IMPEDING ARMY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20275, 17 June 1940, Page 7

IMPEDING ARMY

REFUGEES ON ROADS RESTRICTION PLANNED GERMAN TERRORISM BOMBS AND BULLETS (Reed. June 17, 9 a.m.) LONDON, June 16. The Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces, General Weygand informed the Government that the exodus of the population from the invaded areas was likely to impede, if not prevent, military operations. The Minister of the Interior. M. Mandel has decided on measures to prevent the movement of civilians at certain places. The Exchange Telegraph agency says that the inhabitants of Chartres, Orleans, Blois and Tours have joined the refugees, bringing to a climax the flood of civilians fleeing southward. “Fifth columnists” who seem to bo working throughout France add to the terror by rumour

The clogging of the roads with refugees has necessitated the control of all road traffic by the military and the prohibition of travel without a permit. Military police are stationed at all cross roads, turning back refugees. *

Bombs anti Machine-Guns German planes continually strafe the refugee columns with bombs and machine-guns One of the last Britons to leave Paris yesterday was the correspondent of the Daily Mail, who said that when the news of the rapid German advance was received, there was a frantic rush to get cars, carts and horses —anything with which to escape. The Government did not inform the people because it was imperative to avoid a last-minute rush from Paris which would clutter up the roads and hamper the military forces. Most of these people by now were taken prisoner. An enormous crowd surrounded a woman selling cherries. There was nothing else to eat. The correspondent, telling of the scenes on the roads, says the highways were jammed with cars, lorries, horses and pedestrians, women with babies in arms and old men fainting. The German light advanced detachments moving along the Avenue Versailles suddenly stopped as if waiting for new orders before entering the city. There was nothing barring their v/ay and not a shot was fired.