TROOP ACTIVITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23595, 2 March 1940, Page 11

TROOP ACTIVITY

WESTERN FRONTIERS GERMAN PREPARATIONS THREAT TO NEUTRALS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 1, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 29 It is intimated that the frontiers between Germany and Holland and Germany and Belgium are again to be closed, possibly to-morrow, says a message from Brussels. German police are already refusing to grant special permits to Belgian workers employed in Germany.

Increased German troop activity is reported on all the western frontiers of Germany, indicating that the Germans are taking advantage of the break in the cold weather to strengthen the Siegfried Line, says a despatch from Amsterdam. High German officers are reported to have visited positions opposite Eupen, a town in Belgium, 10 miles south of Aachen.

Germans in Holland Recalled Beginning on March 15, the German authorities at Aachen will restrict the movements of frontier traffic, says the Eupen correspondent of the British United Press. Dutch residents of Germany, temporarily sojourning in Holland, are reported to have been instructed to return to Germany not later than March 15 or their passes will be cancelled. Travellers from the Beich revealed that the German frontier positions have been strengthened. It is believed that the extension of the Siegfried Line is one reason for the increased control of the frontier traffic. Three British soldiers who crossed the frontier in Eastern Flanders were arrested, says a message from Brussels. It was reported that they had wandered from France.

Aerial Operations on West Front The French official evening communique reports renewed aerial activity on the West Front. A semi-official statement issued at The Hague challenges repeated German reports that Royal Air Force machines flew over Holland. After referring to the difficulty of identifying foreign aeroplanes at night, the statement adds: "If, as Germany suggests, we exclude the possibility of German aeroplanes being among those reported over Holland, -the question arises: 'Why do German aeroplanes appear over Holland only in the daytime?' "

GERMAN REPORTS CLAIM TO PRISONERS HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT ALLEGED ALLIED LOSSES LONDON, Feb. 29 A Berlin communique reports patrol activities on the border line west of Merzig. "We took several prisoners," says the communique. "Some enemy aeroplanes flew over north-west Germany on the night of February 27-28. Two flew via the Dutch-German frontier."

The official German news agency Spates: "Fierce hand-to-hand fighting tot\k place in the woods. Our infantry, whidh is especially well trained for closse conflict, inflicted sanguinary loss on {'he enemy, who fought courageously, so tlWe were also some light wounds on our .side. In spite of the intercession of enemy artillery, our patrol returned' in fu'.ll strength."

GERMANS' DILEMMA LACK OF fe,4W MATERIALS \ " ' ,l- * BERLIN, Feb. 29 Field-Marshal Goerfrig caused surprise to-day by explaining t\'e new taxation, after the closure of factories, as due to a lack of law materials and the necessity for currency economy. Goering stated that a general shortage of labour had caused thd closing down of German industry. The&e were now in serious need. The Reich Defence Council, of which Goering is president, estimated, that £100,000,000 was required, and decided that every enterprise, excepting those associated with agriculture and overseas shipping, must be taxed according to investments on their premises.