NO MIDDLE WAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25022, 12 October 1944, Page 5

NO MIDDLE WAY

CITY WILL BE TAKEN CHOICE WITH ENEMY IMPORTANT TEST CASE p«d. 8-30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 11 "Aachen is completely surrounded by the Americans, who are sufficiently equipped both with planes and artillery to destroy the city if necessary/' stated the Allied ultimatum, which was delivered to the Mayor of Aachen as well as to the commander of the German troops. "We shall take the city either by its surrender or by attacking and destroying it. "We require the unconditional surrender of all armed bodies, the cessation of all hostile acts and the removal of mines and prepared demolitions. "It is not intended to molest the civil population and needlessly sacrifice human lives," the ultimatum added, "but if the city is not completely and promptly surrendered the American ground forces and air forces will prokkT ruthlessly to reduce it to submisEoii There is ifo middle course. The choice and responsibility are yours. Yoar answer must be delivered within burs." ' Guns and Planes Ready General Hodges signed the ultimatum, which two American lieutenants and one private conveyed under a white flag. The ultimatum was delivered at 10.50 a.m., but the 2000 German troops inside Aachen were still resisting bitterly at 5-30 p.m. Meanwhile American bombers were waiting to blow Aachen off the map, field guns were stacking Hp ammunition in readiness for action, andmany troops were prepared to move ia in the wake of artillery fire. The Americans maintained the usual barrage and also fired thousands of leaflets into Aachen in canisters. These leaflets pointed out the hopelessness of the position and repeated the terms of the ultimatum. The British United Press correspon3ent says this is the first ultimatum to any German city in the present war. in American colonel estimated that there were from 10,000 to 15,000 cirilians in Aachen. The ultimatum delivered to Aachen is of the highest importance as a test case for German cities, and; in view of the necessity for maintaining morale 'within the Reich, it is expected that the Germans will be ordered to fight to the last in the ruins of Aachen, says the Ne# York Times correspondent with the First Army. Significance of Situation The siege, he adds, is likely to be long and bloody, paralleling Stalingrad. Aachen is not just Aachen. It is all German cities which the Allies may besiege. In the final phase of the war G.oebbels will try to make Aachen a rallying cry similar to Dunkirk for the British and Pear] Harbour for the Americans. If Aachen surrendered unconditionally, says the correspondent, it would V striking evidence that German resistance was weakening. However, if, M expected, the garrison fights to the i then a patriotic example will have heen given to all Germany and the conjWjtj of the Reich will be that much ; LE HAVRE TRAGEDY SUFFERINGS OF CIVILIANS ®««L 6.35 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 10 Civilian casualties at Le Havre totalled nearly 20,000, according to French journalists who accompanied general de Gaulle on his recent visit w the port, says the Daily Telegraph's •rang correspondent. be Havre, to all intents and ptirPosea, has disappeared. Nothing can be sen.but ruins under which thousands civilians are still buried. The final r ®gedy was the great fire, which raged i or ,. several days. Thousands of instants living among tho ruins are wsperatcly 'seeking the bar" means of Wbsistence. - - • • German soil v LONDON, Oct. 10 Rundstedt. German Cotnmandertlwn the West, in an Order of i *° his troops, said: "You have j> p P? et * the enemy at the gates of the km C enemy, however, will shortly tW a neu ' grand offensive. T expect Dion y °'l ,v '" defend our sacred Gersoil to the last." $ - War reporters in paris ■mi, t LONDON, Oct. 10 four w , ve war correspondents, filling to p ?^°^ a Planes, flew from London BliffrsiK todf, y- This mass journalistic the transfer of DiS e Headquarters Public Relations tio n - n from the Ministry of fnformaParit 01 to Hotel Scribe in

Arn con, nns«l 20 British. 11 tfaliim ?' « Cnnndian, five AnsJ ndfi«nr> V v African. one Russian Othpi- „ ' ,R h correspondents. About 25 fftri'i r r < ? rrp fP o n«lont'* are already in tho trnnsfer is r-liiofly the result toUfcipniP ,n ! deterioration in corntier have moved fur-