ENEMY FORCES PREPARE FOR FINAL ATTACK

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23052, 21 June 1940, Page 9

ENEMY FORCES PREPARE FOR FINAL ATTACK

(UNITED PHES3 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received June 20, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 20. There isistill no sign of the German-Italian reply to the French request for information regarding the terms of aA armistice. However, the Italian radio broadcast that the answer could be expected soon. The Bbrdeaux correspondent of the British United Press saws it is_ reported, without confirmation, that the Frenrh plenipotentiaries are General Huntziger, the Foreign (M. Baudouin), and M. Leon Noel, formerly French delegate in the Rhine Provinces. Germany had earlier sent a Note to the French Ambassador at Bordeaux saying that she would state the eruditions for peace when the names of the French plenipotentiaries were made known. /Meantime, Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini have ordered their armies to take up a position along a united strategic line from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean for the final attack if France rejects the peace Cjhnditions. / A New York message states that Bordeaux has /been bombed four times since 1.30 a.m.

plans are unknown, but Jf German newspaper articles and feradio talks are any indication, these nterms will be thoroughly in keeping |wlth German ideas of how a defeated gpeople should be treated at the hands |of their conquerors, provided they are £not Germans. The French radio insists that France Ijjsill hold out for an honourable peace. iFrench troops are still fighting. A message received “from Bordeaux States that the French plenipotentiaries, appointed this morning to negotiate with the Germans, are now on their way to the meeting place, ■which has not yet been disclosed. However, it is believed that it wall be on German-occupied territory, prob- ' ably Paris or Versailles. Wherever the parleys will be held. Italy will not be directly represented, it was officially stated in ' Berlin last night. The explanation was that Italy’s interests wee© in good hands as a result of the meeting between Herr Hitler and Signpr Mussolini at Munich. Although there is no official guide to the terras that Germany will demand, theqe is no such reticence by the Germgin and Italian newspapers and radio. It is the Italian newspapers that r gloat motet. The “Popolo di Roma” claims to know that one of the conditions/of peace will be the partition of French territory between Germany and Italy. It also states that France ■will be called on to surrender all he’gold ■•‘and all credits she holds on bebaub of Britain and countries which Germany has seized. Further, it is : alleged that she will have to surrender ali her raw materials and - guarantee 1 that normal industrial activity will be : Eesumed. • Another Italian newspaper said that f the peace conditions would be severe, : but more generous and fair than those I; treacherously imposed by Wilson’s 14 ■x points pn the tired but undefeated * German and Italian nations. , Still another Italian report is that r Germany will demand capitulation i pure and. simple from France. In Germany it was hinted on the radio that the political balance of j power between the two, • countries | would he fixed according; >to popula- } tioh. i To-night, for the second/ time in a i few hours, the French r?sio declared r that if Germany attempted to impose I a dishonourable peace ajn France the ; French people would eoetUnue to fight r at the side of their Allies. France was determined not to accept peace terms that would undermine fthe structure of the country. A Berlin radio commentator again attacking the French Foreign Minister (M. Baudouin) sp'id: ‘‘The moment for armistice has apparently not yet arrived. M. Baudorrin’s remarks show clearly that the mentality of the present French Government is the same as its predecessor., Their speeches will not stop the Gena? an army from chasing the French army deep into the south of France. “It is useless to appeal to Germany’s generosity and nobility. The balance of power in Europe must be readjusted. France has been trying for 300 years to dismember, oppress, and humiliate, Germany. She must be destroyed. German arms will speak as long as tfae Fuehrer thinks fit to settle outstanding accounts to the last item.” It is reported from Rome that Signor Mussolini, Count Ciano, and the German Ambassador (Herr von Mackensen) haves; arrived back in Rome from, Munich. EGYPTIAN TROOPS WITHDRAW fl AVOIDING FRONTIER INCIDENT (Received June 20, 8 p.m.) CAIRO. June 20. The Prime Minister; of Egypt (Aly Maher Pasha), replying to a question in the Chamber of Deputies, revealed that Egyptian troops had withdrawn from the frontier in order to prevent a serious incident before Parliament “had time to act 'in the best interests of the country.” He denied that the Egyptian forces had not defended themselves when, attacked. He reaffirmed that Egypt was following a policy, of complete support for Britain. The Egyptian Government is sending a Note to. Italy in connexion with frontier air caids in which Egyptians were killed. New Govremor of Canada—The Earl of Athlone, who arrived in Canada yesterday,' will be installed as Gov-ernor-General of the Dominion tomorrow.—Ottawa, June 20.

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would rather fight on than accept peace terms that were dishonourable. From Switzerland it is reported that French troops are retiring to the Swiss frontier, blowing up .roads, bridges, and tunnels on the way. It is stated that there are now 4000 French soldiers in Switzerland. A Berne message says that French officers reaching the Swiss frontier praise the heroism of 2600 Polish troops who sacrificed themselves in covering the retreat of civilians. The Poles took up positions at Charquemont, near the Swiss frontier, and launched an attack against the advancing German tanks, at which they flung bottles of petrol, which set the tanks on fire. The majority of the Poles were killed. The German High Command communique states: “The French Army continues to disintegrate. Our motorised troops have taken Cherbourg, reached Rennes, passed through Lemans, crossed the Loire at many points between Orleans and Nevers, and advanced towards Lyons. Armoured and motorised units approaching from Belfort are preparing to join the troops who have already penetrated deep into the Vosges. “Further north we took Nancy and crossed the Rhine-Marne canal east of Nancy. The enemy is still resisting on both sides qf the Maginot Line. Divebombers assisted our operations against the fortresses, field positions, railway line, troop concentrations, and convoys Bombers sank a 10,000-ton ship off Cherbourg. Air formations bombed numerous air bases in England and set fire to great oil storage tanks at the mouth ,qf the .Thames. British aeroplanes bombed non-military objectives in north and west Germany, killing about 18 civilians.” The German Official News Agency states that seven civilians were killed and a number were wounded in a British air raid on Cologne. A bomb splinter during a Royal Air Force raid on Dusseldorf killed Herr Weitzel, the chief of the Dusseldorf police, who was a high group leader in the Storm Troops.