FRONTIER GUARDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20052, 26 September 1939, Page 7

FRONTIER GUARDS

NEUTRAL STATES TESTING WATER DEFENCES EASTERN FRONT QUERIES SOVIET POLICY OBSCURE TIME FAVOURS ALLIES (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 25, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 24. The Paris correspondent of the New York Times states that Belgium, Holland and Switzerland continue military precautions. It is confirmed that the Belgian flood system is operating at points near the German border. Officially the operations are experimental, but it is admitted that the dykes were opened for four hours. Special troops are testing the water defences. The correspondent states that there is no likelihood of the Eastern Front developing in another form, although the Soviet policy is obscure and may cause a surprise. Consequently the time factor is most important. Official and semi-official declarations insist that Britain, and France will refrain from rash offensives. Time favours the Allies. A short war was a possibility earlier, but the probability is now that the war will toe long, the Allies settling down to a siege. Germany is arguing that the Ger mans cannot be better prepared than when they attacked Poland. There' fore, if they fear a long war they .must endeavour to secure an early ending by an important move, but the choice is limited. Germany must either break the IVkiginot Line or outflank it by moving through neutral areas, which would not improve the i position internationally. The Maginot line may be reached only by attacking the French established in posi- : tions of their own choosing. The end of the first three weeks of (he war indicates that a German military move is to be expected. The Allies argue that the events have modified " the early Anglo-French strategic conceptions, the most urgent consideration of which was to relieve the pressure on Poland by initiating attacks on -he Western Front. It was soon realised that the Poles, quoting a French spokesman, “had not chosen the course of prudence.” It was evident that even large-scale operations of the Western Front could not retrieve the situation in Poland and the Russian intervention settled the point conclusively.