SLOW TO ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 205, 31 August 1939, Page 11

SLOW TO ACT.

EVACUATE PARIS.

Fourth Government Request To Civilian Population.

TAKING OVER RAILWAYS,

t Received 1 p.m.)

PARIS, August 30. The Government, for the fourth time has requested the population to evacuate f. a " s -. .The communique tartly declares that civilians do not seem to understand the necessity for making their plans confirm with the restricted traffic. So far less than a third of the population has complied with the Government's request. Newspapers continue to stress the uncertainties of the situation.

The Government is still rounding up Communists.

The Government is taking over the entire French railway system to-morrow for military purposes. Traffic may be suspended entirely if the military authorities so decide.

ASSURE NEUTRALITY. British Promises To Denmark And Belgfum. IF NAZIS DO LIKEWISE. (Received 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, August 30. The British Minister to Copenhagen, having been informed by the Danish Foreign Minister of a statement made by the German Government regarding the observance of Danish neutralitv, has conveyed an assurance to the Danish Government that so long as Dani.-h neutrality is respected by Germany it will, of course, be respected by * the British Government, which will have i:n desire that Denmark should be involved in war, which it is still hoped may be avoided.

This intimation to the Danish Government is in conformity with the traditional British policy, which would apply also to Belgium', as the Belgian Government was informed by the British Ambassador a few days ago. It would apply no less to Holland, but no official demarche at The Hague is required, or would be appropriate in that case, in view of the well-known attitude of the Netherlands Government.

[By special arrangement Reuter's World fervice, in addition to other special sources of information, is used in the compilation or the overseas intelligence published in this issue, and ail rights therein in Australia and Sew Zealand are reserved.

Sucn or the cable news on this pasre a* is so headed has appeared in "The Times" I and is sent to this paper by special I permission, it should i>e understood that the opinion? are not those or "The Times'' unless expressly stated to be so.]