NEWS BY RADIO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 September 1939, Page 6

NEWS BY RADIO

HORRORS OF THE ATTACK ON WARSAW UNRESTRICTED WARFARE ORDERED BY NAZIS. FIRES THROUGHOUT CITY. The following Daventry reports have been relayed by the New Zealand national stations: — A wireless message from Warsaw states that today was the 21st day of the siege. The last 24 hours were, if anything, still moYe terrible than the attacks in the last three days. Except for a break of two hours, the attack was continued by 200 planes and shelling by heavy artillery. Hundreds of incendiary bombs had started numerous fires and most public buildings in the city were in flames. Over fifty fires were raging. Water is scarce and the food situation is difficult. Hundreds of horses killed in the streets are being immediately butchered and used as food. The German High Command has ordered unrestricted warfare for ■ the destruction of the city. This is the first German admission of an attack of this kind. Herr von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, is going to Moscow. According to the official Russian news agency he is to discuss with the Soviet problems connected with developments in Poland. ESTONIA AND THE SOVIET. The Estonian Foreign Minister has returned to Moscow for the second time. The official Estonian news agency says the negotiations with Moscow are concerned with a trade agreement, which is expected to be signed. It is stated that the Russian demands are something like an ultimatum and the position is regarded as being of great importance to other Baltic States. A FRENCH DENIAL. The official French news agency denies that any French planes bombed Friedrichschafen. It is believed that a serious accident occurred at the Zeppelin works at Friedrichschafen and that the Germans are trying to explain it away by alleging that a French air raid occurred. Reports that the Swedish Government had prohibited the export of wood pulp are officially denied, though the owners of ships are ordering the vessels to remain in port meantime. THE WESTERN FRONT. A French war communique states that enemy artillery had been active and a German assault at dawn had been repulsed. French troops had succeeded in consolidating a salient considered one of the most strategic positions taken on the northern flank. They are also coming into contact with the enemy’s system of pill-boxes on the Siegfried’ Line. Reports state that strong reinforcements of German troops are arriving at Aix-la-Chapelle and the Black Forest from Poland. The Germans are strengthening their defences on the northern end of the Siegfried Line near Luxembourg. German anti-aircraft guns opened fire on a squadron of French planes returning from a flight over the Black Forest but all machines returned safely. It is stated that there was heavy loss of life in the Siegfried fortifications as the result of a bombardment by French artillery. ROYAL SCEPTRE CREW SAFE. The crew of the British ship Royal Sceptre, which was sunk in the Atlantic on September 16 by a German submarine, have been landed at San Salvador. They were picked up by a British steamer. It had been feared that all had perished. SOVIET & SUBMARINES. According to a Moscow wireless message the explanation given to the Soviet by Estonia in regard to the escape of the Polish submarine is entirely insufficient and Russia has found it necessary to safeguard Soviet warships from foreign submarines. The departure of the Polish submarine, the Soviet states, could only have been possible after it had been repaired by Estonia and given sufficient petrol to undertake a sea trip. It is stated that Soviet patrols had sighted the periscopes of two submarines in the Gulf of Finland and Soviet destroyers have been sent to the area.

Estonia states that she has done everything to keep out of the conflict and if she is attacked she will defend herself valiantly. It is stated that a considerable number of ships of the United States Pacific Fleet is being transferred to Hawaiian waters for training purposes. The Germans state that the labour position has been eased, as 500,000 Pol ish prisoners are now available for work. A false air raid alarm was given in Chatham on account of a short circuit in the syren in the Chatham dockyard.

The Belgian Minister of Information denies that German troops are concentrating on the Belgian frontier. It is now denied in Bucharest that the Russians are massing troops along the Bessarabian frontier, which was formerly Russian.