Evening Star Newspaper, May 11, 1940, Page 1

Weather Forecast Falr and alightly cooler; lowest tonight about 48; tomorrow fair, moderate tem- perature. ‘Temperatures today—High- est, 68, at noon; lowest, 49, at 4:30 a.m. Trom e OO i D o Closing N. Y. Markets—Sales, Page 12 gy By 1 BSth YEAR. No. 35,074 WASHINGTON, THREE CENTS. NAZIS OPEN BIG DRIVE ON MAGINOT LINE All Airports Retaken, Dutch Say; (Churchill Plans . S A Cabine, Call Allies Move Into 2 Battle Sectors Chamberiin UP) Means Associsted Press. * Big Fight Shapesin Luxembourg and East of Moselle ) the Associated Press. PARIS, May 11—Germany’s first large-scale drive of the war against Prance’s Maginot Line was launched yesterday in concert with the in- vasion of the Low Countries, French military sources said today. . The Nazis threw a full division— between 12,000 and 15000 men— sgainst the French in a reported unsuccessful attack east of Luxem- bourg. While French authorities termed the battle the “first great attack of the war,” the high command con- tented itself with an announcement that the French had maintained their positions. The attack, launched as a vast struggle began in Belgium and the Netherlands for air supremacy and advantages on land, apparently was intended to keep the French forces busy on their own heavily-fortified Maginot Line and thus hamper the shifting of forces into the invaded Low Countries. Move into Two Sectors. The general staff reported fight- ing continued today, French troops moving into a “spirited” battle with German infantry in two sectors—in Luxembourg and east of the Moselle River, When the Nazi division attacked yesterday, the French advance guard followed its appointed role, sounded the alarm, and then with- drew. This particular sector extending east from the Luxembourg border has been one of the most agitated along the western front, even in the days when patrol activities were the main actions of a stalemated ‘War. It extended the German push to a today that contact units were con- tinuing the fight against the Ger- mans along the Albert Canal and the Meuse River as well as in the Ardennes Mountains, the Moselle River sector French troops were said to have re- occupied outposts from which they withdrew yesterday under heavy German attscks, Summary of Situatien. FPrench sources described today's situation on the other main battle sectors in the lowlands as follows: Netherlands—Dutch forces have succeeded in “mopping up” virtually all the German troops landed by plane and parachute yesterday in an attempt to seize the nation’s air- ports; only one fleld remained in German . Fourteen Nazi planes were captured intact at one airport. The Germsn frontal at- tack was reported halted after surging 13 miles over the border. Belgium—Belgian and German troops are in contact near the Bel- gian-Northern Luxembourg frontier, " where “light” Nazi advance units have been halted at the first line of Belgium’s defenses. Strafing Resisted. ‘The struggle for air supremacy over Belgium was disclosed in a terse British communique which re- ported that allied planes had fiercely resisted attempts by the German air force to strafe reinforcements moving into Belgium. ‘The disclosure came as official sources announced that Nazi bomb- ing planes had killed or wounded 100 French civilians in a series of widespread air raids yesterday ac- companying the assault on the Low Countries. Forty-four of the raid- ers were reported shot down. Paris experienced its second air alarm in two days shortly before dawn this morning and German airplanes appeared at sevéral other laces over France. Anti-aircraft gnmnes blazed into action in East- (Se¢ PARIS, Page A-3.) Swedish Press Denounces Nazis’ Latest Invasion By the Associated Press. STOCKHOLM, May 11.—The criticized German hands after proving | plef less ag ; Bombs Smash at Amsterdam; Troops Hold Lines in East Stout Defense Gives Engineers Time To Complete Inundation Work By the Associated Press. AMSTERDAM, May 11.—German bombs smashed today at the center of Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ greatest city, killing an estimated 20 persons, while the stout defense of troops in the eastern frontier lines gave engineers time to complete the inunda- tion of the main flood-water defenses, cutting Holland in half. One bomb fell 300 yards from the¢p—m—————————e post pffice, demolishing dwellings. This is in the vicinity of the dam, broad plaza on which is located the gloomy royal palace, seldom used. ‘The radio announced that a Dutch Army unit had been attacked out- side the Hague by a group partly in civilian dress and partly in Dutch military uniform. “They probably were traitors and some of them possibly were Ger- man parachutists,” said the an- nouncer, bitterly. The raid, at 11 a.m,, was Amster- dam’s first, although the city had a Strong Belgian Fort Taken, Say Nazis in Claiming Wide Gains All Lowlands Airports Won by Germans Still in Their Hands, DNB Says By the Associated Press. BERLIN, May 11.—One of Bel- gium’s strong forts before stragetic Liege, where Germans were checked crucially in the World War, is in ‘come man possession, ‘though “German troops there are fighting with Bel- gian and Dutch troops.” Leige, 25 miles within Belgium | la from the German border and 62 miles southeast of Brussels, capitu- lated in August, 1914, only after the stubborn Belgian resistance had given the allies more than a week to concentrate forces to throw into the path of the Germans. DNB, official German news agency, said one of the Liege forts was meant in yesterday’s bulletins which merely spoke of one Belgian fort having fallen. Two Decorated for Capture. It was for its capture, the agency said, that Capt. Koch and Lt. Witzig received Germany’s highest war decoration, the Knight's Cross of the Irod Cross. DNB said it disclosed the identity of the fort to show how the German Air Force had proved anew there was nothing which it could not demolish. After recalling the German claims (denied by the British) of having sunk a British battleship off Nam- sos, Norway, DNB said: “The first day of the German ad- vance against the formidable forti- fications which the Belgians erected in the east against Germany already has shown that these, too, are un- equal to withstanding the lightning attack of the German Air Force. “For instance, one of the strongest forts in the area before Liege proved completely defenseless against sur- prise attack by German planes. “After a brief, desperate fight on the part of the garrison, the fort was overwhelmed by the ity of forces from the air and fell into the hands of the German troops in a few minutes.” Other Buccesses. Lightning successes were reported by the German high command on 1and and sea and in the air as Adolf Hitler’s personally directed warriors relentlessly pressed their total war- fare against the allies on a front extending from the Arctic to mid- Euro] pe. G A high command communique from Hitler’s headquarters at front reported these successes: enemy ground and the sfiooting down of 23 more in air fights during op- erations in PFrance, Holland and Belgium. 2. The repulse of enemy border 25-minute alarm beginning at 6:25 am. (1:05 am. E. 8. T), when a large enemy plane drew defensive fire. At that time, a sentry atop the palace tower fired his rifle at the high-flying plane. Later the plane was shot down southeast of the city. The Dutch Army, after holding its own in the first surprise attack by land and air troops yesterday, fought vigorously to wipe out “islands” of German parachute troops who are trying to gain control of strategic (See AMSTERDAM, Page A-3.) Nazis Bomb Brussels As Allies Move Up fo Bolster Belgian Line Heavy Toll Is Reported In Raids on Capital; Invaders Held Up BY the Assoctated Press. BRUSSELS, May 11.—Brussels was bombed twice today while the Bel- gian Army's strong line of defense continued to hold up the German French d and 82 injured. This morning’s first alarm sounded nt:r:“ am, the second 56 minutes Pighting between advance Belgian units and German units “at several The communique added that Ger- man parachute troops landed at points in the interior, but most of them have been captured. Mifteen German airplanes were reported Hn;yes ll:t“;lz l;xt)orud all over the coun! , and shortly after 5 o’clock this morning flights of nine and 10 planes were seen over Namur, 35 miles southeast of the capital, and Dln:Ant.Bl:I miles south of Namur, tish Broadcasting Corp. report picked up in. New York after being hit by a shell fired from a British Channel steamer at anchor in the Canal of Ville- burg. (London received reports through Reuters, British news agency, that German planes had bombed the Belgian towns of Re- naix, Louvain and Verviers.) Four soldiers were.reported killed in a bombardment of Rixensart, about 10 miles from Brussels, at (See BELGIUM, Page A-6) Earth Shock Recorded reported its selsmograph recorded a slight earthquake at 9:06 am. E. 8. T, today. Center of the quake was said to be 4,800 miles distant, “probably at the tip of the Aleutian Islands.” Hague, Rotterdam Are Recaptured, .Holland Claims By the Associated Press. LONDON, May 11.—Dutch shock troops fighting for their invaded homeland were reported officially to- day to have recaptured airdromes &t The Hague and Rotterdam in bit- ter see-saw battles which saw The Hague fleld change hands - three times, Dutch Foreign Minister Eelco N. Van Kleffens, who made the an- nouncement in London, dec! that no airdromes in the Nether- lands remained in.the hands of German forces which seized them yesterday. He declared the German forces on the left bank of the Nieuwe Maas River at Rotterdam had been crushed—but at & cost to the Dutch of more than. 1,000 lives. At the same time fresh German parachute troops were reported dropping from aerial transports be- tween Brussels and Louvain, Bel- glum. Attacked This Morning. The Dutch attacked this morning at Rotterdam, determined to wrest from the Germans the nearby Waal- haven Airfleld, base of their forces of occupation in the big coastal city. ‘The assault lasted for two hours— directed not only at the airport but also at Germans on Dordrecht Island. In the attack on Dordrecht Island alone, Van Kleffens said, more than 1,000 Dutch were lost but the Ger- Prom the allied viewpoint, the re- ported victory at Rotterdam over advance 3 not most important, de- velopment thus far in the two days of (;t; in the Low mc«ummm T reports on fates of war included: 1. The announcement by British military circles that Arlon, in South Luxembourg, was in.allied hands. This was one_of the first concrete indications that Germany had not gobbled up all of the little grand duchy, nestled in a corner of the Maginot and Siegfried Lines. 2. Unconfirmed advices that Ger- man forces in Belgium had reached the outer defenses of Liege and had crossed the Albert Canal, a main line of Belgian defense. German forces crossing Holland’s Almost the Last Neutral— Rome Crowd Afjacks Two British Diplomats And Two Americans Assaylt Made on Group Reading Posters Hailing England’s ‘Defeat’ By JOHN T. WHITAKER, , | Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent. ROME, May 11—The defeat of the allies by Germany was assumed and proclaimed in thousands of pasted from one end of to the ather by bers of the British Embassy, your correspondent and another Amer- can journalist. 8ir Percy Loraine, the British Am- bassador, this morning went to the Foreign Office and launched an en- ergetic protest against the posters and the personal indignity to mem- bers of his staff. No apology has been made. The posters are headlined as “Britain’s collapse,” and a “testi- mony of the allies’ defeat. They quote from the Norwegian debate in the British House of Commons in contrast, as measures of ineptitude, with the series of German victories. Posters Not Removed. No effort to remove these propa- ganda sheets had been made by the Ttalian authorities at 4 o'clock this afternoon and with thousands read- ing them in the streets, the situation is made more tense by an exchange of messages between Pope Pius and King Leopold and Queen Wilhelmina and the Grand Duchess of Luxem- appendix province of Limburg were | POUrg. said to have taken the Albert Canal bridges west of that city. Further north, another German column pushed on Roermond, a center of the Netherlands first line defenses near the eastern border. 3. The declaration of a British source that the allied advance in * (8ee DUTCH, Page A-3.) Admiful Keyes Leaves For Brussels Post By the Associated Press. LONDON, May 11.—Admiral Sir Roger John Brownlow Keyes, World War hero who wanted to lead an attack on Trondheim, left London yesterday for Brussels, where he has been appointed naval attache for liaison work with King Leopold. Admiral Keyes commanded Brit- 4sh” naval units in an action off and Ostend th the first World War. Late War Bulletins BUCHAREST (M.—Rumania’s entire defense was placed today in the hands of Gen. Ion Iicuzu, regarded as the coun- try’s cleverest strategist. Gen. Ilcuzu will head the Minis- tries of National Defense, Air and Marine in & new cabinet formed by Premier George Tatarescu. AMSTERDAM (P .—Four German planes were shot down today in a new bombing attack on Amsterdam’s airport, south of the city, by Dutch and British fiyers. Bombs from the planes set several small fires, but no one was killed or injured. AMSTERDAM (P—The Dutch general staff announced today that British and French troops now are operating in conjunction with Dutch forces and that the German advance - has been stopped at the frent. . SINGAPORE (”~The Straits Times reported today in a dispatch from Batavia that 100 Hollandess, including high officials and police officers, had been interned in Java on suspicion of being pro-Naszi and “a dangerous element.” All ‘The warm words of encouragement in the papal blessing will serve warning on Italians that Roman Catholics extend their sympathy not to the Germans but to the neutrals, whose invasion is being used as a German argument that victory is near and that Italy now must come in as an axis ally. The temper of the Fascist element co-operating with the Germans was shown last night in a diplomatic incident which comes at a moment when both London and Rome have been attempting to avoid any fric- tion. It is all the more unhappy be- cause it was unpremeditated after & dinner party last night. George Labouchere, secretary of the British Embassy, and Comdr. Rod, assistant naval attache, were driving two American guests home. They drove first to the hotel of Miss Virginia Cowles, special cor- respondent for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Attacked by"Seven Men. Escorting her to the door, we found the posters pasted on the hotel facade. While we were read- ing them seven .men, apparently thinking the posters were being|. torn down, suddenly attacked us, without warning, calling us “Inglese” and slugging for several minutes, even after the diplomats had an- (S8ee ROME, Page A-4) $2,000,000 Office Edifice Planned: on Connecficut A $2,000,000 10-story office build- ing will be erected soon at the northeast corner of Rhode Island and Connecticut avenues N.W., it mlu::edwuyfmmmdnux Hagner & Co. completed - arrangement y ;ellt.hahndlnvnlvedtoflulm- Air Losses Heavy For Both Sides, Claims Indicate By the Associated Press. Smashing blows at rival air strength in the first two days of widespread aerial warfare in the west were reported today by both the allies and by the German high command. - The British and Prench and the two Lowland countries claimed a total of more than 220 German planes either destroyed, put out of action or badly damaged. Germany countered with a report of having destroyed between 330 and 400 planes on the ground in Taids on 72 aliied airports, with an at 11 planes shot down ing. Britain’s Alr Ministry “some 20 Royal Air Force craft missing. o Bimelech 8-5 Choice Over Fast Track in Preakness at 4:55 Cloudy Wegther Forecast; Crowd of 40,000 Is Expected at Race By MASON BRUNSON, Associated Press Sports Writer. BALTIMORE, May 11.—The rac- ing faithful descended upon Balti- more by the thousands today to see nine thoroughbreds fight it out for gold and glory ir the 50th running of the historic Preakness Stakes, marking its golden jubilee. Interest in this running of Mary- land’s most famous race was keyed to such a pitch that officials of the Maryland Jockey Club looked for a crowd of 40,000 or more. Cloudy weather was forecast. The track was expected to be fast. Luring the foliowers of the thor- oughbreds to Pimlico was the pros- pect of another slam-bang battle between Mrs. Ethel V. Mars’ Ken- tucky Derby winner, Gallahadion, and Col. E. R. Bradley’s Bimelech, the runner-up. Big Bim was an 8-5 favorite despite his Derby defeat. Post time was 4:55 pm. For Gallahadion, the race provided &n opportunity to show whether his | last nigh Derby victory was just a bit of rac- ing luck or whether he really de- serves to rank along with the great equine immortals. For Bimelech, it was a chance to [-are avenge the licking he took from Gallahadion and to regain the high (See PREAKNESS, Page A-2.) Summary of Americas Vigilant As Roosevelt Assails War Aggressors Study of Status of Dutch Possessions Is Expected ° (Tezt of President Roosevelt’s Address on Page A-5.) By JOHN C. HENRY. Sees Halifax Also; British Claim Air Success in Belgium lylmnndnudhu: LT i : g i J # Intensified vigilance by the Ameri- President Roosevelt last night -be- fore the Eighth American Scientific Congress. trality patrol operating since the early days of the war. Owned principally by American capital, great oil refineries in the Dutch-owned islands of Aruba and Curacao are properties of deep in- terest to this Government—so much 80 that any threat of their destruc- tion by German raiders preying on Dutch quite probably would precipitate positive defense g:.p: on the part of the United tes. Officials here estimate that Cura- cao and Aruba produce one-third of the allies’ supplies of high octane gasoline, necessary for good per- formance by airplanes. Martial Law Declared. Cuacao and Aruba already have declared martial law and officials pelieve they will be fully on the alert to prevent attack on the islands. Occupation by French or British forces, already reported from Aruba, would not be considered in violation | p, of our neutrality position, it is in- dicated, in view of the fact that these two nations are now allies of the Dutch government and obvious- ly concerned with protection rather than destruction of the properties in question. ‘That Mr. Roosevelt believes the guardianship of the Western World % pacifist,” he told concluding s -bluntly worded speech. “You, my fellow citizens of 21 American republics, “But I believe that by overwhelm- ing majorities you and I, in the long (See ROOSEVELT, Page A-4) Today’s Star i EEEIrrreil: TR g?zzmégé;:f : Ege %iéég g -3 » ; 5 : i Britain Warns of Mines Along Nmogiup Coast Pross.