Evening star., 1939-08-30
France Requisitions
All Railways for
Military Use
Gen. Weygond Reported
Due to Head Allies
Armies in Near Eost
BY the Associated Press.

| By the Associated Press.
PARIS, Aug 30.-Premier Dala-
dier's ofice announced tonight that
effective Immediately the entire
French railway system, with all its
supplies, employees and rolling stock,
was requisitioned for military use.
The order means that henceforth
commercial traffic may be suspended
in whole or part If the military
authorities consider it necessary.
Since January /, 1888. the French
railways have been operated as one
nationalized system by a company
in which the Government owns 81
per cent Of the stock. The prespec-
tive order means placing them under
the war ministry.
Weygand Reported Chosen.
Gen. MMaMxime Weygand, for
mer chief of the French Army,
who has flown dramatically TO tie
Near East, was reported in military
quarters today to have been chosen
commander of the allied forces in
the Eastern Mediterranean in case
of war.
The 72-year-old but still active
Gen. Weygand landed today in
Beirut, Lebanon, by plane from
Paris. where he had held a series
OF conferences with military and
civil leaders.
Gen. Weygand retired as chief
OF the army general staff in 1885
and was succeeded by Gen. Maurice
Gustave Gamelin, now slated to be
commander in chief of French, Brit
ish and allied armies in the event
of war.
Gen. Weygand was called back
from retirement to 60 to Ankara
last April for negotiation of the
French-Turkish mutual assistance
pact.
The new mission, which took him
in haste to Beirut, was at first
cloaked in official secrecy. Military
sources said, however, he had been
designated to lead the allied forces
in that area in case of necessity
and was already laying the ground
work.
A similar report circulated in high
diplomatic quarters.
$4,000 Children Being Moved.
Evacuation Of nearly $4,000 Paris
school children began as the threat
of war still hung over Europe.
Premier Daladier, who declared
I'VE will know where we stand to-
day." summoned members Of three
important Parliament committees,
the army, air and finance groups,
for midafternoon emergency ses-
sion.
BY that time, the nation expected
to know whether Adolf Hitler had
made a bid for peace or war in his
dispute with Poland. French leaders
awaited news of the Germans long
note dispatched to London late last
night.
Some French leaders continued to
view the future pessimistically, but
the tone of the Berlin morning press
revived hopes Germans would agree
to negotiate.
M. Daladier was reported ready to
order general mobilization, depend
ing on terms of Hitler's note to Lon
don.
The swift pace in diplomatic ex-
changes continued when M. Dalai
dier received Polish Ambassador
Julius Lukasiewicz this morning.
Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet
conferred with Paul Emile Magyar,
French Ambassador to Moscow, who
flew here to report on Russias nom
aggression pact with Germany.
President Albert Lebrun received
the credentials Of the new Turkish
Ambassador, Behic Erkin.
Elated by Soviet Pact Delay.
The fact Russia had not yet rati-
fed the German pact formally
caused much elation here and was
linked with suggestions Hitler might
not have moved on Poland for that
reason and because Of other reper-
(See PARIS, Page A-5.)