Evening star., 1939-08-25
Two Polish Soldiers
Killed Near Border,
Danzig Nazis Say
Germans Claim the
Victims Were on Free
City's Side Of Frontier
BY the Associated Press.

BY the ASSOCIATED PreSS.
DANZIG, Aug. 25.-Semi- -official
Nazi sources asserted late today that
two Polish soldiers were shot and
killed near the Polish -Danzig bor-
der between Ottomin and Hoch Kel-
pin.
Polish officials were unable to con-
firm the shooting report immedi-
ately.
The German version was that the
Polish soldiers were on the Danzig
side of the frontier when they were
shot by Danzig border guards.
Poland protested earlier to the
Danzig Senate agaisst the elevation
Of Nazi District Leader Albert Fors-
ter as chief of state of the Free City.
Well-informed sources said it was
unlikely that the Polish note would
beAnswered.
The Danzig Vorposten, Nazi organ
in the Free City, described the Sem
ate's action yesterday as the final
prelude" to the return of Danzig to
Germany.
Poland also protested against what
she described as an attack on Polish
management of the Free City rail-
roads through the arrest of num-
ber of railroad men.
Warlike Preparations.
Military preparations in Danzig
were broadened to an almost warlike
scale, but business went on as usual
under increasing tension.
1t was almost impossible for pri-
vate motorists to buy gasoline, so
heavy had been the demands of the
Danzig military machine.
The Free City sent large con-
tingents of troops to points near the
Polish border last night. They were
stationed on roads and in woods,
alert for every suspicious move.
Road blockades were ready to be
thrown into place. Some small roads
leading to the frontier were cut of
by SA men (Storm Troops) a mile
or so from the border.
However, traffic on the main road
between Danzig and the Polish port
OF Gdynia was permitted to con-
tinue.
Appeal to Hitler Possible.
The heavy concentration of troops
followed reports published in the
official Nazi newspaper Danziger
Vorposten of general mobilization
and Threatening movements" across
the border in Poland.
The newspaper reported that
Polish guns were trained on the
German border" new trenches dug
and forests partially cleared to pro-
vide an open field for shooting.
The impression given was that
Danzig was IN critical position and
many observers saw in the press
campaign the foundation for an
appeal to Adolf Hitler for help.
All flags were ordered out today
to welcome the 13,000-ton cruiser
Schleswig Holstein, which is making
a formal visit announced some
weeks ago. The ship, which carries
four 11-inch guns and 10 9.8-inch
guns, has 750 men aboard.
Warship Cheered.
Thousands of Danzigers lined the
quay at Neufahrwasser and cheered
as the warship was slowly towed
into the harbor.
Also included in the festivities
despite the tense situation was the
Polish Commissioner General
Marian Chodacki. The commits
sioner general was scheduled to ex-
change visits with the commander
of the ship along with the League of
Nations high commissioner, the
president of the Senate, and the
president Of the joint Polish Danzig
Harbor Board.
Meanwhile the question in almost
every mind was: will the German
troops march in and what will hap
pen them"