AGONY OF WARSAW

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20051, 25 September 1939, Page 7

AGONY OF WARSAW

Merciless Bombardment THOUSAND KILLED DURING DAY Morale Of City Still Unbroken BERLIN CLAIMING END OF CAMPAIGN Russian Troops Clearing Up The Entire Front (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 25, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Sept, 24. “The last 24 hours have been the most dreacltul yet passed, because the Germans apparently are determined definitely to break,the spirit of the city’s defence.” Thus began a message from the beleaguered city of Warsaw received in London this afternoon. It was prefaced; “The tenth message from Warsaw on the twentieth day of the siege.” Depicting Warsaw’s agony, the message continued*. “Barrage fire from heavy artillery lasted without a break since Saturday afternoon from 100 German guns which are continually bombarding the city. However, despite the bombardment hundreds of the faithful hastened to the. churches. Many were killed or wounded on the way. The clergy this Sunday morning encouraged their flocks to maintain their fortitude and bear with patience the hour of trial with firm belief in their final deliverance. “The Germans apparently are aiming to break the spirit of the city by massacre of civilians, by paralysing food transport, and by destroying public utility institutions. About 1000 civilians were killed in the last 24 hours. The number of Wounded is far greater. Nevertheless, the morale is undaunted and the spirit of the troops and the population is unbroken. The time limit to the resistance is difficult to foresee, but early assistance on which the valorous city and the heroic Mayor, M. Starzynski, are pinning their only hopes is indispensable in order to save hundreds of thousands of lives and save Warsaw from final destruction. Despite all the circumstances, the opinion prevails here that Warsaw’s SOS will rapidly be answered because the saving of Warsaw is most important for Poland’s Allies.” A Berlin message says that the German High Command yesterday announced that the campaign in Poland was ended. Arrivals in Berlin, describing Warsaw’s ordeal, say that the dead are being buried in the city’s squares and the inhabitants arc suffering from food shortage and typhoid. A Berlin -communique claims that the total Polish captures amount to 450,000 men and 1200 guns. Invaders Forced To Retreat. A Berlin radio message broadcast to-day admits that a German infantry detachment was forced to retreat with a wounded commander when reconnoitcring in a Warsaw suburb. The communique reveals a continuance of the Polish resistance round Tomnszoiv and between Lublin and Lwow. There are continued German casualties in the Polish cleanup campaign, states the Berlin correspondent of the New York Times. The German press bitterly complains of the “unfairness of the Poles’ guerrilla tactics.” Small detachments are ambushing the German rearguard and cutting off patrols from their companies. The Polish countryside, although conquered, is not quiet but is alive throughout the night with small, bitter skirmishes. The Moscow radio announced yesterday that all forces mobilised since September 7 would remain 'with the colours until further notice owing to the external conditions. The Moscow correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that a Red Army communique yesterday announced that the Soviet troops were cleaning up the entire Polish front and had occupied Bialystok, Brest-Litovsk, and had started mopping up the remnants of the Polish Army in the Augustov forests north-west of Grodno. Russian troops were similarly engaged in the western Ukraine. The communique added that six Polish infantry divisions and two independent regiments had surrendered in the Lwow area. Since last Sunday the Russians had taken 120,000 officers and soldiers prisoners, while 380 heavy guns and 1400 machineguns had been captured. According to the Rome correspondent, of Ihe New York Times, Hungarian troops crossed the Polish frontier on ' Thursday and occupied Sianki, a small town bordering the Carpathian Ukraine, The Gicrnale d’ltalia declares that the episodes of extreme violence necessitated Hungarian intervention.