EUROPEAN SCENE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 17, 20 October 1939, Page 2

EUROPEAN SCENE

Fal Western Front This has been a week of inactivity on the Western Front. The official comgnuniqués have not released anything of outstanding interest. Journalists who have visited the Maginot Line have written enthusiastically of the morale ‘of the French troops stationed in that gigantic fortress. The line itself is out of range of German artillery. An official estimate of German prisoners is 200. On October 6 it was reported that civilians were leaving Karlsruhe, a German town of some importance on the _ extreme point of the French-German _ frontier in Alsace-Lorraine. Repeated "German raids on the French gains near Saarbrucken are reported to have been ‘repulsed. Flooding was reported in the ‘Siegfried Line. Spain. The most significant news from Spain is that General Franco has ordered all Germans in key positions to leave the countty. He has also dissolved two great German selling and purchasing ‘trusts which have operated there since the end of hostilities in Spain. ‘The Allied Navy _ On October 9 it was officially reported _from London that British forces had " endeavoured to engage a German squad.ton in the North Sea, but without success, : The convoy system has worked successfully, and this week the loss of only one British ship is reported. The French reported that one of their tankers had sunk a German U boat and that during the first week in ‘ October they had captured 30,000 tons of merchandise destined for Germany. In The Air * Bad weather has interfered with air "activity. An official French broadcast ‘stated that 30 enemy planes had been shot down. During September the ‘French claimed 24 German planes and admitted a loss of eight of their own. + British communiqués claim to have made some valuable flights over the Siegfried ‘Line. The airmen reported that much ‘of the line was unfinished and that they made their flight without opposition * from the enemy. ~ German Peace Move On October 6 Herr Hitler delivered san address from the Reichstag, claim"ing that Germany had achieved a unique victory in Poland and had captured , 094 000. prisoners. He offered peace on. * the basis of no interference with the present position. of Poland, .

European Governments are still discussing the proposals. Italy, on which Hitler had obviously set his hopes, has reaffirmed its neutrality. The Italian press has also changed its tone and is no longer violently pro-German. Mr. Chamberlain stated that any German-Russian peace proposals would be received and examined, but that the damage to Poland must be repaired, and adequate assurances given that any peace would be durable. The Bremen Sailors arriving in Oslo, from Murmansk, stated that the Bremen was

berthed there, in company with three other German liners and 15 German freighters. Finland Reports from Finland indicate that there is fear of Russian domination of that country. Anti-aircraft defences have been manned. Scandinavian countries are intensely interested. Russia And Turkey No official statement regarding the Russian-Turkish negotiations had been made by October 11. Reports have been received that Russia is concentrating troops along the Turkish border. It was also reported that Russian troops were concentrating in the Caucasus, causing uneasiness in Iran and Afghanistan. Berlin reported that Russia was fortifying her whole frontier from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The Russian-Turkish negotiations have been conducted with the greatest secrecy,

The United States America’s neutrality Bill is still being discussed (October 12). British, French, and German Governments have been in-

formed that a 300-mile security zone has been set up round the coast of the ‘American Republics. An official message from Washington on October 6 stated that the head of the German navy had informed White House that the Iroquois, carrying refugees from Europe, would be sunk when it neared the coast of America. The _ general opinion was expressed that this . was simply German propaganda against Great

Britain. (The Iroquois docked safely). It was announced on October 7 that America was increasing her army to the full-time peace strength of 280,000 men, Neutral Countries Neutral shipping is. still suffering. A Dutch steamer, 6,800 tons, was sunk by a U-boat in the English Channel. Germany has tried unsuccessfully to force all Scandinavian countries to trade only with Germany. r Belgium ae Newspaper reports from Belgium still maintain that German troops are concentrating along the frontier, These reports are. denied from Berlin. Official Teports from Brussels state that areas of Belgian territory are still being flooded as a precautionary measure. Germany has re-affirmed her: decision to respect the neutrality of Belgium. Poland The Polish Embassy in Paris renenied that official confirmation could be given of the stories that certain members of the Radziwill family, land-owners for centuries in Northern Poland, had been murdered by the Russians, Switzerland Several reports have come from Switzerland that German troops are concentrating between Basle and’ Strasbourg. The frontier here is the River Rhine. : Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace-Lor-raine, is of great strategical importance, because of its railways and canals, which give communication with the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The city has a famous cathedral, containing many ancient wood carvings, and many notable buildings, dating from early times. Strasbourg is also famous for its pate de fois gras. Baltic Countries It is now certain that Latvia and Lithuania have, like Estonia, come under Russian influence. Russia is establishing submarine and air bases at strategic points along this part of the Baltic coast.