APPROVAL BY NAZIS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20045, 18 September 1939, Page 7

APPROVAL BY NAZIS

ORDER BY MOLOTOV “Protection” Of Brothers STILL INSISTING ON NEUTRALITY Strenuous Resistance To New Menace THREE SEPARATE DRIVES APPARENT (Elec. Tel. Copyright.—-United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 18, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept, 17. Messages from Berlin state that the German Propaganda Ministry reports that Russian troops invaded Poland at 4 a.m. to-day, Moscow time. The Soviet had previously handed the Polish Ambassador a note informing him that Soviet troops were crossing the Polish frontier at 4 a.m. Berlin stated that the crossing of the Polish frontier was effective on the entire 500 miles from Polozok in the north to Kamenezpodolsk in the south “in order to protect our own interests, and the White Russian and Ukranian minorities.” The Soviet insisted that she was maintaining neutrality despite her military action, but the treaties between Russia and Poland had been cancelled because .the Polish State could not longer be regarded as existent. The German news agency issued a communique in Berlin confirming the advance of tiie Russian army into Poland and added: “This Soviet measure does not affect in any way Russian neutrality in the present conflict. A Soviet note will be communicated to all foreign missions accredited to Moscow. The Soviet Government is endeavouring to re-establish in eastern Poland order and peace which ho longer are guaranteed as a result of the defection of the former Polish State and the flight of the Polish Government. The spokesman of the German Propaganda Ministry in Berlin stated early .this morning that the Russian action had Germany’s full approval. Broadcast By Molotov. A Moscow message states that the Soviet Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, M. Molotov, broadcasting to the nation, ordered the troops to proceed to Poland to “protect our brothers.” M. Molotov said that the Poles were deserted by their Government. “Poland’s collapse is obvious,” lie continued. “We are taking steps to liberate the nation from a war into -which it has been dragged by incapable rulers. Wc have notified all, diplomats of our neutrality. There is no need for our people to hoard food. No matter what the length of the military action we have plenty. I appeal to the armies to keep up discipline during the great task of the emancipation of the Ukrainians and White Russians. The Polish Embassy in Paris categorically denies the implications in M. Molotov’s speech and asserted that the Government was still on Polish territory. He added that, the Poles were resisting the Russians at all points. A message from Ccrnauti, Rumania, states that the Polish Government fled into Rumania to-day. Seventy-five Polish war planes also landed there to-day and the crews were taken into custody. A message from Berne, Switzerland, states that the Polish Legation there announced that the Soviet attack on Molodeczno, 20 miles from the border, had been repulsed. It was added that the Russians apparently were following the .main east-west railway lines and aimed three separate drives against Wilno and two others against Pinsk. The Polish Embassy in London lias been advised that the Polish forces are strenuously resisting the Soviet troops along the frontier. The Paris newspaper, Lc Soil*, in a censored dispatch, states that the German casualties in Poland are 100,000.