Evening Star Newspaper, May 31, 1940, Page 4

A—4 e Germans' Supplies Rushed fo Front On Clear Highways Plight of Civilians Declared to Have Influenced Leopold By the Associated Press. BERN, Switzerland, May 31— Clogging of vital Allied roads with millions of refugees and the effi- ciency of Germany's military ma- chine in keeping its own supply routes unobstructed defeated the Allies in the north, eyewitnesses re- turning from the war zone declared today. One sald the morale-shattering presence of masses of refugees in areas where the Belgian Army was being “cut to bits” by the Nazi aerial and land assault accounted in part for surrender of King Leopold III. Seven eyewitnesses, who came here through Germany after being caught in the midst of fighting in four different zones of Western and Southern Belgium and Northern France, agreed on contrasting these pictures: 1. Chaos of the streams of ref- ugees and non-combatants, flowing with all their movable possessions into roads essential to Allied com- munications. 2. “Incredible” orderliness in the rush of German supplies over high- ways leading to the front. German Courtesy Praised. The eyewitnesses, who declined to be named, included four diplo- mats, two businessmen and “just a tourist.” Four were more or less pro-Ally, the others equally pro- German. All praised the courtesy and treatment accorded them by the Germans once it was decided they should pass through the mili- tary zone. One gave this description of the scene along the Calais-Abbeville coast road in Northern France last ‘Wednesday : “We swarmed along the coast road with tens of thousands of other refugees heading south. Swearing and sweating French troops in mo- torized units tried to go through northward, but the refugees were panic-stricken and there was little the troops could do. “I saw one group of refugees stand like sheep—dazed and bewildered— and halt a whole column of tanks at least 10 minutes before they literal- 1y were led off the road. “German planes bombed and ma- chine-gunned these roads, for they saw moving, organized columns of troops.” Order on German Roads. A diplomat who traveled through German - occupied regions from Amiens to Luxembourg asserted that “after the chaos we left (in France), the order on the German side seemed incredible. Supplies not only were moving up—they were rushing up at breakneck speed over unobstructed highways. “Ambulances rolled toward ‘Amiens, empty trucks and full am- bulances headed back. The middle lane, by strict order which was fol- lowed to the letter, was left open for motor cycle couriers. “Yet that same road the day be- fore was like the madhouse we left. “The Germans seemed to have plenty of gasoline, their morale was high and the organization almost fantastic.” This witness (pro-Ally) added that “We neither saw nor heard a single Allied bomber over the main highways just behind the front either day or night.” Refugees Hamper Belgians. One who left the Belgian northern war zone the day King Leopold capitulated declared that “Nobody who was there could wonder why.” “The Belgian Army was cut to bits,” this witness said. “Whole regiments simply vanished under German fire the day before the surrender. “Even that was not enough to bring surrender, but the troops’ morale was shattered by the pres- ence of masses of refugees literally on the army’s skirts. ‘ “German bombers striking at Bel- glan supply lines struck refugees too ~Belgian refugees. “Many Belgian soldiers seemed stark mad—torn between the de- sire to continue the fight and the inability to avoid bringing German fire on refugees who shared their Dead Along Roadsides. Another witness who traveled the road between Arras and Cambrai in Northeastern France Wednesday said: “Refugees and soldiers lay side by side along the road in death. “Our column of refugees (they then were in German-occupied ter- ritory captured the night before) flowed up to a place where we saw & well-dressed businessman standing in front of his car in a ditch, look- ing under the raised hood. I ran out to see if I could help him. Like others on the ground around him, he was stiff in death.” \ Screen Writers Profest Block Booking Bill By the Associatec Press. The Neely bill to outlaw the block booking and blind selling of motion picture films was attacked yester- day by the Screen Writers’ Guild snd numerous small independent exhibitors. Mrs. J. K. Berette of San Antonio asgerted before a House Interstate Commerce Spbcommittee that the bill was a “vicious and perennial Jegislative nuisance” and protested against congressional “tinkering” with the motion picture industry. She said she represented the Mbtion Picture Committee of the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs. Ralph Block described objections of the Screen Writers Guild as di- rected principally at- provisions of the measure requiring producers to present a synopsis of each picture to exhibitors in advance of booking. Pointing out that failure to give sn accurate synopsis would be phnishable by a maximum $5,000 fine or a year in jail, Mr. Block said screen writers “look with no favor upon & proposed law which would expose them to felony under condi- tions which in the ordinary prac- tice of their craft they would find t.dmpossible not to violate.” ’ ¢ London (Continued From First Page.) British. The total figure, 90,000, is approximatcly one-haif the original strength of the B. E. F. force of 175,000 in Flanders. Hence about one-third, or 58,000, of the original British force is estimated by these sources to be safely home. ‘There are no figures here on total British or Allied Casualties. However, both French and British sources estimate German casualties at about 500,000. Peace Offers Expected. Expectations that Adolf Hitler might try to split the British and French allies with separate offers of peace were voiced. Informed observers, weighing the possibilities of the next Nazi stroke, considered these possibilities: 1. A separate peace offer to France, with a great land and air assault on Paris if France refuses. 2. A threat of an Italian flank at- tack. 3. An ultimatum to Britain to ac- cept Germany’s terms or face “total war.” But both official utterances and the press indicated no weakening of the Allies’ “unbreakable bond.” Britain Made a Fortress. Britain’s island kingdom was be- ing turned into a formidable fortress against the possibility of a direct Nazi attack and Supply Minister Herbert Morrison warned of ex- treme measures against war fac- tories showing “signs of slackness, irresolution, slow starting or muddle.” Evacuation of “large numbers” of British and Freneh troops from Northern France “still goes on,” military circles said. Commenting on a German claim that the British had been routed, an army spokesman acknowledged that “the hard fact remains that no military operation is so difficult as re-embarkation at the end of a re- treat.” The commentator said fighting “still is going on” around Dun- kerque. He said a small coastal steamer which left Ostend, Belgium, one night with soldiers, women and children and 15 German prisoners, was attacked by a German torpedo boat. The torpedo missed and the attacker came within 10 yards and opened fire, the commentator added. The little steamer replied with two sub-machine guns, silenced the Germans and left their boat drifting. Tens of Thousands Landed. Tens of thousands of men of the B. E F. and their French com- rades are being landed every hour at Southeast English ports from craft of all sizes and descriptions. Tommies said coast fishermen were volunteering to take their tiny unarmed boats across the Channel. One lifeboat, a veteran rescue ship of this war, put out with a crew of men 60 years or more old. Some pri- vate motor boat owners left for the French side without waiting for official instructions. Seven ships docked at a south coast port within two hours. The men were sped away by railroad to bases in scattered parts of England within half an hour of coming ashore. At another port a tug came in pulling five barges packed with troops. As the soldiers landed, housewives handed over their own food supplies when official stores ran short. Londoners crowded railroad plat- forms to see the troops and tossed candy. cigarettes, apples and or- anges through car windows even before the trains came to a full stop. Jugs of tea were handed up and some of the men said they were having their best meal in four days. Many telegrams to anxious wives and sweethearts were scribbled on the backs of candy wrappers and empty cigarette packs. Cruiser Loss Announced. Loss of the anti-aircraft cruiser Curley off Norway was announced. However, the operations off France and Belgium were described in mil- itary circles as so large that despite the loss of three destroyers, a trans- port and auxiliary vessels, Germany “was unable to inflict more than minor injuries on ships engaged in the embarkation.” Four officers and five sailors lost their lives in the Curlew sinking. pThe Curlew had a normal comple- ment of 400 which probably was increased to 450 in wartime. The cruiser, specially armed with ten 4-inch anti-aircraft guns and machine guns, was the second Brit- ish cruiser admitted lost in this war. The first was the Effingham, sunk after striking a rock in Nor- wegian waters. Concentrate on “Fifth Column.” With the retreat from Flanders giving Germany potential bombing bases only 5 minutes from Eng- land’s southeast coast, the govern- ment and the people concentrated THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1940. Terrified Refugees Clogging Roads Blamed for Allied Reverses ELDERLY REFUGEES AT THE END OF THE TRAIL—Elderly men and women dominate this group of standing, waiting refugees near Paris—people brought from their homes in areas side, commander in chief of the home forces, by given plenary pow- ers to co-ordinate military and civil defense measures—under martial law, if necessary. To make sure that any invading forces dropped from the air would find no effective help from within the country, Scotland Yard pressed its hunt for “fifth-column” equip- ment—arms, munitions and uni- forms. Police went through every wharf and warehouse along the Thames, carefully searching furni- ture and other goods stored there by refugees from the continent. In early morning raids in several London districts an undisclosed number of “fifth-column” suspects were arrested and held for intern- ment. Reassured on Defenses. While Home Secretary Sir John Anderson and Health Minister Mal- colm MacDonald warned the nation of the very real and near danger of German bombing attacks—power of which the people saw in the battle- scarred transports that brought home weary B. E. P. survivors—Vice Admiral Sir John Somerville assured Britons their defense forces were prepared to meet any attempted Nazi landing, whether from the air or from the sea. The home secretary warned there was ‘“‘every prospect of an early call upon the civil defense forces” and urged those forces to keep “fully manned, in a state of readiness and efficiency.” The Ministry of Health said Eng- land’s “front line” areas along the east and southeast coast probably would have to be broadened, neces- sitating withdrawal of & large num- ber of children to safer areas. In 15 coast towns 39,000 children (61 per cent of the school popula- tion) already have been registered for shipment to districts further west, such as the sheltering hills of Wales. government felt “the risk of early make as complete as possible plans for the evacuation of children.” Machine Census Taken. At the same time the government, seeking to increase arms production, took a census of machines in all in- dustries to make sure they are work- ing at full capacity. Instructions also were issued to civilians on air raid precautions. The public was warned to stay away from windows because investiga- tion of the crash of a German bomb- er at Clacton-on-Sea disclosed most of the injuries were caused by flying glass splinters. . Authorities said experience showed houses provided good shelter against bombs provided proper precautions were taken, In congested areas, how- ever, work went ahead on more pub- lic air raid shelters. The Germans’ use of incendiary WASHERS AT LOW PRICES 10 DAYS' TRIAL PAY S| WEEKLY CALL REPUBLIC 1590 1015 - 7th St, N. W. their attention on the “fifth column” menace, From some quarters came s de- mand that Gen. Sir Edmund Iron- ), {OPEN EVENINGS| MacDonald told the public the | Jombing is so real they must now | torn by war. Their scant belongings lle on the ground beside them ' bombs in the Low Countries prompt- ed fresh precautions against fire hazards. The public, saddened by the plight of the B. E. F. in the Flanders trap, got some cheer from the reports that thousands of soldiers were being withdrawn successfully. But they prepared calmly to accept hard tidings. The families of soldiers lost in | action informed their friends | through brief announcements in | newspaper classified columns. Us- | ually they added the request: | “No letters, please.” | Penniless refugees in their native |1and are more than 5,000 Britons who formerly lived in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. They in- clude professional men, university professors and businessmen, who now are forced to seek government relief. A British war refugee fund has been formed to aid them, with For- eign Secretary Lord Halifax as president and Sir Nevile Henderson, war, as treasurer. Berlin (Continued Prom First Page.) mand said it was sunk off the Bel- gian coast. The high command again pictured Great Britain’s attempt to extricate her expeditionary force from the three-cornered hell in Flanders. “The attack against the remainder of the English Army in the flat country only a few kilometers deep protected by the rising waters of the canals along the coast between Furnes-Bergues and west of Dun- kerque is in progress,” the com- munique said. “The opponent here is stoutly re- sisting in order to rescue as many soldiers as possible on ships necessary, even without equipment.” The French forces, apparently in worse position for withdrawal to the coast, were said in the main to have high command acknowledged . that some detachments “are still resist- ing locally.” Many of the French were squeezed into two subordinate traps north of Lille and south of Lille, which lies off the apex of the bloody Flanders triangle, 40 miles or so from Dun- kerque. How many poilus were jammed into these two areas—about 50 square miles and 24 squars miles, respectively—no one k-ew. ‘The Germans told of wiping out a British pocket in the Cassei region, about 20 miles south of Dunkerque. The Tommies were said to have been “crushed” in an attempt to break HERZOG'S—THE if it°s a TA FROM THE GE Ambassador to Germany before the | i# | been dispersed or captured, but the | —A. P. Wirephoto. through to the north to reach Dunkerque for embarkation. How many British died in the Cassel pocket no one knew. How many men still fought in all the Flanders zone no one knew; but original estimates for the Germans have ranged from 440,000 to 600,000 and for the Allies from 300,000 to a half million or more. Booty Undetermined. The German communique offered a footnote on these undetermined statistics: “The number of prisoners and amount of booty could not yet be established, even approximately.” The German Navy clamped down on the entire length of the Nether- lands’ meandering coastline and parts of the Belgian and French shores along territory in German occupation. Whether this had direct bearing on the “new tasks” to be set before Adolf Hitler’s lightning divisions was another unanswered question. ‘Whatever goal Hitler picks for his next blow—be it Paris or London— it is expected that several days will be required for the mop-up in Flan- ders, the overhaul of his war ma- chine and the gathering of equip- ment at the jump-off points. British Hold First Attention. ‘The mop-up of the French pockets north and south of Lille probably is less urgent than the German plan of crushing the British on the Flanders coast. The high command characterized the British there, centered on Dun- kerque, as flattened out with the sea |to their backs, relying in part on flooding from coastal canals to slow down the German land drive and to hold Dunkerque for shipment of whatever troops and equipment could be taken there. The pocketed Prench forces were said by informed quarters to have “practically ceased to exist.” They were pictured as offering all the re- sistance of which they were still capable but as making no progress to break the German rings of steel and fire around them. Deny Retreat Is Orderly. The Germans ridiculed an English report that the British were con- ducting a skillful, orderly retreat. “It may be said with complete ac- curacy that there is no single British or French unit north of the Somme (River) fit for further action,” said one German military observer. “Every acre still occupied by the beleaguered foe in scattered groups south of Dunkerque is within reach of the German artillery. “The air force and sea patrols have attacked the harbor at Dun- kerque so energetically that more than 60 ships have been bombed and not less than 16 transports sunk. Un- der these conditions it is not an STORE FOR MEN—fi genuine ORED BY GOO | W R2abm Beach ))L/,L NUINE e You'll go for these new Airtone Palm Beach Suits in the Fashion-hit Shades of the season— Jute, Wicker, Gulf Green and Cabana Blue —also that handsome new Palm Beach White. Andyou'll like their well- tailored lines—the clever shoulder lift, the clean, casual drape of coat. And speaking of hits— u'll find the price a ull’s-eye in value. 16.75 MANHATTAN SHIRTS @ ARROW SHIRTS @ MALLORY HATS INTERWOVEN HOSE @ CLERMONT CLOTHES @ NUNN BUSH SHOES orderly retreat—it is a pell-mell flight.” Observers in the air reported the greatest confusion in Dynkerque harbor, with ships unable to ap- proach the docks. Storles were brought back of British soldiers discarding their equipment and try- ing to swim to their ships. Although the Germans paid tribute to the fighting courage of the British Army, they asked with ridicule “Where is the British Navy?” Hitler Calls Goebbels. Authorized sources hinted a’ the possibility that Propaganda Min- ister Paul Joseph Goebbels would make an announcement “soon,” probably in connection with the bloody battle of Flanders. Reports in usually reliable quar- ters that Dr. Goebbels had been summoned to Fuehrer Hitler’s gen- eral’s headquarters in the west could not be confirmed at the Propaganda Ministry. Earlier a highly-placed informant said it was his opinion that the an- nouncement would concern the ques- tion of Italy’s entry into the war. He said Hitler had summoned Dr. Goebbels in haste. Official quarters were silent, but a ! buoyant spirit prevailed in Berlin, | and everywhere the impression reigned that there would be star- tling developments in the immediate future, now that the great battle of Flanders is drawing to a close—a decided issue, Although the German Army con- tinued to pound away with prac- tically every weapon known to man, military leaders chose to regard this now as a mere mopping-up opera- tion, and the public turned to the question of “Where next?” and “What next?” Italian participation in the war on the side of Germany was one Ppos- sibility. 1,000,000 French Declared Lost. German sources said that of the “original 4,000,000” Frenchmen un- der arms, about 1,000,000 have been killed, taken prisoner or are facing annihilation within the next few | days. Of the “remaining 3,000,000” men, Germans estimated that 1,000,000 are needed as possible defenders againsc Dressed_in_cool comfort. .. “Maginot Line. Prince Georges ‘Sixth Column’ Will Combat Subversive Acts A “sixth column” made up of Veterans of Foreign Wars and pri- vate citizens has been formed to combat “fifth column” activities in Prince Georges County. Guy Curtis, commander of the Thomas N. Fenwick Post, V. F. W., of Hyattsville, said his group de- cided to launch an investigation into reported subversive acts in the coun- ty and to enlist the help of some residents outside the post. Information of importance which the “sixth column” may unearth will be given to the Federal Bu- reau of ' Investigation for study, Comdr, Curtis said. “The purpose of the movement,” he said, “is not to harass or annoy peaceful aliens or naturalized citi- zens of whom there is no suspicion of unpatriotic feeling. “The ‘sixth column’ intends only to investigate such un-American ac- tivities as are brought to its atten- tion.” Comdr. Curtis declared that two such cases already have been called to his notice. One of these, he said, involves a naturalized citizen living in the county who holds an important Gov- ernment position, but who is “con- tinually running down governmen- tal procedures and telling how much better Hitler would handle things if he were here.” The other, he added, concerns an admitted former German spy, living in Prince Georges now, who is said to have boasted that he would perform the same service again in the event of war between Germany and the United States. Italy, another million along the Aisne and Somme Rivers north of Paris, and the third million in the Neutral sources placed French effectives at the outbreak of the war as high as 8,000,000 Many military observers felt a deeper German plunge into France | to be necessary before the Nazis| can strike out at England, which they call their arch enemy. Italian | participation in the war, Germans| point out, would make Germany’s | position in such a plunge easier by | diverting French Armies to .the south. From the Italian viewpoint, it was | pointed out that Italy would have| the easiest time against France by | striking at a time when the Ger- | man armies were engaged in full warfare in the north. Another “blitzkrieg” developmeant, | authorized quarters predicted, is likely to be a revival of “high pres- | sure” submarine warfare, presum- | ably from new Belgian and Dutch | bases. | An official notice was sent to the | French government yesterday by Foreign Minister Joachim von Rib- bentrop through the Swedish gov- ernment, promising prompt and terrible reprisals if “more” German aviator prisoners are killed by French captors. “Enough of this sentimentality toward the French,” this morning’s papers were saying. Berlin noted that Paris denied that any German prisoners had been killed, but was not impressed, in- sisting, as it had previously concern- ing the governments of Czecho- Slovakia and Poland, that the French government no longer is in full control of the internal situation. Australia Prepares For ‘Fifth Column’ Drive By the Associated Press. 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