FRENCH ARNY IS STILL FIGHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 143, 18 June 1940, Page 7

FRENCH ARNY IS STILL FIGHTING.

FRENCH RESISTANCE.

NEWS STOPS.

RESERVES WORN. Maginot Line Guns Come Into Action. GERMANS, CLAIM ADVANCES. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, June 17. The French military spokesman at Bordeaux said the fighting "was continuing, but the Army reserves were completely exhausted. The spokesman was quoted by the Columbia Broadcasting Company as saying that the Army was still fighting at 4.30 p.m. (Greenwich mean time). The announcer added that the Ministry of War said the French decision to sue for peace was particularly due to the situation of the land Army, which was thought to be extremely grave, but not desperate. The Navy and Air Force were intact and still powerful. The Associated Press of Great Britain Berne correspondent says that despite Marshal Petain's announcement the Maginot Line began shelling German positions at 3 p.m. The Siegfried Line guns replied. The situation in France is still obscure, said an earlier message, and it is not known in London whether fighting ceased after Marshal Petain's broadcast. It is believed that the French day communique referred to fighting which Was progressing several hours before. Marshal Petain spoke. The French day communique from Bordeaux stated: "Fighting continued in the region of and Chateaudur. besides on the line of the Loire and south of Avallon.

"The enemy crossed the Saone .it certain points and is advancing :;i the direction of the river Doubs. The situation is unchanged in Upper Alsace, where the enemy has not succeeded in crossing the Rhone-Rhine Canal." "Ring Round Allied Forces." A German communique says: "Motorised units have reached the Swiss frontier at Pontarlier, and thus the ring round the enemy's forces in AlsaceLorraine is closed. "The French armies, having broken down, are pouring back in gie-it disintegration. We succeeded, through a bold attack by motoriscd units, in taking Orleans and an undamaged bridgehead across the Loire. "The Air Force machine-gunned heavy columns which were stationed at bridges across the Loire. We captured two aerodromes, on which 39 'planes were ready to take off. "Our troops took advantage of tli l breach in the Maginot Line, south >'i JSaarbrucken, to advance steadily towards the Rhine-Marne Canal." A Berlin message says the Germans continue to attack on all fronts. Nc> armistice will be concluded, and the fighting is expected to continue until Hitler has consulted Mussolini. The French radio states that there has been no great action against Italy. The French Air Force and Navy have so far carried out the main operations. It l* reported that industrial establishments at Turin were seriously damaged in last week's raids, and the anti -aircraft defences were put out of action. A message from Montreal says the National Broadcasting Company intercepted the French station TPAI3 announcing that French 'planes raided Turn. The station stated: "The entireindustrial centres of the city were completely dest r oyed."

Opposition To Invader Will Continue. FEELING IN BRITAIN. (Received noon.) RUGBY, June 17. j The effect of a pronouncement of such ; magnitude and gravity as made by Mar-; shal Petain, the new Prime Minister of FraLoe, cannot be immediately assessed. Official quarters in London point out that clearry it must not be expected that France will be very largely overrun by the enemy. Quite apart from the question of her obligation to her Allies, there is no reason whatever to think that the Fiench will eliow themselves less spirited than the Poles, the Czechs, the Norwegians, the Dutch and the Belgians, who, though their countries are subjected to Nazi tyranny, are yet continuing their resistance, both passive and active, both at home and from overseas, and are thus making tlie exploitation of their countries by the Germans more and more difficult. Countries may be overrun by tanks, but cannot be governed by tanks. The French have shown throughout their history that they do not easily submit to an invader. The task of holding down France would provide a problem of no mean order for the Germans. Moreover, it sometimes happens that the more spectacular is an advance of this nature the more spectacular is the collapse which often follows it. As was stated yesterday evening, the British Empire is resolute in its determination to continue the struggle.

NO MESSAGES FROM FRANCE. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 17. There has been no news from France since 1.40 p.m. (Greenwich mean time). There are no details of what the British Expeditionary Force is doing in Normandy. There is apparently very little action in the Chart re a region and no great attack there. The Germans have concentrated attack* in the east.