NAZI ATROCITIES

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21549, 11 October 1941, Page 7

NAZI ATROCITIES

MASS MURDERS IN CRETE

TERRIBLE INDICTMENT

MR CHURCHILL'S HORROR

(Received Oct. 11, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 10

Mr Winston Churchill has received from M. Tsouderos, Greek Prime Minister, an account of German atrocities in Crete, forwarded from Cairo by the Greek War Minister. Mr Churchill, in eply, expressed his horror at the atrocities perpetrated by the Germans. The mesage from Cairo says: After the capture of Crete the German army burned to the ground the villages of Skine, Prasse and Kandanos. Their sites are narked by posters bearing the inscription: ‘Here once stood Skine, Prasse and Kanados.’ The Germans looted every single house and store in towns and villages, leaving them empty of every single object. They proceed to innumerable murders of people who were flying for safety in tne open country, of children and old people asleep in their homes, and collective executions after summary parodies of a trial. The condemned pccple were forced to dig their common grave before ihc-i execution.

At Kystonia three wounded men during evacuation were buried while still alive. Their families were forced to offer dinner to the murderers of their own husbands, fathers and brothers and to suffer the mocking jests of the feasting Germans. Tortured to Death

The curate of Roumation, as well as the abbot and monks of the monastery of Akhia Gonda, were put to death. The altar of the church of Manolio was desecrated by the Germans.

The surviving inhabitants, some 800 women and children, from the lower Cydonia were . seen being marched through the Rethymno district, and a police sergeant at Ipiatzakis was tortured to death, his limbs being wrenched off one by one, with the object of forcing him to denounce the holders of German rifles.

At Erivalia den Silva, in the Rethymno district, people were executed one by one in the presence of others who had also been condemned to death and of their relatives, after having been forced to dig their own graves. At Heraklion the prefect was executed and Colonel Tsatsaronakis met the same fate because he tried to help the persecuted people to escape. In the same place five more Greeks were executed because they failed to declare that they knew German. According to available information the number of executions in Canea totalled 506, in the Rethymno district 130, and in Heraklion 50. The male population of the island, especially in Western Crete, has taken to the mountains in arms. Dominion Troops’ Resistance

The message is signed “S. Dimtra Kakis, Minister of War.” The Greek Minister of Information stated in London today tivu the lesistance of the Cretans to the Germans has been very considerable, particularly in the mountains where guerilla bands are stilt active. They included British and Dominion troops who had escaped to the mountains at the time of the evacuation.

The Crete Minister added that his Government is completely satisfied with the authenticity of the accounts of German atrocities.

LULL OYER BRITAIN

“NOTHING TO REPORT” (Omclal wireless) (Received Oct. 11, noon) RUGBY, Oct. 10 Regarding daylight activity over Britain an official communique states: There is nothing to report.

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

OUTBREAK OF EPIDEMIC (United Press Assn.—Elec. Te). Copyright) LONDON, Oct. 9 Reporting that an epidemic of infantile paralysis has occurred in Warsaw, the Stefani news agency admits that it is due to under-nour-ishment and adds that the Germans are now distributing vitamins to children under two years of age because of the fear that the trouble will spread to the occupation troops. Travellers arriving in Istanbul state that Hungarian peasants are hiding food because of their fear of a famine as a result of confiscations by the Germans. In a recent drive against hoarders 900,000 eggs were found in rural districts.