1,000,000 POLES

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20906, 11 September 1939, Page 8

1,000,000 POLES

MASSING OF TROOPS TO MEET THE INVADERB GERMANS FIRE CITIES (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 11, 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 10 The British United Press states that it is officially announced in Berlin that parts of Warsaw are burning, but this is not due to incendiary bombing. The American Press correspondent at Sniatyn, Poland, says that a section of Lemberg - is reported to be burning. German planes are alleged to have machine-gunned the streets. Polish headquarters declare that Warsaw is ready for defence. LONDON, Sept. 10 Observers here believe that if the Polish army can be stabilised it will march to victory, since the bulk of its mechanised equipment is safe. The fate of the Polish soldiers in the course of the retreat from the Corridor is unknown. One million Polish troops are reported to be massing on the east bank of the Vistula, and others are defending the Bug River. The occupants of a train, conveying Government officials, on arriving in south-east Poland, say it was continually bombed during the live days’ journey. WARSAW BURNING BOMBARDMENT BY ARTILLERY CLAIMS BY GERMANY ALLEGED ABANDONED CITY (Unites Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 11, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 10 The Berlin High Command claimed that Warsaw is burning because the Polish artillery is heavily bombarding an “abandoned city,” also that the bulk of the Polish Army is being squeezed into a huge trap, with four armies drawing a loop not only around Warsaw but on a 175-mile salient west of Warsaw to Posen. BUCHAREST, Sept. 10 Reports from the front indicate that the Polish forces have consolidated on a prearranged front along the Narew, Bug and Vistula Rivers, and are organising long-range resistance in northeast Poland. DEAD AND WOUNDED ESTIMATES BY GERMANY 300 PLANES BROUGHT DOWN (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 9 A communique from the German High Command states that four were killed and 17 wounded out of every 10,000 German soldiers in Poland between September 4 and 6. A later estimate is nine killed and 40 wounded out of every 10,000. A broadcast from Wilno states that it is estimated that 45,000 German troops have been killed in Poland so far, and over 17,000 have been wounded. Nearly 300 aeroplanes h-ave been brought down and thousands of tanks and armoured cars have been seized. ALARM IN BERLIN 4,000,000 PEOPLE ROUSED ALLIED PLANES SHOT DOWN (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) BERLIN, Sept. 9 The first air raid alarm of the war was sounded at 3.38 a.m. yesterday. Four million people were roused from bed and herded into shelters. The “all clear” was sounded at 4.22 a.m., without indication of the presence of aircraft. The High Command said the alarm may have been precipitated by German aeroplanes off their course. A general alarm is arranged when aircraft are 150 kilometres from the city. The High Command later announced that British aeroplanes dropped pamphlets over Massel at 4.50 a.m. It is officially stated that one British and three French scouting machines have been shot down. Another French machine was forced down on a German aerodrome. Three •officers were captured. RELIEF OF CZECHS TRIUMPH OF PRINCIPLE MR CHAMBERLAIN’S HOPE (United Tress Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 9 The Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, sent the following message to the former Czech President, Dr. E. Benes: “We look forward, through the triumph of the principle for which we have taken up arms, to the relief of t-he Czech people from foreign domination.” The Argentine Foreign Minister, Senor Jose Cantilo, has delivered a Note to the British Embassy concerning the Argentine Republic’s objection to foodstuffs being listed as coatrabaad.