DEBT TO POLES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20070, 17 October 1939, Page 8

DEBT TO POLES

WORLD LIBERTY CAUSE FIGHT AGAINST NAZIS HEROIC RESISTANCE ASSISTANCE TO ALLIES (British Official Wireless.) Reed. Noon. RUGBY, Oct. 16. While .the Polish Army and people were heroically resisting the German invasion the British people had little time and little heart carefully to weigh the contribution of that gallant fight to the Allied cause—feelings of admiration and sympathy crowded out calculations of advantage. But now Poland is temporarily overwhelmed and there is a chance calmly to assess the military value of her sacrifice which has by no means been in vain. It was, indeed, always fully understood in competent military circles that should Herr Hitler decide to attack Poland nothing could long delay his success there, but that retribution would overtake him on the Western Front. The Poles, therefore, undertook an heroic and knowingly-impossible resistance, thereby occupying the undivided attention of 70 German divisions and the bulk of the muchvaunted German air force. Not only did this greatly assist the French mobilisation, which was undisturbed, and the safe transport of men, but also disclosed to the Allied High Command valuable information as to German tactics in the use of aircraft, tanks and motorised units.

The German losses in material was also considerable. In one attack alone they lost 83 tanks on a narrow front and in General Sosnkowski’s successful counter-attack near Lwow on September 16, are reported to have lost over 100 tanks. Freedom throughout the world has every reason for gratitude to the gallant Polish Army and its people.