Evening star., 1939-09-15
Paris
Continued From First Page)

had slogged through mud between
there and Hornbach on the east.
(Reports received in Brussels
from Luxembourg said French
forces had occupied the villages
of Apach and Maimuhlen, from
which two roads lead to Perl,
10 miles from the Saar RiverD
The French diclosed officially they
had taken German prisoners as they
pressed their advance and de-
clared their own casualties had been
slight"
Germans Still Hold Saarbruecken.
Saarbruecken, although still occu-
pied by German units, was reported
to have been deserted by its civilian
population and to have ceased func-
tioning industrially. The French
shelled all roads from the rear of the
city and German artillery lombard
ed French positions Immediately to
the south of it.
Because of weather conditions
preventing accurate aerial surveys
the German artillery was reported
hard pressed in trying to locate
French positions to the west and
east of the city. The German re-
treat was reported, nevertheless, to
be proceeding under cover of tons
of high-explosive shells fired from
heavy batteries on the range of hills
south of Saarbruecken.
Conoo ErorcI
belief that any German withdrawal
was merely for tactical purposes
They said there were many indi-
cations that the Germans were
preparing a heavy counter offensive
with reinforcements and artillery
moved up to the northern side of
Saarbruecken.
Heavy Rain in Battle Zone.
A heavy rain fell in the battle
zone and dirt roads we're thick mires
in many places. The slippery, mar
row side roads slowed down the
progress of the French motorized
units and swollen streams increased
the infantry's task of feeling its way
through the broken, shell-pocked
countryside.
The French strategy, reports said
consisted in varying the pressure on
the German defenses from each of
the three sides of the approach to
6aarbruecken
French guns held some elevated
positions and one French unit was
reported to have occupied a road
and railroad leading indirectly to
the main Siegfried line behind the
city.
Little activity was reported, how
ever from other French forces now
planted on German territory along
the 100-mile front from the Moselle
River in the northwest to the Rhine
in the east.
Aim to Seal Frontiers.
Advices from Poland indicated to
French observers that the German
campaign in the east was aimed at
sealing Polands frontiers with Hun
gary and Rumania.
Some French sources said such
development would give the Nazis a
diplomatic lever with which to ex-
ert pressure on two southern neigh
bors. Many Frenchmen considered
it likely that later stages of the war
would involve many countries now
preserving neutrality.
The heavy rain which slowed down
the French machine was not alto
gether bad news to the French, how
ever, as it was said also to have
begged down the German advance in
Poland in some places.
The great power of the German
forces fighting toward Warsaw and
south toward Lwow caused appre-
hension over how long the Poles
might hold out.
Soviet Russia's eventual role was
regarded anxiously because of the
widespread conviction that Moscow
might try to regain Eastern Poland
In conjunction with the German at
tack in Western Poland.
AS for Italy's ultimate part, the
French have been relatively quiet
lately.