considered by the London naval authorities that the German campaign of misrepresentation regarding the sinking of British warships has been instituted for two possible reasons: For home consumption, to enhearten the people from whom the true facts can be withheld almost indefinitely, and to rouse public opinion in Britain to a degree of indignation against the German propaganda that will call forth from the High Command some spectacular but rash counter-move outside the sphere of correct strategy.

PE r, ’VIAN AIRMEN OVERDUE Received Oct. 31. 9.30 p.m. LIMA. Oct. 30. Fears are felt for the safety of Peruvian brothers Commander Humberto Gallino and Captain Victor Gallino, who left New York at 1.43 p.m. on October 29 on a 4014 miles nonstop flight to Lima. recital of the revolting conditions at Buchenwald by a former prisoner, which was communicated to the Foreign Office on February 18. Its concluding passages indicate that the I regular police force, to whom he reported on release, were shocked at the I conduct of this concentration camp, Jhe name of which, he says, strikes iterror in the hearts of the people of Germany. I An ex-prisoner who was closely | questioned by a group of regular I police says: “Remembering the threats |that had accompanied my departure from the camp, I at first refused to answer. They showed me their identity documents to allay suspicions and again urged me to tell them what the [conditions at Buchenwald were really like. They would see no harm came to me. “When I told them the things I saw they were so shocked that they could not help interrupting me. Such conditions, they said, were revolting and a scandal. Frick and Himmler were responsible and no one else. They were at pains to impress upon me that they had no control whatsoever over concentral ion camps where, in fact, the German guard troops had supreme and exclusive authority.” PURGE INTENSIFIED CONCENTRATION CAMPS 1000 EXECUTIONS REPORTED. Received Oct. 31. 5.5 p.m. PARIS, Oct. 30. The Paris Soir states that the Gestapo and party organisations have | intensified the purge of prisons and concentration camps. A thousand, prisoners are reported to have been shot since October 12 in order to exterminate suspects, impress survivors, and make room for further inmates.