SPIES IN FRANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24328, 19 June 1940, Page 7

SPIES IN FRANCE

NATION HONEYCOMBED BIG FACTOR IN DEFEAT "-ROTTEN AS OLD TREE" (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, June 18. (Received June 19. at 1.30 a.m.) The correspondent of the Associated Press with the B.E.F. reports that a huge confederacy. of spies and fifth columnists beat France. “ The nation was as rotten as an old tree inside. On the night of May 21 a German dive-bomber picked out the Imperial Hotel from Boulogne’s thousands of buildings and dropped three bombs on the headquarters staff housed there. It was subsequently learned that two lines of lights converging on the hotel suddenly appeared on Boulogne’s houses as the bomber arrived. “A French battery took up a concealed position in a wood 20 miles behind the line, and a gnarled Frenchman invited them to partake of wine and then disappeared, after which 25 Heinkels swooped down on the battery. blowing up the guns and killing three-quarters of the men. “A British major received from the French Office unexpected orders to retreat. The major demanded the order in writing and the officer went off but did not return. “An R.A.F. officer hiding in a barn watched a member of the German Intelligence Service congratulating a French civilian in a town just occupied. Refugees appeared among the troops telling most alarming stories of German advances. Factory workers broke the morale of their fellows by rumours, which included frequent reports that the Allies had separately sought armistices, M. Reynaud had shot himself, M. Daiadier had gone to Berlin. the French Fleet had been sunk, and the British had deserted France.”