ACT OF TREASON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 May 1940, Page 5

ACT OF TREASON

EFFECT ON ALLIED POSITION

CALAIS HOLDING OUT. BATTLE STILL CONTINUES. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received This Day. 9.15 a.m.) PARIS, May 28. A military spokesman reports that Calais is still holding out. The treasonable act of King Leopold is all the more grave because it came when the Allied armies were in a difficult but not a desperate plight. The battle is continuing but the situation of the Allied troops is extremely serious. Other military sources point out that the Belgian army was holding out all along the line from Menin to Ghent when King Leopold capitulated. His decision was the more surprising because heavy French forces had successfully counter-attacked on the Lys River.

The first reaction by the French public to the Belgian King's capitulation was indignation but the general attitude may be summed up as: “It is a hard blow but we can take it.”

GERMAN CLAIMS SEVERAL TOWNS CAPTURED. (Received This Day, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, May 28. A German communique claims the capture of Orchies, Douai, La Basee, Mirville, Hazelbrouch and Bourbville. BRITISH CASUALTIES TWO HUNDRED NAMES IN LAST LIST. (Received This Day, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 28. The sixth War Office casualty list contains 200 names, one officer and seven other ranks killed, one, officer and 11 other ranks wounded, 3 officers and 161 other ranks missing, one officer taken prisoner, and 15 other ranks died.

STILL UNBEATEN BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. GREAT RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, May 28. It is authoritatively stated that there is no need to emphasise the British Expeditionary Force’s critical situation. The British Expeditionary Force is not a beaten force. It has done everything it has been asked to do. In the position in which the British Expeditionary Force finds itself it is obvious that it is impossible to re-orient the front to meet attacks from several sides simultaneously. We may be sure that the British' troops and their French Allies will continue fighting. The majority of the British Expeditionary Force is in Northern France, but it is not all there. In continuing the fight it is serving a most useful purpose in giving the French time to strengthen their front on the Somme and Aisne. When the history of this battle it written it will rank among the finest of the British Army. The British Expeditionary Force has been moving and fighting continuously for a fortnight. It has been bombed, shelled and attacked by tanks, but it has never wavered. The British Expeditionary Force throughout has moved as a coherent whole. There are no gaps and no confusion. Man to man it has proved better than the Germans. The British Expeditionary Force was never beaten back. It has never broken. It has been successful every time it has been ordered to counter-attack.

WITHDRAWAL NECESSARY (Received This Dav, 10.35 a.m.) . LONDON, May 28. The Minister for Information. Mr A. Duff Cooper, broadcasting, said: "It is necessary to do our utmost to withdraw our army from positions they now are occupying but it won’t be a defeated army we have withdrawn.”

MONTMEDY HOLDS OUT

ALL GERMAN EFFORTS FAIL.

FEARFUL PRICE PAID. (Received This Day. 11.5 a.m.) LONDON, May 28. “The Times” correspondent with the French forces says the French hourly are stabilising their front, which runs westward from Luxemburg to Attigny and the Aisne. The Germans are paying a fearful price in their efforts to subdue the northern most forts of Montmedy. All of their attempts have failed. They have thrown in lowflying bombers, armoured divisions and infantry in desperate attempts to break through into, the rolling heaths of the Champagne district.