THE WESTERN FRONT

Evening Star, Issue 23501, 15 February 1940, Page 12

THE WESTERN FRONT

BITING GOLD SLACKENS ACTIVITY INFLUENZA SWEEPING SIEGFRIED LIKE LONDON, February 14. (Received February 15, at 1.55 p.m.) The biting cold has slackened activity from the Moselle to the Swiss frontier. The Germans opened gunfire north of ■ Bitche at midnight, and subsequently began a five hours’ artillery preparation t against French outposts east of the Moselle, after which 50 infantry attacked under the protection of a box barrage in the hope of isolating the position, but a retaliatory barrage crushed the effect. Both sides conducted reconnaissance flights. A message from Eupen (Belgium) states that influenza is sweeping the Siegfried Line, Several German watering places are filled with sick soldiers, 2,000 of whom are under treatment at a single Westphalian spa for pneumonia, pleurisy, and rheumatism. FRENCH COMMUNIQUE ENEMY RAID REPULSED PARIS, February 14. (Received February 15, at 2 p.m.) A communique states: “An enemy raid failed west of the Saar. A captured German ship has been taken to port.” RATIONS BY PLANE ISOLATED TROOPS IN BRITAIN (British Official Wireless.) RPGBY, February 13. The Royal Air Force played a great part in /ceding isolated troops during the heavy snows last month. In one district five separate searchlight posts owe their rations to a pilot who took up a machine loaded with food, despite the difficult flying weather. Food containers were dropped in each case less tb*a 200yds away from the posts, ROAD DEATHS IN BRITAIN (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 14. (Received February 15, at 1 p.m.) The. Ministry of Transport returns of road deaths in Britain in January show an increase of 134, or some 28 per cent, over January, 1939. Six hundred and nineteen persons lost their lives on roads in Britain in January, of whom 461 were killed during the haurs of darkness. BRITISH EXPORT COUHCIL , (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 13. The newly-formed Export Council, under the .chairmanship of Sir Andrew Duncan, President of the Board of Trade, will comprise 14 members representing all aspects, of industry, trades unions, and Government departments, most intimately concerned with the export trade. The vice-chairman will be Mr R.' A.'Hudson, secretary of the Department of Overseas Trade. An executive committee of three, under the chairmanship of Mr D’Arcy Cooper, will’ give whole-time service to the council’s work. FOOD HOARDERS AND PROFITEERS DEALT WITH IN ITALY ROME, February 14. (Received February 15, at 10.35 a.m.) Penalties to the number of 28,510 have been imposed on food hoarders and profiteers since the outbreak of