BASELESS CANARDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20055, 29 September 1939, Page 8

BASELESS CANARDS

NAZI-RUSSIA TALE ALLEGED INTERVIEW BRITISH BOMBING PLANES OVER BELGIUM (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY. Sept. 28. Much play was made recently on German and Russian wireless with an interview alleged to have been given by the Polish commander, Marshal Smigly-Rydz to a Rumanian priest when he was supposed to have said that he wished to come to terms with Germany on the second day of tiie war, and only decided to fight on under pressure from Britain.

It is learnt from an official Polish source that this alleged interview never took place and that the state ments attributed to Marshal Smigly Rvdz are a pure invention. A German wireless broadcast announced last night that four bombs had been dropped by British bombers on the Belgian side of ihe Bel-gian-German frontier. The aeroplanes were said to have swerved over Belgian territory to avoid German anti-aircraft fire.

Inquiries made in official circles in London showed that the report was entirely devoid of foundation. No confirmation is in London of the German claim to nave successfully attacked a heavy cruiser. This presumably was a continuation of the incorrect German claims about the North Sea naval air engagement, in which there were no British casualties.