Evening star., 1939-10-23
Only Plane Attacks
Believed Planned bv
Nazis for Present
Armies Which Fought in
Poland Need Rest
And Refittines
BY WALTER DURANTY.

ny WAL L LN DJN NANl1.
AT BRITISH AIR HEADQUAR-
TIERS IN FRANCE, Oct. % (N.A.
NA).-"Waiting for the balloon to
60 up is the way the British air
force generally describes what it is
doing in France. That it is busy
from dawn to dusk in a hundred
activities in training and prepara-
ton on the ground and in the air
is lost sight of in the expectation
that "the balloon will go up" or. in
other words, that the real war will
begin.
What form that beginning will
take is, as matter of fact, con-
lecture A week ago 1t was the
popular opinion that the Germans
were about to start land offensive,
either against the Maginot Line or
by attacking the English through
Luxembourg. Belgium and perhaps
Holland, against the allied defenses
between the Ardennes and the sea.
Such attacks would. 1t is believed,
involve an air offensive, which would
correspondence bring into action
the British air force assembled
around the section of which I am
writing. 1t is for that particular
form of balloon ascension" that the
men here are waiting most eagerly.
May Exercise Caution.
However, the idea now seems to be
gaining ground that the Germans
will be more cautious. at least as
far as land action is concerned, and
confine themselves for the present
to air attacks on English naval bases
or ports. perhaps with increasing
frequency and strength. How far
such a process could 60 before the
bombers here were released for ac-
ton against Germany is matter
of question. but it seems to be taken
for granted that neither the British
nor the French planes will take the
initiative in attacking German cities.
with the inevitable holocaust of
civilian poplations. Eager for ac-
ton as are the men here, find
widespread repugnance for that
sort of bombing now. as COM
pared with the more dangerous task
of attacking German armies engaged
in an offensive.
Il one examined this problem
from a wider angle than that of
the air force alone, it seems that
the German troop concentrations
along the frontier from the Dutch
border to the region of Karlsruhe.
reported by French headquarters
during the last three weeks, do not
represent an assembly of forces suf-
ficient for great offensive or for
anything more than the recent re-
covery of part of the territory which
the French had occupied between
the Maginot and Siegfried Lines.
The Germans could not know that
the French did not intend to hold
it, and what actually was little
more than an outpost skirmiSh
might easily have developed into
heavy action.
Armies Need Rest.
On the other hand. it is clear that
the Germans are gradually trans
ferring large numbers of men into
the west. but. when one considers
the sheer physical effort of the Ger
man armies in Poland and the fact
that their divisions not only need
rest and refltting. but apparently
need to celebrate the victory and to
stimulate the spirit of the civil pop
ulatlon there. not to mention the
time actually required for the trans
fer. it is unlikely that the Germans
offensive before the latter part of
next month.
Furthermore. if the fact that the
greatly superior numbers of the
French find the Siegfried Line a nut
that will take lot of cracking, it
stands to reason that the Germans
will be reluctant to tackle the Magi-
stronger position.
If a land attack comes this year,
1t Is more likely to be made on the
allied flank, whether that will in
volve the infringement of neutral
territory or not. 1t may. of course,
come earlier. but indications now
show that the waiting period is likely
to be prolonged.
Salvage Corps Busy.
In the midst of this delay and
lnaction, there Is one detachment
of the British air force that is
buster than a bird dog. I refer
to the Salvage Corps, scurrying
lilo onfc ocrocc Norf !, ar,,
with huge lorries and big cranes
on trailers. Some of these troops
have made trips of hundred miles
or more to rescue and repair dam
aged planes. The greatest triumph
OF the corps is when a wreck can
be patched up to fly back under
Its own power, or when a new and
alrworthy combat plane can be
made from two apparently hope
less wrecks. This has happened
on more than one occasion.
BY their novelty, speed of action
and perhaps by their appeal to the
French hatred of waste, the SAL
wage detachments are getting an
even warmer welcome in the VIII
lagos they visit than the pilots,
which is saying a great deal.
Greeted in Towns.
One group was salvaging two
planes that crashed near a small
town not far behind the Maginot
Line. AS the British merchanics
worked day and night. the local
population kept them supplied with
food, wine and coffee, and finally.
when one plane was ready to fly
and the remnants of the other were
loaded on the lorries, the mayor
begged the Englishmen to attend
a ceremony to lay wreaths not only
on the memorial to dead soldiers,
but on a second memorial, ito our
civilian Victims which one sees in
all these northern towns and vii
lagos. Afterward, before the plane
flew away, the townsfolk brought
baskets of flowers and asked that