Evening star., 1939-06-29
Danzig Ready 10 Join
Germany but Denies
Free Corps Reports
Police Strengthening Is
Admitted, but Not
Military Steps
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
DANZIG, June 29-Foreign re-
ports of the organization of So
called free corps" and an influx
of Germans into Danzig were de-
scribed by official Danzig sources
today as an alarming of the public
which is by no means warranted"
(Reports reaching Gdynia to-
day from the Free City of Danzig
said a quantity of munitions was
taken from East Prussia to the
Free City during the night. The
munitions allegedly included is
artillery piecesD
Nevertheless, Danzig is prepared
for a homecoming to Germany
Propaganda Minister Paul Joseph
Goebbels encouraged the population
in addresses here two weeks ago to
hold out and wait for Chancellor
Hitler to act.
Just how and when the Fuehrer
would act remained a mystery. 1t
may be soon, some observers be-
lleved, because the official Nazi
organ Danziger Vorposten remarked
recently that I'VE shall need the
steady nerves of Danzigers within
the near future"
Police Measures Admitted.
The newspaper in statement to-
day vigorously denied reports
abroad Of extensive military prepa-
rations in Danzig territory. 1t ad-
mltted at the same time that meas
ures which it called legitimate had
been taken to strengthen the Danzig
police force Ito such a degree that
the population may 60 about its
daily work with a sense of security"
Dispatches in Polish, English and
French newspapers stating that
German military units had entered
Danzlg were described as "imperti-
nent lies"
In Danzig there is nothing to
hide" Vorposten said. because
nothing is being done illegally.
There is no doubt there is no
~AAAtie'A la t4Oll Ill OdIlZlR.
In the sphere of military affairs
there is nothing to compare with
the mobilization and the militariza-
ton OF daily life which have taken
place in Poland and France.
AT the same time the nations
which now watch Danzig with such
profound interest must understand
that Danzig cannot remain indiffer-
ent to war threats coming out of
Poland"
Denies PontoOn Bridges Built.
Vorposten specifically denied re-
ports in Polish newspapers that pom
toon bridges had been built at stra-
teglc points over the Nogat River.
Excitement abroad has not touched
Danzig, the paper continued. 1t as
serted that the war psychosis" in
Poland has failed to arouse a CORE
spending spirit of panic" in the
free city.
The free city's Polish population.
meanwhile, was taking part in ob-
servances of Poland's Navy Day.
Some 260 members of the "Gmina
Polska," Polish society, travelled by
special train to Gdynia to take part
In ceremonies at the Polish harbor.
1t was frankly acknowledged here
that Danzig's tiny army-the police
torce-Was being strengthened by
several hundred men, to be trained
along military lines. These addi-
tions 20 the police force were decided
upon last fall. Police, coupled with
units of NaZi party formations which
nave been given some drill, would
enable the free city to muster some
$4,000 men.
Meanwhile, foreign reports of the
alleged arrival in Danzig of German
soldiers in multi and of other move
ments repeatedly pointing to an
impending action are emphatically
denied by German and Danzig au-
thorities.
The official reaction to these re-
ports, which are said chiefly to
emanate from Warsaw, is that IF
the Polish government believed
them true it would have protested
Immediately in Berlin"
Heinrich Himmler, chief of all
German police, made a tour of East
Prussia last week and it was believed
in informed circles that he inspected
some Of the newly-erected fortifca-
tions in that region. However, DAN
zig and Berlin authorities asserted
that Himmler has not been in
Danzig.