POLES DEMORALISED

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1939, Page 7

POLES DEMORALISED

COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF FRONT RETREAT TURNED INTO ROUT [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, September 18. The correspondent of “The Times” at Zaleszczyki says that the Polish military situation, which a week ago was an ora y treat, has become the exact opposite. The front has collapsed completely, and little more remains but for the Germans to mop up what is left of a gallant army 1,500,000 men. . _ . ’ The Germans have not appeared at Zaleszczyki, Sniatyn, or Kuty, but the cutting of this frontier is only a matter of time, ine same applies to the Latvian and Lithuanian frontiers. . The present demoralisation and rout are not attributable to lacK of courage by the Polish soldiers, but to the fact that their unmechanised forces have been mown down by tanks when they were not shot down by machine-guns from aeroplanes.

The Polish wireless communications completely collapsed, the engineers relying, like the entire nation, on courage rather than efficiency. Separate units had not the vaguest idea where the Polish headquarters were situated, and knew only vaguely where the fronts were, unless they heard the German wireless communiques. Even now the Poles are bravely struggling to rally their forces and withdraw to the Pripet marshes. Zaleszczyki presents a pitiable appearance. Wounded are coming in in hundreds. Officers who are not wounded are arriving to direct the evacuation of families to Roumania. The town is bravely trying to run business as usual. The shops are doing a roaring trade as the refugees spend their last Polish coins, knowing they will be worthless outside the country. FLIGHT TO ROUMANIA CERNAUTI, September 18. Large sections of the Polish Army have been pouring across the Roumanian frontier since early on Sunday, following the flight of President Moscicki and the apparent collapse of the Polish Republic. It is stated that the Polish Comman-der-in-Chief, Marshal Smigly-Rydz, is with the Polish Army at Kutno, which is surrounded. Over 250 Polish war-planes have landed in Roumania. It is reported that tanks, planes, artillery, and hundreds of soldiers surrendered to the Soviet forces. POLISH GENERAL STAFF. ' ROME, September 18. The semi-official news agency reports that the entire Polish General Staff, including Marshal Smigly-Rydz, have arrived at Cernauti. A message from Riga stated: Over sixty Polish war-planes have arrived. They have been confiscated, and the crews interned. Refugees and a few soldiers, crossing the border, have been placed in Latvian concentration camps.

ADDRESS BY M. MOSCICKI. LONDON, September 18. The. Berlin wireless stated that M. Moscicki and the whole Polish Government arrived at Bucharest from Cernauti. M. Moscicki, before his departure from Poland, thus addressed the Poles: “Citizens, at a time when our army, with indomitable courage, struggled against the enemy’s overwhelming power, Russia invaded our land, in violation of covenants and morality. We are facing, not for the first time in our history, an invasion from the east and west. Poland, allied with England and France, has battled for the rule of law against lawlessness, and will emerge victorious. With heavy hearts, have we decided to transfer the seat of Government to a place reassuring sovereignty, and opportunity to safeguard the interests of the State. I am sure you will preserve through all ordeals the spirit of dignity and pride which has earned you the admiration of the world. Almighty God will vindicate the justice of our cause.”

POLISH AMBASSADOR LONDON, September 18. The Moscow correspondent of the I “Daily Telegraph” states that the Polish Ambassador has been ordered to leave Russia immediately for Roumania, with his entire staff. POLISH SUBMARINES ESCAPE. TALLINN. September 18. A Polish submarine, which was interned here, escaped at 3 a.m., and eluded the Are from the Estonian shore batteries and warships. It is reported from Stockholm that the Polish submarine Rys sought refuse at the Island of Sandham, and was interned. The Rys left Gdynia some davs ago, but dived when a Geiman warship appeared. The submarine continuously dodged the enemy craft by submerging, until the oxygen was exhausted and the diving-gear become unworkable. The crew were exhausted, several being taken to hospital.

CIVIL WAR REPORTED. SITUATION IN WARSAW. (Recd. September 19, 10.15 a.m.) BERLIN, September 18. A communique states that the Polish campaign is approaching its end. Lublin has been conquered, and Lemberg encircled. The High Command at Warsaw failed to send negotiators, to arrange evacuation before the city was stormed. .The bombardment of Warsaw has not begun, as it is reported that civil war has broken out in the capital, one of the groups wanting to surrender, and the other wanting to carry on. The Germans are awaiting the outcome. / DICTATORSHIP FRUSTRATED (Recd. September 19, 11.50 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, September 18. The “Berlingske Tidende’s” correspondent reports that General Sonkowski, a former friend of Marshal Pilsudski, yesterday attempted to establish a military dictatorship in Warsaw. Marshal Smigley-Rydz frustrated the attempt. “Now that the Government has fled, there is complete chaos in his command.” USELESS SACRIFICE. LONDON, September 18. “The Times’s” correspondent on the Polish frontier says that Roumania is most unlikely to assist Poland against Russia, although the Rouman-ian-Polish alliance pact binds her to do so. Poland has not sought any such help, being apparently prepared to die in her traces, as is indicated by the story of the useless sacrifice of brave men, when 3000 cavalry weie ordered to charge German tanks at Katowice, in the early days of the war. They obeyed the order, but only 100 returned. The Associated Press of America Budapest correspondent states that Polish refugees are pouring into Hungary. The Government has agreed to take care of civilians.

HEROIC POLISH AIRMEN PARIS, September 16. The Polish Telegraph Agencystates that Lieutenant Pilusinski, single-handed, attacked twelve German bombers. When his ammunition gave out, he deliberately rammed a German ’plane. Sergeant Barconowski, after, shooting down a bomber near Modlin, was wounded. He too rammed a ’plane, but was killed in the crash. Another Polish flier, who followed suit, parachuted to safety. REFUGEES MACHINE-GUNNED. RUGBY, September 18. A Ministry of Information bulletin states: In a broadcast in Russian, cn September 16, it was announced from Moscow that 20,000 civilians were killed by German bombing in Lemberg, and that the Germans had machine-gunned refugees from Lublin. Acting on the advice of Polish Government, Sir Howard Kennard, British Ambassador in Warsaw, passed into Roumania yesterday, with the remaining members of his staff.

POISON GAS NOT USED BERLIN, September 16. It is officially stated that Germany will not bomb open cities and will refrain from using poison gas and bacteriological warfare, provided her opponents do not adopt such tactics. The announcement answers the inquiry by France and Britain before the war and follows the ultimatum to Warsaw. HERR BURCKHARDT’S VIEWS COPENHAGEN, September 16. Herr Burckhardt (Commissioner for Danzig), interviewed, stated Herr Hitler’s invitation to him to go to Berchtesgaden on August 13, came over late. “I might perhaps, have had . a chance at an earlier stage,” he said, “since in my opinion every German desired peace from the bottom of his heart. The man in the street in Danzig was indifferent and tired. None really thought local affairs would occasion such a catastrophe.” He added: “I do not think Poland is finished yet. Feeling in the Baltic States is that Russia will not enter the war unless the Germans are being beaten.”

GERMANS CLOSE RING. (Recd. September 19, 2 p.m.) BERLIN. September 18. The official wireless service states that the German troops occupy the. greater, part of Poland. The remainder of the territory lying eastward is principally Ukrainian, White Russian, /and Lithuanian. The eastern German (army, between Brest Litovsk and Wlodzimierz, 70 miles north of Lemberg, has closed the ring spanning Poland from north to south. The northern and southern armies met at Wlodawa, 38 miles south of Brest Lit.ovsk, reaching a line running from the south-east of East Prussia to Stryj, near the Polish-Hungarian frontier, driving the Poles back to beyond Brest Litovsk and the Bug River. Scattered 'remains of the Polish troops still remain at Wysogrod, south-west of the Vistula, Modlin, and North of Warsaw, also on Lake Grodek, west of Lemberg, but they are fighting sporadical!}’ and •must eventually be overcome.