ALLIED MOVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23615, 27 March 1940, Page 9

ALLIED MOVE

WESTERN FRONT MOMENT AWAITED < OPINION IN PARIS TTT «mystery WEAPON " 5y Telesrraph —Press Association—Copyright (Receiver! March 27. 12.40 a.m.) PARIS, March 20 Several writers in the French press indicate that an Allied offensive on the Western Front is by no means ruled 'out- Morice, in Le Petit Parisien, says: "The- experience of the last war shows that everything B hould be prepared so that the Army is nof called upon to make useless Bacrifices. "The leaders will continue to be careful of soldiers' lives, and, in spite of the fact that the Maginot arjd Siegfried Lines are almost impregnable, Marshal Gamelin will give the order to attack when such an attack will yield results." M. do Givet. writing in L'Ordre, suggests that a mystery weapon has been developed for attacking fortified positions. He says the Arhty may go into action on the Western Front, which is the only front on which a decision can he readied, but the time'for the attack is entirely in the hands of the commanders. A French communique says there vas "a quiet night on the Western Front. A few prisoners were taken. A Berlin communique reports an air battle over Zweibruecken, in the Saar. It states: "Our pursuit aeroplanes shot , down a French reconnaissance machine." > All ranks of the Royal Air Force and the British Expeditionary Force have been strictly instructed not to participate in broadcasts from Germany. If they should be captured they Einst refuse to give information as to which unit they belong.

GOEBBEIiS' ARK LAUNCHING ON RHINE L INSULTS FOR BRITAIN / SUNK BY FRENCH BULLETS LONDON. March 06 Dr. Goebbcls' propaganda ofl'ort on the Western Front took a fresh turn yesterday when the Germans launched a small boat from their bank of the Rhine. The mast and sides of the boat I bore placards directing what French authorities described as "very rude remarks" against Britain. Three soldiers accompanied the boat, but the French opened fire and riddled it with bullets. The boat sank and the Soldiers at least received a wetting, il they did not lose their lives. JJNER MAURETANIA , . ARRIVAL AT CRISTOBAL PASSAGE OF CANAL EXPECTED (Receiver! March 2G, 5.5 p.m.) NJEW YORK, March 25 The Cunard White Star liner Mauretania anchored in Cristobal Bay to-day, presumably in preparation for transit through the Panama Canal to-morrow. The Mauretania, of' 35,739 tons, left New York at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. With' an overall length of about SOOtt., the fast Atlanta liner, the largest merchant ship ever built in England, will have no difficulty in passing through the Panama Canal. Much larger vessels., notably the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Britain, of 42.318 tons, which visited Auckland in 1938, have steamed through the 50mile waterway. , The liner Qneen Mary, of 81,235 tons, left New York at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday and was last seen heading southward. As the maximum- length of locks in the Panama Canal is 1000 ft., it would not be possible tor the giant British liner to make the transit. The Queen Mary's length overall of 1020tt. makes her one of only three ships, the others being the Xonnandie and Queen Elizabeth, which cannot use the canal. At the time of the two liners' departure, New York reports stated that it had been decided to employ them as troopships. Before tbev, left, the Mauretania loaded sand ballast and the Qiieen Mary's luxurious furnishings were dumped on a pier. Both ships took in large quantities of provisions.

GERMAN RADIO SILENT 'AIR FORCE VISIT DEDUCED RESUMPTION AFTER AN HOUR (Received March 26, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, March 20 A widespread raid on Germany by the Royal Air Force was suggested by the almost simultaneous cutting-off of the Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Prague radio programmes. They were resumed without explanation after an hour, PLANTING POTATOES French soldiers at work PARIS, March 25 Seven hundred soldiers yesterday planted 3000 acres of potatoes in the Maginot Line on land from which civilians had been evacuated. The Army fims at planting 30,000 acres, producing 50,000 tons of potatoes —if the work 18 not interrupted. OBJECTS OF THE WAR ENGLISH UNION'S VIEW LONDON, March 25 The National Unioh of Shop Assist-. ®nts, Warehousemen and Clerks at its a »nual meeting at Birmingham, carried by 86 votes to 57 a resolution declaring that the war' was imperialistic an d was being fought for the defence British and French colonial possessions, and that workers had no interest in supporting it. The union rejected a motion by 72 Y °tes to 51 defending Russia's action ®Baiust Finland.