CLOSING BORDER.

| DANZIG POSITION. I " Authoritarian Regime" Established. MOVE TO OUST POLES. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 10.30 a.m.) LOXDOX, August 24. An official news agency message from Danzig says that the authorities are closing the Danzig border as a counter-measure to the Polish closure. It was officially announced at Danzig that the German Navy's training ship Schleswig Holsteiii will anchor in Danzig to-morrow at 8 a.m.

A Danzig decree appoints Herr Albert Foerster head of the Danzijr State. Customs officers report that the Poles have closed the border between Poland and Danzig to stop food consignments to Danzig. The appointment of Herr Foerster as State President of Danzig, effective as from yesterday, is interpreted by the German Government spokesman as "the establishment of an authoritarian regime under Herr Hitler." It is reported that the British Consul left early this morning.

The first determined Nazi move to oust the Poles from Danzig is indicated by a Warsaw communique reporting that the Danzig secret police have arrested a number of Polish railway officials in the past 24 hours, and have also begun large-scale arrests of Polish civilians.

The Danzig police at first superseded the Polish Customs officers at Zoppot and Oliva. examining passort-s and baggage, ignoring the fact that the railways are legally under the control of Poland.

When the Polish officials protested, the Nazis touched their revolvers and replied: '"We act by right."

The Danzig-Polish-German negotiations designed to settle the Customs problems have been broken off.

A decree places the Danzig Gestapo (secret police) under the direction of the Senate President. Herr Greiser, and it thus becomes a separate organisation.

It is reported from Warsaw that 20 Germans crossed the frontier and attacked a railway station in the Katowice district. They fired over 100 rounds and wounded three Poles.

The speeding-up of Poland's defence measures has led to serious delays to passenger trains engaged in the evacuation of civilians from the Polish"frontier districts, and this has caused the German Press to predict a Nazi coup d'etat in Danzig.

The British Consulate in Berlin, under instructions from London, has advised Britons to leave Germany.

Italian war preparations have suddenly been accelerated, and responsible quarters are beginning to express the fear that war is almost inevitable within a few davs.

WAR IMMINENT? German Exporters' Hint To Turkey. REFUSAL OF GOODS. (Received 10.30 a.m.) ISTANBUL, August 24. ' The German authorities have advised Turkish exporters to dispatch before Tuesday all goods destined for Germany. All goods will be refused after this date. It is feared that this is tantamount to a hint that war is imminent. The Italians have already withdrawn all goods from the Customs, and Germans have ceased buying. Official quarters state that Turkey adheres to her agreements with Britain and France in spite of Nazi hopes to win Turkey from the democratic front. SLUMP IN BONDS. London Foreign Exchange May y Be Closed. BUSINESS IN WALL STREET. (Received 12 noon.) NEW YORK, August 24. New York banks have heard that unless there is a sudden improvement in London, the foreign exchange market will close to-morrow or will restrict business to nominal proportions. Foreign bonds have slumped as much as five points. Nine United States Government issues have reached new low levels. Selling is heavy in Australian, Belgian and Polish issues, which are off one to three points. Sterliiig futures sank to 3 5-8 cents below the spot rate, which the Equalisation Account held firm at 4.68 J. Selling waves swept the Montreal and Toronto exchanges. Wheat closed at 1 1-8 higher at Winnipeg. LEAVE CANCELLED. Garrison And Artillery Men In New South Wales. CIVILIAN AIR RESERVE. (Received 1- noon.) SYDXEY, this day. The Sydney '"Daily Telegraph" says all military leave at every garrison and artillery station in New South Wales lias been suspended, until further notice, by special order. The Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, further announced yesterday comprehensive plans for the creation of a Civilian Air Reserve by subsidising the training of about 3000 pilots in the next three years. Tlie Commonwealth was prepared to pay substantial subsidies to aero clubs and flying training schools, and opportunity would be afforded scores of air-minded young men of good physique to obtain cheap flying instruction with the added advantage of serving their countrv in its hour of need.

[By special arrang-pment Reuter's World service. in addition to other special sources or inl'onnation. is used in the compilation • or !ho overseas intelligence , published in . this issue, and all rights therein in J Australia and .New Zealand are reserved. ! Such or the cable news on this pagre as lis so headed has appeared in "The Times" and is sent to this paper by special permission. It should be understood that ihe opinions are not those or "The Times" unless expressly stated to be so.J