Allies Make First Moves

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 209, 5 September 1939, Page 7

Allies Make First Moves

WESTERN FRONT

German Lines Reported To Have B>een Pierced

FRENCH BULLETIN

(United Press Association. —Copyright.—Reo. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 4. The first war communique issued in Paris stated that the whole land, sea and air forcesjhave begun operations. .The German wireless from Berlin, on thef-other hand, announces that there is nothing to report from the western frontier.

The Associated Press of Great Britain correspondent in Paris says a General Staff communique announced: "Contact has been made on the front with the German forces. It added that the naval forces had talcen up the posts assigned to them, and the air force had done the necessary scouting.

In a message from Paris the Independent Cable Service reports that French troops have penetrated the German lines at a dozen points, advancing:as much as three kilometres.

It was learned in Paxis that hostilities between France and Germany began at 5 a.m. with a terrific artillery duel.

The Admiralty has announced that naval activity is continuing on all seas, but so far there have been no major operations to report.

The Royal Navy is completely mobilised and at its war stations in full strength, supplemented by a number of fully-commissioned armed merchant ships as auxiliary cruisers.

Profiting by past experience, the Admiralty has already taken certain measures which were only slowly developed during the last war. Among these is the reintroduction of the convoy system for merchant shipping to assist the merchant navy in its vital duty of ensuring the ovezaeas traffic of the British Commonwealth and its Allies.

The Brussels correspondent of the United Press of Great Britain says heavy- gunfire from the direction of the German border, reminiscent of was heard at Luxembourg to-day.

The Paris "Midi" yesterday commented: "Great silence is being observed on the military operations on the western front, but it can be assured we are not inactive. The German armies are going to be forced to loosen their grip on heroic Poland, whose troops at. several points have passed to the offensive."