RUSSIAN TROOPS MOVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23916, 18 September 1939, Page 7

RUSSIAN TROOPS MOVE

POLISH BORDER CROSSED

GUARDS RESIST INVADERS

(United Press Association) * (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) BERLIN, Sept. 17. (Received Sept. 17, at 9 p.m.) The Propaganda Ministry reports that Russian troops invaded Poland at 4 a.m. Moscow time. The Soviet had previously handed the Polish Ambassador a Note informing him that the Soviet troops were crossing the Polish frontier at 4 a.m. ‘ A later Berlin message stated that the crossing was effective on the entire 500-mile frontier from Polozok in the north to Kamenezpodolsk in the south. Its purpose is said to be “ to protect car own interests and those of the RussoWhite Ukranian minorities.” The Soviet insisted on maintaining its neutrality despite military action, but the treaties between Russia and Poland were cancelled because the Polish State could not any longer be regarded as existent. . \ - A message from Moscow states that M. Molotov, broadcasting, to the nation, said he had ordered troops into Poland “ to protect our bro'hers. Poland’s collapse is obvious, and we are taking steps to liberate the nation from a wav- into which it was dragged by incapable rulers. We have notified ah diplomats of our neutrality. There is no need for our people to hoard food. No matter what the duration of military action, there will be plenty. I appral to the armies to keep up their, discipline during the great task of the emancipation of the Ukranians and the While Russians.’' Fighting between the Russians and Poles broke out at Molodezcno, at the junction of the Minskvilna railway., Frontier guards resisted the invaders. NAZI ULTIMATUM TO WARSAW It is officially stated from Berlin that the Nazi army authorities have issued a 12-hour ultimatum to the people of Warsaw to leave the city, which has been declared an active war area. A bombardment is likely at: any time after 3 p.m. on September 17. . COMMANDER REFUSES TO COMPLY A German radio message stated that the Polish commander, General Czuma, refused to comply with the ultimatum. War planes later roared over the city, dropping millions of leaflets containing the text of the ultimatum, which demanded the surrender of the city and the garrison. If this was refused civilians would be given 12 hours to evacuate by two specified routes, after which Warsaw would be considered a military objective and become an active theatre of war. The German radio explained that there was no example in history of an army behaving, as chivalrously, fairly and generously as the Germans to Warsaw. The Munich radio also announced that Warsaw was armed and would be completely destroyed unless it surrendered by 3 a.m. The ultimatum obviously is an earnest of things to come. The Germans launched a terrific artillery bombardment last night. HEAVY GUNS POUND THE CAPITAL The,Polish Government announced by radio that Warsaw was now almost a single torch of-flame. Two hundred heavy German guns are pouring in shells and incendiary bombs. Most of the civilians are taking refuge in cellars, while buildngs are collapsng and catching fire. Hundreds have bean killed, including invalids and children. The Lithuanian Legation and the Protestant Church were destroyed by low-flying planes. Four hundred fires are raging in various parts of the city, BOMBING RAID ON VILNA A radio report from Vilna states that 18 Nazi planes dropped 200 bombs, causing shocking carnage in the centre of the city. The death roll is immense, mainly women and children being the victims. Polish despatches say that the Nazi planes continue to attack defenceless refugee trains and Red Cross columns, swooping low, and massacring civilians with bombs and machine-guns. NAZI ADVANCE SLOWED DOWN The New York Times Berlin correspondent says: “ For the first time since the invasion the spectacular Nazi advance was slowed down to-day as the battles for Kutno and Warsaw entered the fifth day. A communique states that the Poles are very strongly and desperately resisting. The forces which were surrounded at Kutno again attempted to break through to the south-east. There was also an attempt to break the iron ring around Warsaw on the easterly side. Both were repulsed and the battles are continuing. The longer the end is delayed the wider becomes the scene. Land, sea and air operations in the west are beginning to compel shifting men and materials to the west, minimising the chances of peace. The Warsaw radio announced that Polish planes attacked and destroyed a German air base at Poznan, from which raiders wer# bombing Warsaw, and claimed that 30 planes were wiped, out. A supreme command communique states that the troops art successfully holding the Nazis on all fronts. POLISH OFFICIALS ENTER RUMANIA LONDON, Sept. 16. (Received Sept. 17, at 9 p.m.) The British United Press Rome correspondent With the Nazi army says the German command last week trapped 1000 Poles in a square formed ‘by Skierniewice (south-west of Warsaw), Cienchencw (north of Warsaw), Gabin (otherwise Gombin, 72 miles west of Warsaw) and Kutnow (due west of Warsaw). Polish cavalry four times charged the Nazis’ lines on the, east and south sides of the square in an attempt to cut through and escape, but they met with the cross fire of machine-guns. It \yas more slaughter of horses than men because the gunners were ordered to fire low. Nazi artillery and aeroplanes completed the slaughter at dawn next morning. Cernauti (otherwise Czernowitz), in Rumania, is the haven of Polish Government officials, Rumanian diplomatists in Poland ’informed President Moscicki that his officials who entered Rumania must live at designated places and eschew politics. They added that Polish children who were wounded would be sheltered. Polish officers and soldiers wouid be disarmed and interned. Many children have reached Cernauti, where all the Ministers and Mesdame* Moscicki and Smigly-Rydz are staying. POLISH RESISTANCE STIFFENING The Zaleszcyki correspondent of the New York Times, discussing the reason why the well-trained, well-equipped Polish army was defeated so quickly, suggests that this is because the Nazis used on a colossal scale General Franco’s system in the last stages of the war in Spain. They made masterly use of the long Polish-German frontier, and descended in overwhelming force with bombers, tanks, motorised columns, and a barrage of air-bombs which could only be resisted by counter-attack with an air force of equal size, but the proportion of the Polish Air Force and motorised columns to the Nazis is one to five. Nazi bombing and ineffective Polish artillery opened the way for motorised columns to thrust forward with maximum speed. The fine weather facilitated high altitude bombing. Despite terrific attacks, the Poles kept their morale, and whenever directly engaged in close combat, appeared to be superior. ; .