Effect Of Russian March

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20046, 19 September 1939, Page 7

Effect Of Russian March

ARMIES ON FRONT OF 800 MILES Strip Between Invaders Swiftly Reduced NAZIS CLAIM WARSAW SURROUNDED » ; * Clearing-Up Operations In Other Areas (Elec. Tel. Copyright.—United Press Assn.) (Reccl. Sept. 18, 2.45 p.ra.) LONDON, Sept. 17. The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press of Croat Britain stated to-night that Poland’s complete surrender was expected by the Germans to be a matter of hours owing to the ' Russian march across eastern Poland on a front of 800 miles to meet the Nazis east of Warsaw. The narrow strip between Warsaw and the Russians was being swiftly eliminated while the capital and the Polish divisions north of Lodz were the only spots still holding out. It would appear that with the Poles in such a hopeless position capitulation seemed imminent. Observers saw Russians enter Poland without resistance at the point where Latvia, Poland, and Russia meet. An official communique issued in Berlin stated that Warsaw was closely surrounded. The German official news agency in Berlin reports that the military commander of Warsaw, after yesterday refusing to receive a German officer Who was sent to Warsaw under a flag of truce, to-day through a wireless broadcast asked the German High Command to receive a Polish intermediary in order to discuss the German ultimatum for the surrender of the city. The German agency adds that the German commander signified his willingness to do this. Subsequently a German wireless station broadcast : “Hullo Warsaw. In reply to the appeal, the German High Commander’s envoy for negotiation of the evacuation, of Warsaw by civilians and an envoy of the diplomatic corps at Warsaw for ,the negotiation of the evacuation of the diplomatic corps and the foreign community wilL meet at 10 p.m. on the Praga-Minsk road. Cars must be supplied with illuminated white flags and red lights.”

It is officially stated that both sides must ensure that all hostilities were stopped by 9.30 p.m.

A German broadcast claims the capture of the citadel at Brest-Litbvsk. It added that an attempt by the scattered Polish troops to escape via Siedlce towards the south-east ended with the Germans taking 12,000 prisoners.

“The clearing up of eastern Galicia continues,” states a German communique. Lwow is surrounded on three sides. The Polish troops between Lwow and Przemysl find their line of retreat towards the south-east cut off.

The German .troops are reported to be advancing towards Lublin north of the confluence of the San and the Vistula Rivers. “We captured Deblin, where 100 undamaged planes fell into our.hands,” states tlig German, communique. Kutno itself was captured and the River Bzura was crossed m a northerly direction.

The Bucharest correspondent of the British United Press states that the Rumanian frontier is closed. German airmen bombed' Zalesezyki, destroying a bridge across the Dniester. A misdirected bomb killed many villagers at Wigmtz.