RUMANIAN PREMIER ASSASSINATED

Evening Star, Issue 23378, 22 September 1939, Page 9

RUMANIAN PREMIER ASSASSINATED

SHOT DOWN BY IRON GUARD GUNMEN

ANOTHER PACT? AXIS POWERS AHD SOVIET SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY IN BERLIN FEAR OF AMERICAN ACTION A DETERRENT COPENHAGEN, September 21. (Received September 22, at 10 a.in.) Several Danish newspapers mention the possibility of a pact between Russia, Germany, Italy, and Japan. It is stated that considerable activity directed to this end has been observed at the German Foreign Office, where high [Russian, Japanese, and Italian officials are frequent visitors. What is most feared as a result from such a pact is the entry of the United States on the side of Britain and France as soon as Japan is brought in. (Russia and Germany are already reported to have agreed on the building of a giant motor road from Berlin to Moscow. The Minsk section is almost completed, and Germany has .undertaken to complete the remainder. RUSSIAN NAVAL ACTIVITY LARGE FORGE LEAVES BASE COPENHAGEN, September 21. (Received September 22, at 10 a.m.) The Stockholm correspondent of the 1 Berlingske Tidende ’ reports that three Russian battleships, six cruisers, 50 submarines, and numerous aircraft left the naval base at Kronstadt, ostensibly to search for the Polish submarine Orzel, which is reported to he provisioned for three months. MISSING SUBMARINE TWO OF CREW RELEASED STOCKHOLM, September 21. (Received September 22, at 11 a.m.) Two Esthonians, a petty officer and an A. 8., who were aboard the Orzel when she escaped from Tallin, appeared off the coast of Gotland in a small yawl. They explained that they had been kept aboard the submarine until yesterday, when they were released and drifted outside Swedish waters. RUSSIANS IN POLAND AREA OF OCCUPATION OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT MOSCOW, September 21, (Received September 22, at 10 a.m.) A communique announces that the Red Army is occupying at present a line from Grodno to Lwow (Lemberg). POLISH PRISONERS GERMANS CLAIM BIG CAPTURES BERLIN, September 21, (Received September 22, at 10 a.m.) A communique states that Polish prisoners taken on the northern front total 170,000. There is a steadily-in-creasing total of prisoners taken throughout Poland, who now number 350,000. INTERNED IN RUMANIA PRESIDENT OF POLAND AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BUCHAREST, September 21. (Received September 22, at 10 a.m.) It is authoritatively stated that Rumania is interning President Moseicki, Colonel Beck, and other high Polish Government officials. It is officially announced that Marshal Smigly-Rydz has been interned for the duration of the war. 60EBBELS REAPPEARS REPORT OF IMPRISONMENT DENIED NO VIOLATION OF NEUTRAL FRONTIERS BERLIN, September 21. (Received September 22, at 11 a.m.) Dr Goebbels came out of his eclipse this morning, when he summoned a meeting of foreign journalists at his Ministry. Dr Goebbels, in the course of a Press interview, said: “Foreign propagandists were responsible for the rumour that I was dead or imprisoned.” He denied that Germany was contemplating tho violation of the Belgian or Dutch frontiers.

Assailants Storm Radio Station

Announce Their Crime to Nation

Grim Retribution Awaited Them Execution on Scene of Tragedy Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright BUCHAREST, September 21. (Received September 22, at noon.) The Rumanian Government radio officially announced that M. Calinescu (Prime Minister) was assassinated. The Rumanian Legation in Budapest reported that the Bucharest radio station closed down at 2.10 p.m. after some minutes of wild and confused shouting. It adds that it was unable to reach the Foreign Ministry by telephone. M. Calinescu was shot dead while in a motor car in one of Bucharest’s principal streets. Prompt police measures followed the assassination. Members of the Ijron Guard and other turbulent elements were rounded up. King Carol summoned the Cabinet. A later message states that as M. Calinescu’s car was approaching a bridge another car drove into it. Two other cars then drew up and the assailants fired through the windows, hitting M. Calinescu in three places, including the eye. He died while en route to hospital. . M. Calinescu’s aide was also killed and his chauffeur injured. The assassins then drove to the Bucharest radio station, shot and wounded the doorkeeper, and seized the microphone and announced the assassination. Listeners were astounded to hear a musical programme interrupted by a voice shouting: “A successful attempt Was made on the life of Calinescu ! Throughout Rumania there is terrible excitement! ” Then the technicians cut off the broadcast, hut not before wild confusion and shouting were heard, indicating that the unauthorised broadcaster was attacked. Later it was officially announced that eight arrests had been made. The Government broadcast in the evening accused members of the Iron Guard as the assassins, and stated that General Ernest Baliff had been appointed Prime Minister. Peace and order now prevail throughout Rumania. It is understood that General Baliff’s appointment is temporary. The new Cabinet passed a resolution reaffirming Rumania’s strict neutrality. ‘ Eight Rumanian Iron Guards who were alleged to be participants in the assassination were executed by firing squad on the spot where the crime was committed, the bodies remaining in pools of blood while thousands of onlookers filed past. There has been constant agitation in Rumania by the Iron Guard since Germany’s invasion of Poland. The Government suppressed news of the unrest, fearing international complications. PLOT THAT MISCARRIED. The police arrested German residents of the Bukovina Province on a charge of plotting to join Germany if Nazi troops reached the Rumanian frontier. The plot miscarried owing to the arrival of the Russians instead of. the German forces.

BATTLE OF THE VISTULA ISSUE STILL IN DOUBT SIGNIFICANT GERMAN ADMISSION LAVISH DISTRIBUTION OF IRON CROSSES BERLIN, September 21. (Received September 22, at 11 a.m.) The German High Command reports that the result of the battle of the Vistula is still not ascertainable. As far as is known, nine Polish divisions and parts of 10 further divisions, and also three cavalry brigades, are still fighting. Strong Polish forces surrendered in the south, among which was the com-mander-in-chief of the southern Polish army. It was announced that the Iron Cross has been conferred on 40,000 Germans, who participated in the Polish campaign within a week. SOUTHERN ARMY SURRENDER TO GERMANS LONDON, September 21. (Received September 22, at 2.30 p.m.) The Rotterdam correspondent of * The Times ’ says the Germans state that the remainder of the Polish Southern Army surrendered after hard fight, ing. Gdynia has been renamed Ashgotenharen.

DAUNTLESS POLES STILL HOLDING OUT IN GDYNIA GERMANS FAIL TO CAPTURE MODLIN HOME, September 21. (Received September 22, at 10.5 a.m.) A wireless message states that the Poles are still holding out at Gdynia, and, furthermore, that Modlin has not fallen. RAIDS ON GERMANS / GUERRILLA WARFARE IN SLOVAKIA INDEPENDENT ARMY IN MOUNTAINS PARIS, September 21. (Received September 22, at 10 a.m.) The military correspondent of the ‘ Excelsior ’ says guerrilla warfare against Germany has been going on for several weeks in the upper Tstra district in Northern Slovakia. The Slovakian chief, Sidor, who refused to join the Austro-Hungarian army in 1914, heads a small independent army camping in the mountains. It frequently swoops down on the territory occupied by the Germans, who so far have not dared to venture into the hill country.

COUP THROUGH HOLLAND? FRENCH MILITARY BELIEF NAZIS MUST MOVE QUICKLY ADD MAGIHOT LINE IMPREGHABLE NEW YORK, geptembor 21. (Received September 22, at 9.45 a.m.) Tbo, New York ‘ Times’ ■ Paris correspondent says that instead of an Allied attempt to storm the West Wall the new phase of war on the western front is more likely to be a German attempt at an enveloping movement, necessitating vitiation of the neutrality of a small adjoining State. Some French military experts believe that the move may be through the Netherlands. With the blockade threat more definite daily, the German High Command must strike for a quick decision. Attempting to storm the Maginot Line cannot secure it, especially as the French have consolidated their positions as much as 15 miles beyond, and have dug trenches at the very outworks of the West Wall. It would be a long and hazardous task to try to drive them back. The French base the suggestion of the invasion of the Netherlands on the fact that the Netherlands fortifications are improvised, and also that the Netherlands is a good jumping-off place for aerial attacks on Britain.

However, it is considered that if the Gormans took the serious step of violating neutrality they could not hope to obtain a decisive result, which could only be obtained by engaging the opposing armies. It is recalled that the historic road of invasion of France, the Gise Valley, entailed passing through Belgium or both Belgium and Luxembourg. Intense artillery fire continued along the Luxembourg border to-day, and Belgian sources continue to report German concentrations at Aix la Chapelle. FRENCH OFFENSIVE ZWEIBRUCREN SERIOUSLY THREATENED PARIS, September 21. (Received September 22, at 8 a.m.) (Reports from the front state that the French are seriously threatening Zweibrucken, in Bavaria. FRENCH MOBILISATION OVER FIVE MILLION GALLED UP PARIS, September 21. (Received September 22, at 8 a.m.) The mobilisation of 5,300,000 reserves has been completed. Seven hundred thousand regulars are ready for action.

Such of the cable news In this Issue as is so headed has appeared in * The Times ’ and is sent to this paper by special permission. It should be understood that the opinions are not thosa of ‘ The Times ’ unless expressly staled to be so. By special arrangement, Reuter’s World Service, in addition to other special sources of information, is used in the compilation of the overseas intelligence published in this issue, and all rights therein in Australia and New Zealand are reserved.