DEFENCE OF POLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1939, Page 7

DEFENCE OF POLAND

NO CHANGE IN GENERAL SITUATION NUMBER OF NAZI PLANES BROUGHT DOWN. GERMANS ACCUSED OF USING POISON GAS. LONDON. September 3. The Havas (French) agency’s Warsaw correspondent reports that there is little change in the general situation. There was fighting all night and morning, and the Poles claim they have brought down 33 planes, including 20 bombers, and also put 16 tanks out of action and taken 500 prisoners. The Warsaw representative of the United Press of America says it is officially announced that over 1500 persons were killed in air raids on Polish cities. . The latest report in Warsaw states that so far there have been 94 German air raids, including one on a hospital at Wielun. A Polish Embassy statement in London says it is officially reported that the German attack was treacherously launched a few hours after the Polish Ambassador in Berlin had informed the Reich that Poland was sympathetic to the peace effort of Britain. Simultaneous action included tank attacks on three fronts. The aggression at all points has met with resolute defence, notably by the garrison at Westerplatte. The Copenhagen correspondent ot the Associated Press of America states that the German radio announced that the German forces, which entered the Polish Corridor from the east and west have effected a junction, thus bottliirg the Polish forces in the northern portion of the Corridor. CONFLICTING REPORTS. The British Embassy in Warsaw states that the capital has not been bombed. On the other hand, the Polish Embassy states that German planes bombed Warsaw six times yesterday. A Warsaw message says that Germans five times bombed Warsaw in the course of the day. Some of the bombs fell near the American Embassy. Germans bombed a railway station and tunnel on the Cracow-War-, saw line. The Paris correspondent of the American United Press states that the Warsaw radio announced at 6.4 p.m. that Warsaw was again bombed from the air, and that the fighthing is continuing on all fronts. Other sources, describing the late afternoon air raids on Warsaw, record that the damage was not serious. The air raid precautionary measures were most effective. It is claimed that 16 German machines were brought down at Warsaw and other towns. It is admitted that there were numerous deaths of women and children in Warsaw. ’ MARTIAL LAW DECLARED. The Havas agency reports that there is martial law throughout Poland. The Polish President, M Moscicki, has designated Marshal Smigly-Rydz to succeed him in the event of his death. The marshal has been appointed Com-mander-in-Chief of the Polish. armed forces. Warsaw’s short wave station early this morning broadcast Marshal Smig-ly-Rydz’s salutation to the heroic garrison at Westerplatte for repelling four German attacks. "Poland expects you to hold the fort to'the last,” he said. Westerplatte guards the entrance to Danzig harbour. The Exchange Telegraph agency’s Zurich correspondent says that poison gas and incendiary bomos killed ano injured hundreds of persons in tne Posen district. The Associated Press of Great Britain reports that, apparently in an attempt to destroy bridges on tne River Vistula German bombers made a raid at 4.30 p.m. Anti-aircraft units fired a fusillade and several bombers appeared to drop into the river. German Reports. The first German official war communique says that military actions m. Silesia, Pomerania, and East Prussia' brought unexpected preliminary successes. Troop&H'eached the line from Neumarkt to Suchaneumarkt, and gained the heights of Katowice, approaching from the River Brahe and reached the River Netze. Fighting is going on in the neighbourhood ot Graudehz. A second communique says "Our forces from East Prussia are fighthing and advancing on the Polish soil. Our air force has thus gained the upper hand. The communique claims that troops have occupied Teschen. A later High Command communique says there was a continued advance this morning at all points. The troops also quickly forced the Jablunka Pass with the help of aircraft and annihilated numerous planes. More Polish aerodromes were attacked and destroyed. The Government spokesman in Berlin denied that the air force had bombed open Polish cities, and said it had bombed military objectives near them. The Germans contend that there has been no war, but merely a counterblow in retaliation for the Polish attack on Gleiwitz.