Evening star., 1939-10-02
Mines Left by Nazis
In West Destroyed,
French Declare
Positions Consolidated,
Prisoners Token,
Paris Report Says
Ey the Associated Press.

Ky the Associated freSS.
PARIS, Oct. 2.-French military
reports today said French forces
had consolidated their positions and
removed thousands of small mines
left behind by Germans on the
western front.
They said the French had taken
advantage of the absence of heavy
fighting and that only numerous,
localized encounters continued.
Unusual aerial activity marked
the last few days, it was asserted,
with Nazi flyers making sitter ef-
forts to turn back allied recon-
naissance flights.
An account of battle fought
Saturday over German territory,
disclosed today, said three French
and five German planes were shot
down. The account said two French
reconnaissance planes and nine pro-
tecting fighters were attacked by
Is German planes.
After long fight, eight of the
French ships returned, it was said,
bringing valuable" Photographic
information concerning German
positions.
Army reports said the crew of
one OF the French planes shot down
was observed descending in para
chutes.
5000 Mines Exploded.
Officers estimated the French eX-
ploded 5000 mines in one area, as
serting that one shell alone set off
a string 1000 meters (3,280 feet)
long.
The French announced capture
of small number of prisoners, from
whom they said valuable informa-
ton on German defenses in advance
of the Siegfried line was expected
| to be obtained.
The reconstructed Polish govern
ment, exiled to France, called to
Poles throughout the world to join
a Polish army to fight beside the
British and French. Officials said
they hoped to recruit at least 900
900 volunteers from Polish ranks in
the United States and Canada.
The new soldier-premier, Gen.
Wladislaw Sikorski, said remnants
of the shattered Polish Army would
fight on as guerrillas in their father
land where Germany and Russia
are dividing the spoils.
Claim 60 Towns Seized.
Semi-oficial sources said French
poilus thrusting into Germany along
the western front had captured
more than go Nazi villages during
the first month OF the war. French
guns, they said, now dominate the
industrial valleys of the lower Saar,
Blies and Lauter Rivers.
British tommies were reported
flowing eastward, matching German
reinforcements said to be en- route
to the west
The French general staff reported
a relatively calm" night along the
Western Front, but cited small at
tacks and ambushes in various Sec
tors. The communique did not
locate the action.
French sources said their troops
were threatening Zweibruecken,
Saarbruecken, Saarelouis and other
cities scattered throughout the area
where they said an advance toward
the Siegfried Line was being
strengthened. The French said they
held balcony position" overlook
ing the Saar River towns.
Gains made by the French were
ascribed by militarists to . series of
shoulder blows" delivered in small,
steady, local fights along the 100
mile front between Luxembourg and
the Maginot hinge" near Lauter-
bourg.
These strokes were usually car
ried out, authorities said, by a bat
talon or less of French troops pre-
ceded by heavy artillery first, tank
thrusts and aerial reconnaissance.
Nazi Troops Doubled.
French military circles heard re-
ports that the number of German
troops on the western front had
been doubled during the last month
and the Nazi frontline strength was
estimated by Paris observers at SO
divisions, or more than 100000
men.
Large numbers of reserves were
said to be concentrated in centers
from 30 to so miles behind the lines.
Paris commentators expressed be-
lief the Siegfried Line reinforce
ments were called in more in fear
of possible large-scale French at
tack than in preparation for a Ger
man drive.
An indication of French inten-
tions to spurn German peace"
diplomacy was seen in yesterdays
war council which, under the di-
rection of Gen. Maurice Gustave
Gamelin, commander in chief of
French-British forces, examined the
allied strategy. French land, air
and naval chiefs attended the con-
ference.