THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 20, 1939-
WESTERN
Page
FRONT ACTIVE
VIOLENT BOMBARDMENTS EXCHANGED: FRENCH MAKE IMPORTANT NEW ADVANCES
London, To-day.
THE FRENCH ARE REPORTED to have made ad-
WITH
vances in the Saar sector, and have wiped out THE B.E.F.
several detachments of the enemy. Heavy fighting is now going on near Saarbruecken, Zweibruecken and other towns in Germany. From Basle it is reported that the German forces have met with some success at the east end of the western front, where they have re-occupied points taken by the French three days ago. The Germans are stated to be attacking a town in
ITALY AND DODECANESE ISLANDS
Rome, To-day. There is no confirmation of ra. ports that Italy is withdrawing troops from the strategic Dode- canese lelands, but Italian of- ficials say that "it might be pos sible."-Router.
IN FRANCE BUSINESS
"
London, To-day. Somewhere in France
"
MAN FOR
Eye - Witness writes: MINISTRY
"To-day I visited the Bri-
French territory from three sides. They are ad-tish troops billeted in lit- OF FOOD vancing behind tanks and are driving north-east.
The French are on the
defensive
in this sector, but a little further west are trying to cut off outer forts of the Siegfried Line.
German
In the Vosges region, the tanks advanced rapidly for a few kilometres, but were forced to re- treat when the French artillery open- ed up amongst them.
GERMAN VERSION
A German communique merely
"Thore says:
was activity at Isolated points by observers and artillery,"
-+
In Paris, it is again reported that Hitler and General von Brauchitsch,
NOT AT ALL
SURPRISING
"I shall award you $5 from the Poor Box to compensate you for your lost goods," said Mr. E.
Himsworth
this morning when commending Tong Thum, 27, hawker, for arresting the snutcher.
a
The snatching was seen by the the German commander-in-chief, hawker, who chased and arrested have arrived on the western front, the man. But his own goods were and it is possible that the German stolen or lost while he was chasing
activity has been timed to coincide snatcher. with their appearance.--Reuter.
AIR BATTLES
Paris, To-day.
Last night's communique states that there has been activity of ad. vanced elements east of the Saar.
There was strong enemy artillery action in the same region.
The communique adds: in aer ial battles on the Front yesterday, our pursult patrols were twice on- gaged with the enemy air forces, who were superior in number.
"Several German pursuit planes were brought down, two of them fall- ling in our territory."-Reuter.
BOTH SIDES LOSE PLANES
Paris, To-day. French planes which flew over the German lines yesterday, mainly reconnaissance, were engaged German fighters.
on by
Machines on both sides were brought down.-Reuter.
MORE ACTIVITY
London, To-day.
Paris messages, which are not con- firmed by official quarters, state that there has been more activity on the Rhine between Strasbourg and Basle. -Reuter.
FORMER FAR EAST R.A.F. MAN BELIEVED KILLED
London, To-day. Squadron. Leader S. S. Murray, formerly Assistant Air Attache to the British Embassy in China, who was
tle villages, farms and castles in the depth of the French countryside.
"So well are they distributed that you could drive through the * area without noticing any concentration of troops.
"The Franch
pay a" warm tribute to the conduct of the Bri- tish, an old peasant remarking “I don't bellove I've lost a single apple."
London, To-day. Lord Perry has been ap- [pointed Business Adviser to
the Ministry of Food.
The Ministry of Food, when it takes over full control of essential food- stuffs, will become a large trading organisation.
In the Great War, the trading ac- counts of the Ministry of Food in the period 1917/21, totalled nearly £1,- 000,000,000, of which over £800,000,- 000 were devoted to the purchase of foodstuffs.
"Officers who fought in the last war remark on the fraternising of French and British troops as a marked dif- ference between 1914 and 1939,
With such large financial and trad- "They drink together in cafes, shareing transactions in view, the Minister cigarettes and try to get to know each has thought it desirable to secure. at other as never in the last War."the outset of the Ministry's career the Reuter.
advice of a business man.
Lord Perry is Chairman of the Ford Motor Company and is, also a director of the National Provincial, Bank and the Slough Estate.
FRENCH TROOPS
TAKE THE INITIATIVE
Paris, To-day.
AFTER WEEKS of comparative inactivity, the French artillery moved up batteries and French troops have taken the initiative in strengthening positions all along the front line.
The operations, though not on a large scale, are considered by well-informed military circles to be particularly interesting as they have enabled the French to secure good observation points, especially in the Blies area and on the rugged Haardt massif.
Ger-
The French reception of the man counter-attacks of the past two days appears to have discouraged the enemy who are refraining from fur- ther activity and are restricting them-. selves to artillery fire in the Zwei- bruecken "area.
VIOLENT BOMBARDMENT
During the Great War, Lord Perry was Director of the Agricultural Ma-· chinery Division of the Food Produc- tion Department.
It was this Division which acquired and operated a large fleet of agricul- tural tractors which played such an
Important part in ploughing-up in
1917/18.
of the Mechanical
Later he became Deputy Controller Warfare Depart- ment and Director of Traction in the Ministry of Munitions.-British Wire- less,
FRANCO-SOVIET TALK IN PARIS
Paris, To-day. The Soviet Ambassador, M. Suritz, yesterday saw the French Under-Se- cretary at the Foreign Office.-Reuter.
FRANCE SAYS IT WITH FLOWERS TO BRITISH UNIT
London, To-day.
While hitherto there has only been BUNCHES OF FLOWERS on the radiator caps and behind
occasional bursts, yesterday it was reported that a violent bombardment was exchanged over the Rhine. Air battles over the German
lines
in one of the British Embassy cars yesterday proved the quality of the machine-gunned between Nanking and French machines.. The weather was Shanghai in October, 1937, is reported¦ideal for artillery spotting and aerial missing, believed killed, in the latest photography and reconnaissance. and R.A.F. casualty list-Reuter.
NEWS LACKING FROM
POLAND
the drivers of cars, and of big British lorries humming along the country roads testify to the welcome given to British A.A. units comparable to that accorded the Army and Air Force, writes the British "Eye-Witness" at the headquarters of the A.A. Unit which was among the first British troops which reached France, artillery co-operation aircraft pro- tected by fighters flew over the Ger- turned out to greet
The men say that whole towns
them with GERMAN TRADE man lines.
flowers and kisses. AIR DUELS
Headquarters is situated in an old MISSION BOUND chateau whose owner is a portly old FOR MOSCOW aristocrat who potters about amlably watching his British guests with in-
Moscow, Today: dulgent interest.
A German trade and economic mis- So far there has not been a single sion is arriving In Moscow in the alarm and gunners spend their time near future to discuss details of an finding new methods of improving agreement for developing trade be their emplacements and camouflage. tween the two countries under the -Reuter.
Soviet-German agreement.-Reuter.
London, Tó-day. A series of air duels with German While there was no news yesterday | fighters proved the speed and strength of actual fighting in Poland; a mes not only of French fighters but also sage from Burcharest says that the of the bombers, which were too fast Rumanian authorities have interned for the German fighters. President Moselcki of Poland and The German losses in these fights Marshal. Smigly-Rydz,
the Polish are conservatively estimated to be at commander-in-chief-Reuter-
least as great as the French-Reuter,
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