GERMAN PLANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 November 1939, Page 6

GERMAN PLANS

ACCORDING TO DANISH CORRESPONDENT NO WESTERN OFFENSIVE BEFORE SPRING. , RELIANCE ON DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, October 31. The "Politiken's” Berlin correspondent says German military experts consider it would be madness to launch an offensive before the spring. Meanwhile Germany will exert the greatest diplomatic activity and build up supplies. A Luxembourg message reports that aerial activity prevails. Six * French machines flying over Luxembourg encountered violent anti-aircraft fire.

DESERTED POSITIONS TALE TOLD BY GERMAN SCOUTS. "EVENTS SOME TIME AGO.” (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 31. The Berlin correspondent of the British United Press states that German reconnaissance units crossed the French frontier, bringing back “as much war material as they could carry.” A communique states that German scouts before the Maginot Line found sections of the French second line of defence completely abandoned, including an uncompleted trench line fiveeighths of a mile from the first French village, whose houses were deserted and in disorder. A second village was also abandoned. Machine-gun nests arid shelters between the villages were deserted. The scouts returned by another route and found all positions evacuated, with munitions, steel helmets and equipment strewn about. A later communique admits that the reports of the scouts were ‘“a belated description of events some time ago, the precise date of which is unknown.”

AIR SCOUTING PLANES ON BOTH SIDES BUSY. NAZI MACHINE SHOT DOWN IN FRANCE. (Received This Day, 12.30 p.m.) PARIS, October 31. Anti-aircraft gunners shot down at least one German plane a hundred miles within France. Aerial reconnaissance units are active on both sides. French planes which made seven flights into enemy territory returned safely, with , valuable information. A communique states that there have been brisk land engagements in the Moselle Valley near Luxembourg, near Saarbrucken and round Blies River.