WITHDRAWN INTACT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23661, 21 May 1940, Page 7

WITHDRAWN INTACT

THE BELGIAN ARMY GERMAN HOPE FOILED FURIOUS ONSLAUGHTS IN VAIN By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright British Wireless LONDON, May 19 The ground which the Allies have been compelled to give in Northern France through the enemy's concentration in a single drive of enormous momentum, which many experts estimate at a very large proportion of their total strength in tanks and supporting aircraft, has distracted attention from other aspects of the operations which are of great significance to the ultimate result of the campaign. One of these is. the admirable efficiency and celerity with which British forces were moved to positions in support of the Belgian armies—positions from which they have subsequently had regretfully to make voluntary retirements in conformity with readjustments of the line which strategic considerations made advisable. Another is the magnitude of the task accomplished by the Belgian Army itself. British military critics warmly praise the achievement of the Belgian forces in withstanding the furious onslaughts of the Germans, using new methods of

warfare. They thus succeeded in their first task of preventing the German break through. They have also foiled the hope, of the German command of encompassing the rapid destruction of the Belgian forces themselves, for the Belgian Army has withdrawn intact. This difficult operation, carried out in co-operation with other Allied forces, and to conform to the general Allied plan, was made possible by the excellence of the staff work and the admirable precision with which the movements have been executed.

Their British comrades-in-arms pay the highest tributes to the undaunted spirits and the high morale of the Belgian officers and men—of which a glorious but characteristic example is provided by the garrisons of the Liege and Namur forts.

SWISS PRECAUTIONS ARMS BAN ON ALIENS GERMANS WITHDRAW TANKS FRENCH CUT COMMUNICATIONS (Received May 20, 5.35 p.m.) BASLE, May 19 In an effort to frustrate treachery from within the Swiss Government has closed all telephone kiosks, forbidden foreigners to possess arms and created an Industry Guard to prevent sabotage. Foreigners voluntarily surrendered 2000 firearms in the Geneva area. The Germans have removed armoured cars and light tanks' from the immediate region of the Swiss frontier. The demojition of all canal and railway bridges by the French Army has interrupted railway communication between and Switzerland, via Basle. "NEST EGG" LOST p GOEBBELS' CANAL SHARES £70,000 WORTH CONFISCATED (Received May 20, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON. May 10 It is revealed by the Paris correspondent of the Times that the French Government has confiscated a "nest egg" from which Dr. Goebbels has been drawing dividends on 100 Suez Canal shares. The shares are worth over £70,000. He has been drawing the pioney through a Luxemburg bank."