Evening star., 1939-09-12
British to Remove Over 600 Government Workers From London
Europe's Bott|efieIds--Doy by Day
Second Phase Of Polish Campaign Gets Under Way
As Defenders Make Stund AIonq Vistuo Line
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE,
Associated Press Stan Writer.


The second and anxiously awaited
phase Of the German invasion of
Poland has got under way with the
Poles beginning the concerted de-
fense-their big and perhaps de-
cisive stand-which they have been
promising to stage along the pre-
pared line of the Vistula River
through che heart of Poland
Meanwhile in the Western theater
of war a one-line French communi-
que reported "a calm night along
the entire front"
The Germans continue to claim
that the collapse of Poland is near,
and there is no gainsaying that the
Poles are terribly hard pressed by
the Nazi war-machine.
But the fighting spirit of 80 gen.
erations of liberty loving Poles is
standing in the way of the German
onrush, and the invaders must de-
feat this spirit as well as smash
material defenses.
Battle for Warsaw.
The fierce battle continued for
the possession of Warsaw, which
lies within the Northern zone of
the main Polish defense.
Here the Poles made a determined
counterattack and claim not only
to have stopped the Germans dead
in their tracks" but to have thrust
the invaders back
The Germans admit to having
withdrawn motorized column from
the edge of Warsaw for tactical
reasons-and declare the city will
fan within 48 hours
The Poles are making Warsaw
the symbolic keystone of their new
defense. This is largely matter
OF sentiment and not because of the
strategic value of the city proper.
The defenses flung about Warsaw,
however, are of vast Importance in
the general scheme of defense.
Main Fighting North of Lodz.
Hard fighting continued close to
Warsaw, and the German high COM
mand claimed to have swept round
to the east side of the beleaguered
city, thereby surrounding it and
rendering its position much more
precarious.
The main engagement of the mo-
ment, however, was being Waged
almost so miles due west of the
capital, just north of the strategic
city of Lodz which is in German
hands.
Some $4,000 doggedly fighting
Poles were reported involved in this
battle above Lodz, and the Germans
were making every effort to force
their surrender.
The outcome of the engagement is
Of great importance, since the re-
moval of this army of defense would
vastly increase the German threat
against the Polish prepared posi-
tions in the neighborhood of War
saw.
In other words, the north wing
of the prepared Polish line of de-
tense is in jeopardy.
French Prepare for Assault.
On the allied-German front the
F1ench are continuing preparations
for a major assault, and some hard
fighting has developed in spots.
On the north end of the line, next
to the Luxembourg border, the Ger
mans made counter-thrust against
the French who had achieved a con-
siderable advance toward the Sieg-
fried Line. Farther down the line
the French drove into German tre-
rltory just east of the Saar River.
These operations, however, all lie
within the no-man's land between
the French Maginot and the Ger
man Siegfried lines. The two
forces are sparring for position.
There are some towns within this
zone, to be sure. However, there
is no great significance to be at
tached to advance or retreat within
this no-man's land of pill boxes.
mines and barbed wire.
We shall get action when there is
a concerted attack made against
either one of the two great lines of
defense. That will signal the real
start of hostilities in this theater
of war.
Poles Position Difficult.
Polish Field Marshal Smigly- -Rydz
would appear not to have been criti-