TO DIVIDE ALLIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 October 1939, Page 7

TO DIVIDE ALLIES

HITLER PLANNING NEW MOVE SEPARATE OFFER TO FRANCE ? [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] COPENHAGEN, October 20. The Berlin correspondent of the “Berlingske Tidende” declares that Herr Hitler is planning a new move to divide the Allies. 1 It is predicted that the operations on the Western front are to be suspended as the preliminary to a separate offer of peace to France, and that, meanwhile, the war against Britain will be prosecuted with increasing ferocity.

RHINE IN HIGH FLOOD LONDON, October 20. The Rhine is in high flood and torrential rain has ■ held up operations on the greater part of the Western Front. The Germans are working feverishly to check the rising waters. The French defences are still secure. ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS LONDON, October 20. During last night there was partial activity at many, points. The Germans are believed still to be reinforcing behind their lines. The French line has been strategically straightened and rectified by the withdrawal in the early part of this week, but the new positions remain far ahead of the Maginot Line. REORGANISATION PHASE PARIS, October 20. Rain continues to hamper operations on the Western front, where activity has settled down to a reorganisation phase. Intense work is to be noticed behind the German lines, where a tremendous amount of war materials and numerous army corps are being created. SLIGHT FRENCH LOSSES PARIS, October 20. A communique confirms that the Germans launched an attack on October 16 at a point four miles east of the Moselle and 18 miles west of the Saar. French cavalry units supported by infantry remained to keep contact after the bulk of the divisions involved in the September offensive had withdrawn. They finally withdrew in accordance with orders. The movement was successfully effected; on t|he whole front at a depth amounting to six miles at certain points. :£The units involved took their stand on a prearranged line far in advance of the permanent fortifications. They suffered only slight loss. One detachment, consisting of an officer and 50 men, was out-flanked, but defended gallantly. The battle-front at present is stabilised on planned lines.

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. BERLIN, October 20. j A communique states: Quiet has been established after clashes south-» east of Saarbrucken. Elsewhere,. was minor artillery action and scout- I ing operations.

R.A.F. IN FRANCE. MINISTER PRAISES WORK [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] ’ RUGBY, October 19. A meeting took place in France on October 18 between the British and French Air Ministers, Sir Kingsley Wood and M. Lachambre. There was a broad exchange of views on a variety of matters relating to British and French co-operation, and complete agreement was established on all pointy. The discussion, following on the meetings of the Supreme War Council on September 12 in France and Sep- - tember 22 in England, is a further indication of the close and constant cooperation existing between the two Governments. After visiting many organisations, the Air Ministers visited the Royal j Air Force headquarters, where they ‘ received many correspondents at- ■■ tached to the Royal Air Force, and in j a statement, Sir Kingsley Wood said: ; “Units of the Royal Air Force have now been operating in France since the outbreak of war. To a consider- ’ able extent the personnel and stores were transported from England by air. On the outbreak of war a large number of machines, with crews and j personnel' to maintain them, were immediately brought to war stations in France. f

“They were flown from England without any mishap whatever, except for one comparatively-small accident “ to a single machine. It was an achievement of transport never before ’* attempted, and I am sure will never be excelled. “The units in France were main- •" tained and fed by air for about 12 ~ days after the outbreak of war. The flying personnel has been obtaining experience of the country, over which ‘i they have been operating on both sides of the line. Reconnaissances have been carried out over the German lines, and I have seen for myself ‘ the magnificent photographs obtained of the Siegfried Line and met and talked to the pilots and crews of the squadrons concerned. “I cannot speak too highly of the v ’ fine quality of the pilots and the air- ; craft in which they carried out this work. ’

“As an example, of the organisation which goes on behind the building up of the Air Force in France, I would say that we have a complete flying hospital and units for the evacuation home of casualties and patients with all possible speed' by air. To the present, all casualties have been evacuated in this manner.”