WITHOUT WARNING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 May 1940, Page 5

WITHOUT WARNING

KING LEOPOLD’S SURRENDER

BELGIAN OFFICER’S STORY. ARMY'S TERRIBLE ORDEAL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, May 30. A senior Belgian Liaison officer with the French northern armies who saw King Leopold daily at his headquarters has given a special story to “The Times.” He says: “Nothing in the attitude of the King or the Belgian troops gave any hint of the capitulation. King Leopold was greatly distressed over the Belgian suffering but, thinking like a soldier, his remarks gave no impression that he .was going to force the army to surrender,”. The officer added: “Three weeks ago we had 750,000 soldiers, 400,000 of whom' were front-line troops. When the last battle was being fought only 200,000 were left to send to the front. “Our front, on the left flank of the Allied armies, extended 80 miles,” he said. “Our situation was grave, because we had lost nearly all our 300 planes, we had no tanks, and we could not be supplied by sea like the Allied forces. We had only light armoured cars. The troops were tired, and there were no reserves left, though we still had a good supply of ammunition when we surrendered. “The morale of the troops was excellent, and they fought even more valiantly than in 1914. “The difficulties can be summed up in this way: 1, the front was very extensive; 2, the absence of important obstacles against the enemy; 3, the activity of the German planes; 4, the destruction of the Belgian Air Force; and 5, the lack of reserves, and the fatigue of the troops . “Hundreds of thousands of Belgians in Flanders were exposed to incessant bombing. Two hundred were killed in a day at Poperinghe. There were only five doctors in Ypres, where refugees jammed the private houses and slept in passage-ways. The quays a't Ostend were burnt and the maritime station was wiped out.”

DETAILS REVEALED BETRAYAL IN DEFIANCE OF BELGIAN CABINET. PROPOSED CHANGE IN ARMY COMMAND. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) PARIS, May 31.

“Le Journal” reveals the details of the Belgian capitulation order and the timetable of events leading to it. Under an order, all Belgian troop movements and the destruction of arms and supplies were ' forbidden. Troops were instructed to indicate their position by displaying white signs. The Germans were allowed to pass towards the sea.

General Rousseau, Assistant-Chief of General Staff, signed the order. M.M. Pierlot and Spaak (respectively Premier and Foreign Minister) were definitely informed of King Leopold’s intention to surrender during the night of Friday. At Saturday night’s meeting, Cabinet decided to reject any proposition from the King to negotiate with the Germans. M. Pierlot told King Leopold by telephone that the Government (proposed to hand over the army command to a general of its own nomination, and asked King Leopold to come to France, which King Leopold refused to do.

A further Cabinet meeting on Sunday night unanimously decided not to follow the King.

M. Reynaud told M. Pierlot on Monday evening that he had been informed that King Leopold was going to betray his country. It was then learnt that the Belgian High Command had consented to act as a medium for the King’s order. The instructions quoted were then issued to the troops. BELGIAN GROUPS STILL FIGHTING BESIDE ALLIES. HIGH OFFICERS REJECT KING’S ORDER. (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) PARIS. May 30. A Belgian spokesman said that seven groups of Belgian troops are still fighting alongside the Allies in Flanders. Several high officers refused King Leopold's .order to lay down their arms. MORE GERMAN CLAIMS (Received This Day. 10.49 a.m.) BERLIN, May 30. The High Command states: “The big battle in Flanders and Artois is drawing to an end with the annihilation of the French and British. “After yesterday, the British Expeditionary Force completely dissolved and left all its war material behind. “The Germans, advancing along the Cassel-Poperinghe line from the west, met forces from the east. They encircled strong enemy groups. "We repulsed enemy tank attacks on the Somme. “Fighting at Narvik is undiminished. Our troops have retreated to new positions. “A U-boat reports sinking seven enemy steamers, totalling 38.480 tons.’’ The High Command claims that 89 Allied planes were shot down, instead of 78 as claimed earlier, and that fifteen German planes are missing.