GERMAN DRIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23488, 27 October 1939, Page 9

GERMAN DRIVE

FRONT STILL PROBABLE NIGHT UNEVENTFUL STOHMY WEATIIEE By Tclosrraph—Freps Association —Copyriftht (Bcceiverl October 27, J2.15 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20 A Gorman offensive is considered probable in Paris, in spite of the conciliatory propaganda to France. The terrain on the Western Front is still practicable, in spite of the rain. M. Daladier conferred with Marshal Gamelin, Allied Commander-in-Chief. The French communique issued this morning stated that the night was again uneventful on the Western Front. The main feature of yesterday afternoon's activities was an unsuccessful German attempt to drive the French from the Warndt Forest. Mad weather continues, and this is one reason no doubt why there lias been no large-scale offensive. Hitler bad another conference with his generals last night. Nazi newspapers this morning have increased their tirade against Britain. The Berlin news agency announces that General von Brauchitsch, German Commander-in-Chief, visited the Western Front and watched the fighting. He decorated officers and men. The British United Press correspondent on the Western Front says that hailstorms swept the entire battle zones, but the Allied forces were not troubled. Roads and rivers and No Aran's Land are merged in a vast area of muddy lakes. Streams are overflowing their banks behind the German advance posts. The Blies River has been turned into a lake. A German loud-speaker lorry, broadcasting propaganda on the Western Front, approached a French outpost, repeating "Germany does not want to fight France." A burst of machine-gun fire smashed the apparatus and the crew hurriedly retired.

OVER GERMANY BRITISH AIRCRAFT FURTHER FLIGHTS MADE DEMONSTRATION OF POWER (Received October 2fi. 7.10 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 26 The Air Ministry announces that the Royal Air Force carried out reconnaisances. including night flights, over Berlin, Hamburg and Magdeburg. It is understood all the aeroplanes taking part in the reconnaissances over Germany returned safely. Referring to these flights, the London evening newspapers find food for reflection in the fact that at the very hour when von Ribbentrop at Danzig was boasting of Nazi might as exemplified in the overthrow of Poland, Britain's air power was again being demonstrated to the German people, unmistakably but mercifully, says a British official wireless message.

ALIVE AND WELL NEW ZEALAND PILOT INTERVIEWED BY AMERICAN BERLIN BROADCAST RECALLED LONDON, Oct. 25 Arriving at New York from Berlin to-day. Mr. H. R. Bankage, n national broadcasting commentator, said that the New Zealander Pilot-Officer L. H. Edwards, who was revealed to have been captured by the Germans after being reported killed in the Royal Air Force raid on Kiel, was alive and well, states a New York message Mr. Bankage declared that the broadcast by Pilot-Officer Edwards from a German naval hospital on September 13 was not a fake, as was reported in London. Mr. Bankage said he interviewed Pilot-Officer Edwards, an Irishman named Slattery. and a Yorkshireman named Booth, survivors of a crew of four shot down at sea. The New Zealand airman's nose and ear were bandaged, and he was very shy and hesitant about broadcasting. He was facing imprisonment cheerfully, and said he would employ his time in learning German.

In a letter to a London friend from a prison camp Pilot-Officer Edwards said be found the German officers and men "good scouts." He was being treated very well, and found the camp comfortable. There was a fenced-in area for exercising. The chief pastime was playing bridge.

Pilot-Officer Edwards asked his friend to send tinned meats, paste and cigarettes.

A short-wave broadcast from Berlin last month, purporting to be an interview with Pilot-Oflicer Edwards, was considered in some quarters in England to have been a German fake. The broadcast was heard in New Zealand and took the form of question and answer. Pilot-Oflicer Edwards was purported to have said that he had been rescued from the water by the German pilot who bad shot him down. The Xew Zealander was alleged to have said that he was being treated very well—like a German officer.

KILLED IN ACTION WELLINGTON AIRMAN LATEST CASUALTY LIST LONDON, Oct. 25 Flying-Officer C. H. Clark, of Wellington. Now Zealand, killed in action, beads the Air Ministry's seventh casualty list. There are no other Dominion fliers included in the total killed in action. Four British airmen were killed on active service, eight are missing, and there are 11 missing, believed killed.

BANK RATE REDUCED LONDON, Oct. 2(1 The Bank of England announced this morning that the bank rate had been reduced from 3 per cent to 2 per cent,