Evening Star Newspaper, June 2, 1940, Page 33

PART TWO—EDITORIAL SECTION Editorial Page—Features Organiiations—Civics . TWELVE PAGES Allies, Escaping Total Review of Twenty-Ninth Week of War By John C. Henry. Warfare more swiftly horrible than any ever before visited upon the world was waged last week on the plains of Flanders. Deserted unexpectedly by Belgian armies which had been covering north flank of Allied line, French and British forces were trapped by onrushing Germans in triangular pocket from Valenciennes to Calais to Zeebrugge. .With Dunkerque alone open as debarkation point, remnants of battle-weary Allied divisions were fighting way to Channel throughout week in one of history’s epic retreats. gurely have reached hundreds of thousands. Vultures wheeled high in Mediterranean-Balkan skies as “statesmen” Italy was “on the verge.” In Washington President Roosevelt asked Congress for quickest pos- sible action on supplemental measures to bring 1940 defense program above $4,000,000,000 mark; legislators prepared to rush $650,000,000 tax bill, raise statutory debt limit by $3.000,000,000. plotted their next move there. On Fighting Fronts As week began, most vicious fighting | | was under way in Boulogne-Calais areas, | with hard-hitting Nazi divisions sweep- | ing up Channel coast from Abbeville. Back at Arras-Bapaume-Peronne angle, French and British were trying futilely | to cut 20-mile corridor through which | German supplies and reinforcements had been pouringsince initial break in Allied line. To north, Belgians held stubbornly to Courtrai, British were atop Vimy, French were maintaining salient near Valenciennes. But with momentum scarcely checked, Germans swirled through Boulogne, then up coastline to picturesque Calais, Eng- land’'s gateway to continent. Not unex- pectedly, Berlin-Paris-London accounts | differed daily, but invariably Nazi claims of successes were acknowledged within 48 hours by Allied capitals. By this formula it was definite by mid- | week that Boulogne had fallen, that Calais at best was cut off completely, that Dunker- que was threatened. On Somme front, massed French forces admitted no progress in thrust at Nazi bottleneck, altheugh Allied artillery was reported raking en- tire corridor at heavy cost to German columns. And as Nazis broke across Lys River to capture first Ghent, then Courtrai, Allied units in deepest part of pocket, around ‘Valenciennes, were assaulted with fierce- ness said to surpass that of massed Ger- man attacks on Verdun in World War. With heavy losses to both sides, French drew back toward industrial city of Lille, while British made stand on Vimy Fall of Boulogne Ridge, where B. E. F. of 25 years ago | made history by courageous resistance to Kaiser's armies. In tightening triangle early in week were nearly 1,000,000 Belgian-British- French troops, but early Tuesday came most damaging blow to Allied cause since hostilities began last September. Startling rest of world, even though apparently anticipated by British- French leadership, Bel- Leopold’s gium’s King Leopold or- Surrender dered his army to cease fighting. To Allies, action meant loss of at least 250,000 men on north side of pocket—unopposed sweep of German legions through Zeebrugge, Ostend and Belgian corner. From that time, French-British.hopes | of breaking through to south or even holding last stretch of continent facing Southeastern England melted before heat of Nazi drive. Blasting defenders out of Vimy and Labassee, Germans pinched toward Lille from two sides in threat to complete encirclement of Allied troops caught within apex of triangle. ‘Wearily then, rear-guard action was started down ever narrowing bloody cor- ridor to Dunkerque. For lives of at least 300.000 fighting men, both sides poured forth utmost in death-dealing powers. From Nazi lines pressing on both sides ef salient came vicious quick thrusts of tanks and mechanized corps, armadas of bombing and machine-gun- ning airplanes estimated to number as high as 600 in single attacking squadron. Steadily, they poured death and de- struction into retreating forces, blasted at docks and debarkation piers in Dun- kerque, loosed incendiary and high ex- plosive bombs on transports, on troop and hospital ships attempting to bridge Channel. Effective, too, were dozens of high-speed little torpedo boats of Ger- man fleet, slipping down Nazi-controlled Retreat In Flanders Dutch coast to snap at bigger British | ships. For their part, Royal Air Force and British-French vessels braved “blizzard” of bombs and Nazi fire to keep port clear and debarkation under way. Without denial from Berlin, toll of German planes must have been in hundreds while British in turn admitted or accepted without comment Nazi claims of de- &truction of 16 troopships within single 48-hour span, plus loss of miscellaneous ‘warships by bombs or mines. On Thursday, Dunkerque defenders opened moats on two sides of city to permit nearly-mile-wide stretch of muddy water to swirl around city—leav- ing only two or three tightly guarded approaches clear for continuing proces- sion of retreating troops. On Friday, London communiques an- mounced that 90,000 French and British had been evacuated from Curtain Flanders up to that time, Of Fire With precedence given wounded. Concentration of British naval vessels and R. A. F. fight- ers, it was said, had created “wall of fire” behind which rescue transport was proceeding successfully. ‘While Nazi planes and antillery poured explosives into seaport city, British and French naval vessels actually were en- gaged in bombarding German land bat- teries during hasty loading of fleeing troops. Amid this exchange of destruc- tion, fishing boats, Channel steamers, barges under tow and virtually every kind of vessel was being employed to ferry retreating army across to Eng- land. ‘Hopes of avoiding literal annihilation of great body of troops was increased | with word on Friday that two divisions | of French rear guard, earlier endangered | for French to improve positions along | Sedan northwestward has ‘amounted to For both sides, toll of dead must VISCOUNT GORT. He commanded the most remark- able army evacuation in military history—the withdrawal of the B. E. F. and French armies from Flanders. —Harris-Ewing Photo. by encirclement threats in Lille, had | fought way up lane guarded by British units on either side to make way into Dunkerque. As rapidly as refugee troops landed in England they were speeded to various concentration points, where prospects of rest and re- habilitation will depend largely upon next move of Nazi high command. With whole of Channel coast soon to be in German hands, fear of attempted ! invasion of British Isles moved London government to rush defense prepara- tions. Called home from continent to be- come commander in chief of defense fortes was giant Gen. Sir Edmund Iron- side, his chief of staff to be Maj. Gen. B. C. T. Paget, whose direction of early Norwegian operations earned him ac- claim. Ordered evacuated of civilians were score of English seacoast communities. Among those placed on strict defense | footing was Hastings, southern seaport where Normans landed in 1066 for last successful invasion of tight little island. And called to service were two new classes of British males—28 and 29 year olds. Estimated to num- Reserves ber some 600,000, this ad- Called Up dition would bring Brit- ain’s army to 3,000,000 men. Not included in this total is nearly half million volunteers recruited for spe- cial home defense against parachute in- vaders, saboteurs, etc. Meanwhile, German preoccupation in Flanders corner provided opportunity Troops Get Rest Somme with apparent purpose of mak- ing determined stand there against any | Nazi drive on Paris. Under command of Gen. Sir John G. Dill, fighting Ulsterman who succeeded Ironside as chief of the imperial staff, new British expeditionary force landed in France late in week to join French in driving Germans out of Abbeville. Whether this counter operation might lead to Allied drive on Boulogne was doubtful, but if Abbeville-Dieppe-Le Havre coastal points are kept open, British-French communications can be maintained in material volume. While German drive into France from flanking main Maginot line—perhaps even pav- ing way to attack from ] rear on this great sys- tem of fortifications—intensified French artillery action out of this line through- out week aroused speculation that French might be contemplating storming Ger- many's Rhine defense. For four suc- cessive days, heavy French guns blasted steadily at great river forts, particularly at Istein, Gibraltar of the Rhine. In addition, dynamiting of several dikes led to opinion that Rhine-Rhone Canal locks might next be blown up to permit di- version of river waters sufficiently for easy crossing of boundary. Relatively small consolation’ to Allied armies in face of Flanders defeat was capture of Narvik, North Narvik Norwegian ore port which Captured French To Attack? had been in German hands for 50 days. Brit- ish warships co-operated in capture with British, Norwegian and French troops. Relentless pace of operations in nearly two months since German invasion of Norway and Denmark, followed by sweep into Lowland Countries, brought lull in submarine warfare at sea. On Thurs- day, however, came reports of three at- tacks by Nazi undersea raiders off Span- ish coast. Sunk were Argentine and French freighters; fired was British tanker. And yesterday Nazis made sensational claim that they had sunk H. M. 8. Nelson, he Sundwy St WASHINGTON, D. C, JUD E 2 1940. Disaster in Flanders, Prepare for Next German Thrust ! pride of the British battleship fleet. Appearance of raiders was in vicinity of course to be followed by United ‘States f The Midlands: geographical and indus- |’ trial heart of England and a primary bomb- ing objective. BRIDGWATER o TAUNTON, Amn.lsrm IRI.DPORT DORCHESTER WEYMOUTH TOURQUAY OQ. DARTMO! D liner Washington en route to Bordeaux, France, to remove Americans from war continent. On similar errand, incidentally, is United States liner President Roosevelt with special authorization from State Department to enter combat zone for purpose of taking on shipload of Amer- icans at Galway, Ireland. Specific re- quest of this Government that ship be unmolested by belligerents brought promise to this effect from Berlin, coupled with warning that Allies con- templated attack on ship with intent of blaming Germans. * % % % Behind the Lines Rumors of Nazi peace offers, specula- tion about intentions of Fascist Mus- solini and reverberations of precipitate surrender by Belgium's Leopold were headline news on diplomatic front. In position to threaten total war | against actual inhabitants of British | Isles, or to divert his piledriving armies toward Paris, Hitler was reported dur= BOURNEMOUTH() ) 7% i U ” SHEFFIELDZLNNY 73, / g//; A A [ELD BEDFORD OBANBURY il AVLESSURYHOgr. ,l.- OXFOR D v LO READING: NEWBURY ® A an 3 SALIGBURY /73 SOUTHAMPTONL ISLE OF WIGHT ing week as contemplating effort to split Allies by offering each separate settlement. Shortly after assuming prime minister= ship. Britain's Churchill pledged that empire would not conclude Allied any agreement with Reich U,‘"y without concurrence of Paris government. Early last week, Alfred Duff Cooper, British Minister of Information, broadcast appeal in French to French people to stand firm in their alliance to Britain. In last World War, Germany con- cluded early peace with Communist Rus= sian government at Brest-Litovsk on March 3. 1918, and with Rumania on May 7, 1918. Both agreements were overthrown, however, when Allied and American governments forced German bloc to bow later that same year. Imminent participation of Italy in this war on side of Germany undoubtedly is one of trumps held by Hitler in any effort to force conclusion of hostilities. ‘While Fascist press rants about Ital- ian “aspirations,” Benito plans meeting o G.HAM e /\i & LUTON 'fi Ais, NDON SWINCHESTER " - sy DONCASTER 8 e uncox.'r?'@ w\\ N CAMBRIDGE (] o ° STORIFORD ALBAN: ) Ol L4 Z [®) (@] C 'ORD //'/nm _/ ,# BASINGSTOKE o,u_,, % Oy GUILDFOR % with cabinet on Tuesday for discussion of “important matters.” In opinion of many, die will be cast that day for Italian participation in con- flict. Military observers be- lieve initial Fascist effort will be attack on British- French controlled Suez Canal with spilling of hostilities into Northern Africa. Strong Italian navy and air force at same time probably would attack British-French naval units Italy Ready and Mediterranean bases, perhaps in- | cluding Gibraltar. Sizable troop con- centrations on French-Italian border make action likely there also. Attempting to mollify Rome, Britain has relaxed contraband control opera- tion as applying to Italian ships, but appeasement appears “too late and to little.” for African and Mediterranean territorial privileges, Italy is now reported asking most of famed and strategically located French Riviera as price of peace. Probably no development behind the lines of this war has precipitated bit- ALLIES PIN THEIR HOPES ON GEN. WEYGAND French Strategist Took Risk in Northern France With Eyes Open Gen. Maxime Weygand is the white hope of the Allies. Upon his ability to perform a “miracle” depends the out- come of this war; and the decisive battle which is being waged in France will determine whether or not the Allies will be defeated. Weygand took over a hopeless situa- tion. To remedy it, he had not only to stiffen the French resistance, but also to scrap the whole strategy of Gen. Game- lin and start over from scratch. In so doing the new commander in chief had to use what might be termed for prac- tical purposes the last reserves of France. This does not mean that France has no fighting forces left. But they were so distributed by the previous commander in chief and chief of staff that they are not available for this momgntous battle. Maginot Line Strategy. Gen. Gamelin and his assoclates started on the false premise that the Germans would make a frontal attack against the Maginot Line and there would break their necks. The entire strategic conception of the general staff was based on Maginot impregnability. The attack on Belgium and Holland was anticipated, bat it was believed in Lon- don and Paris that in the worst con- ceivable case those two countries, rein- forced by the Allies, would be defeated after having held out for at least two months, during which time the German Armies would have been weakened to a point where the French and British main forces could step in and finish off the invaders. For this reason only second-class | troops were placed along the Maginot Line and the River Meuse. A force of | about 350,000 men was kept as a general reserve in the fortified region of Paris. These were France’s crack divisions, pro- vided with the latest war material— equaling, if not superior to, Germany’s. The balance of France's first-line force was placed in the Alps; their number is estimated at between 500,000 and 850,000 men. The idea of the French general staff in making this disposition was that at the slightest provocation from Italy the Prench, supported by the British and PFrench fleets, would pounce on Il Duce, Invade Itdly and reach Turin within a week. A substantial portion of the French air force was kept in that region 4 By Constantine Brown. GEN. MAXIME WEYGAND, Commander of the French Armies. —A. P. Photo. | also. Some 250,000 men were kept on the Spanish border against “any even- tuality or surprise.” Drastic Decision Made. Weygand, after looking over the sit- uation for 24 hours, made a drastic de- cision: The Army of Paris, the crack troops, must be thrown into the battle immediately, with no further thought of a general reserve. They were to be sacrificed, if necessary, to prevent Ger- man capture of nearly 1,000,000 British, French and Belgian troops then in Northern France. Weygand was not hard on Gamelin. Every strategist in Europe would have made his plans as the former generalissimo did. The mis- take in sending a huge French force into Belgium was not the general staff’s fault. Gamelin had opposed it, but political considerations prevailed against military strategy. Like the British, who sent an unprepared expeditionary corps into Norway because “Britain must stand by its pledges,” the French government was honor bound to aid in Belgium's rescue. And these French forces, collected in & more or less haphazard manner at the L3 expense of the Sedan fortified area and other “impregnable” positions, shared the defeat of the Belgians. Knows Risk, but Takes It. Weygand decided to adopt what a sur= geon would call “heroic measures.” He weeded out the Gamelinists from the command of armies and divisions and poured into the gap in Northern France every available unit and every available gun. The Allied commander in chief was fully aware of the chance he was taking. The obstacles have been so great that no other man would have taken that chance. The army does not have the proper amount of ammunition, but orders were issued for the guns to fire until the last shell was spent. ‘Tanks and aviation have adopted Ger- man methods: Dive-bombing is now as successfully employed by the Allies as by the enemy. Weygand has instructed the army that considerations for the future, such as the possibility of re- treating to better positions, must be abandoned. There are no *“positions prepared in advance,” so far as the army now fighting is concerned. It is definitely & case of Kill or be killed. Future defen- sive positions to slow down the German advance after the battle for Northern France is over have no place at the moment in Weygand's plans. The forces on the Italian border can be available only if Mussolini turns away from his German ally—a decision which Il Duce might reach if the Allies were victorious in the battle for the Channel ports. Army of Syria Limited. The Army of Syria 1s, in Weygand's opinion, useful only in the Near East. Five months of effort to resolve that heterogenous mass into an effective army has forced that conclusion. The troops based on Syria cannot be used at the present time in France and it may be that these Near Eastern troops won't be used at all. ‘Weygand, like his former chief, the late Marshal Foch, has put all his eggs in one basket. His job is a hundredfold more difficult and responsible than was that of the commander in chief of the Allies in the World War. With the Bel- gian Army out, France is fighting almost single-handed against the entire for midable Germany military machine. In addition to classic demands | " Aerial Invasion Routes to England ’ A FACTORIES AIRPLANE AND AUTO INDUSTRIAL AREAS MUNITIONS PLANTS NCOASTAL DEFENSE LINE DOCK & OIL STORAGE FACILITIES =+ O AIRPORTS SOUTHWOLD ALI‘:LEU};iC:H = This map, prepared by the Associated Press, objectives of a German blitzkrieg directed at England. MM INNER DEFENSE LINE ®Q® FICHTER PLANE BASES IMPORTANT RAIL HIGHWAY JUNCTIONS BRITISH PLANE PATROL TOT TS BALLOON BARRAGE POSSIBLE ROUTES INVASION MILES shows the chief military Britain's east coast docks are in peril, but a barge-anchored balloon barrage guards key points along the coast. London, too, is protected by balloons. terness that followed startling surrender by Leopold, son of Belgium's World War fighting King Albert. 4 Not yet are reasdnis for “his “Action known. At front with his troops for more than two weeks in which they bore brunt of flaming Nazi attack, Leo- pold apparently had de- bated surrender with his own government advisers for several days prior to release of his order to men to cease firing. That Allied governments had inkling at least of this development also was indicated. But whatever the course of his de- cision, or motives behind it, reaction was swift and unmistakably antagonistic. Announcement of surrender was given to world by France's Premier Reynaud in bitter broadcast. Recalling that Leo- Belgian Debacle pold had asked Allies for help when Nazi | columns rolled into his country on May 10, Reynaud accused him of laying down his arms “without consideration or a | word for the French and British soldiers who had come to the help of his country | ® * * a fact without precedent in history.’ ‘Within few hours, Belgian cabinet had | “disowned” their king, pledged con- tinuance of their gov- ernment’s efforts in co- operation with Allies Later, and Chamber, meeting in Paris, con- curred in this decision. Less bitter than his French confrere, Britain's Churchill told House of Com- mons that Belgian surrender “adds ap- preciably to the grievous peril” of Allied forces in Flanders, but added: “I have no intention of suggesting that we should attempt at this moment A King “Disowned” to pass judgment on the action. * * * | ‘This (Belgian) Army fought very bravely and both suffered and inflicted heavy losses.” Prom Berlin came report that Leopold quit because Allied command refused | his weary troops more aid." From Paris came report that Nazis had promised | king restoration of his throne, perhaps over portions of what once was Holland and Belgium. Actual whereabouts of young king have been undisclosed since startling decision. War brought these developments in other quarters of world: Soviet government curtly rejected British efforts to establish economic rapprochement. Ireland called army reservists and vol- unteers as fear of possible German para- chute invasion took hold. Canadian government ordered arrest of leaders of National Unity Party, Fascist organization. * x % ¥ Domestic Front American mobilization continued to progress rapidly, on paper at least, dur- ing past week. First major development was decision on Monday to jam defense tgx legisla- tion through present Con- America gress. Apparently sudden- '"P‘m ly aware that mood of peo- ple was such that they would accept new taxes for defense pur- poses without complaint, leaders re- vealed decision Monday. On Tuesday, Treasury said objective would be $650,- 000,000 added revenue yearly for five-year period; meanwhile, Federal debt limit would be raised from $45,000,000,000 to On Wednesday, legislation was in- troduced by which corporate and individ- 4 Belgian Senate | | ual income taxes will be raised 10 per | cent. Other levies to be jumped will be those on beer, aleohol, cigarettes and securities transfers. “Both steps are essential” Secretary of Treasury Morgenthau told House Ways and Means Committee on Friday as tax and debt questions were being speeded along. Second major development of week | was selection by President Roosevelt on Tuesday of National Defense Defense Commission under authority Council of National Defense Council Act of 1916. Named to im- portant jobs of overseeing Nation's civilian mobilization were six men and | one woman: Edward R. Stettinius, jr.; William S. Knudsen, Sidney Hillman, Ralph Budd. Chester C. Davis, Leon Henderson, Miss Harriet Elliott. To head up office work of commission will be William H. McReynolds, admin- istrative assistant to President. Vital jobs of planning industrial mass production will be divided between Stet= | tinius and Knudsen; personnel and em= | ployment trainifg will be directed by | Hillman. Transportation clearance will be responsibility of Budd. Forgetting holiday, President caled group together for first time on Thurs- day; set them to work at once. Also on Thursday came announcemant that supplemental defense program was in making. With details to be filled ta later by departmental officials, President asked Congress on Friday for quickest possible action on extra program in- volving at least $1,000.000.000—raising to more than $4,000.000,000 total involved in 1940 defense plans. “No individual, no group can clearly | foretell the future,” Mr. Roosevelt cau- tioned legislators. “As long, however, as a pos=- sibility exists that not one continent or two con- | tinents, but all continents, may become involved in a world-wide war, reasonable precaution demands that American de- fense be made more certain.” Significant was his emphasis on need for expansion of industrial production facilities and for training of young peo- ple, both for combat and non-combatant service. Army, Navy, C. C. C. and N. Y. A. are expected to be foremost agen- cies in training work, with civilian aspects to be headed up by Hillman in Defense Commission. As fifth- column menace gripped offi- clal imagination, Congress incorporated into several pieces of Fifth Column legislation restrictions Precautions | President’s Warning against indiscriminate employment of aliens, particularly of Communists and Naz bunders. Taking cue, Civil Service Com- mission announced it would no longer certify such aliens for employment. Other developments: Automobile industry may forego 1042 model changes to save jam in tooling industry. Henry Ford said he could turn out 1,000 airplanes per day “without med- dling by Government agencies.” Lafayette Escadrille revoked mem- bership of Col. Lindbergh because of his critical speech of May 19. Robert Montgomery, movie actor, joined American ambulance unit in Paris, British purchasing agents sought small arms here for home guard use against parachutists. -« Jay Pierrepont Moffat, chief of Eue ropean Division of State Department, was named Minister to Canada. e