Imperial Valley press., 1939-09-04
Berlin likewise was dark.

In contrast to the grimness of
the western capitals, the Polish
capital Of Warsaw rang with jubi-
liant shouts at the news that Great
Britain and France had come into
the conflict.
Poles Battle
Poland. with probably 5000 900
men at arms, fought to drive the
green-g grey German troops from her
soil, to prevent Hitler from seizing
Danzig, the Polish Corridor and Sill
esia which were stripped from Ger
many after the last great war.
For Britain and France the issue
was far greater one than Hitler's
invasion of Poland.
1t was showdown in a crisis
brewing ever since Hitler became
the master of the German Reich
six years ago.
Now that the die has been cast,
Britain and France are determined
not to give up until Hitler's Nazi
regime has been crushed complete
ly.
AS Prime Minister Neville Cham
berlain told the House of Commons
(See editorial page for text in
momentous session Sunday:
IT trust I may see the day when
HitleriSm has been destroyed"
Hitler, having defied the might
of Britain and France, left Berlin
Sunday night as "the first soldier
of Germany" to lead his armies
in their assault on Poland.
Before he sped eastward out of
Berlin, bodyguards crouched on the
running board of his car, he issued
two proclamations.
In one he blamed "our Jewish
democratic world enemies" for
plunging Europe into war. In the
other he assured his troops that
Germany's west wall" along the
Rhine would shelter the Reich while
they mopped up Poland.
Attacks by Air
Opposite this west wall" held by
100000 Nazi troops, are 100000 or
more French troops in the famous
Maginot line of sunken forts.
Britain and France are not count
ing on smashing through Hitler's
west WALL to reach his Nazi armies.
Their bombing planes will sweep
by the hundreds over Germany,
according to prearranged plan, while
at the same time they attempt to
get aid to Poland through the Dar-
danelles, the Black Sea and Ru-
mania.
Rumania under King Carol II is
striving to remain out of the war
as long as possible. although she
is in the Anglo-French bloc and
Warsaw reports said that the Pol
ish- Rumanian pact of mutual as
sistance was to be strengthened.
Turkey. on Germany's side in the
last war, has pledged the fortified
Dardanelles to the allies.
Soviet Russia. pouring thousands
of troops into positions along Po-
lands eastern border, held aloof but
watched her chances.
A new Soviet ambassador and a
military mission arrived in Berlin
and Nazis proclaimed loudly that
the German-Soviet pact of non-
aggression would be extended into
a military agreement confronting
Poland with the menace of an at.
tack on the east by the Red army
When Hitler left Berlin at "a;
pm. Sunday night to lead his ar
mies-after picking Field Marsha
Hermann w. Goering as his sue.
cesSor if he is killed-Britain hac
not only declared war but hae
started war against Germany.
Germany Blockaded
The admiralty announced thai
the British fleet, dwarfing Hitler's
i'll everything except submarines
had strung a blockade of Germany
Warships of the home and re.
serve fleet was strung out across
the North Sea and into the Skag-
gerak that dominates the entrance
to the Baltic and the big German
naval bases.
High French quarters in Pari;
reported that British warships hao
captured the German liner Bremen
scurrying home from New York
where she had been detained fol-
inspection, but the British admir-
atty refused to confirm the report
There were atrocity stories from
both the Polish and German gov
ernments, all of them unconfirmeo
by any neutral eyewitnesses. The
Polish foreign office announced
that German planes were dropping
hyperite soaring gas on civilian
populations and "brutally bombing
and Notwithstanding" crowds ol
women and children refugees flee
ing burning towns. The Germans
countered with allegations thai
Polish artillery was shelling towns
on the German side of the Silesiar
frontier killing women and children