Evening star., 1939-11-03
Nazi Troops Massing
Near French Border,
Paris Reports
Heavy Artillery
Screen Fire Said
To Accompany Move

Screen Fire Said
To Accompany Move
~ the Associated Press
PARIS, Nov. 3.-French military
sources reported strong German
troop movements today northeast of
sareguemines, accompanied by
heavy artillery screen fire.
They said the French Immediately
placed their forces on the alert
against the possibility of German
thrust In the area between sarre-
gusmines and Ohrenthal, less than
. mile from the frontier and about
dve miles south of the German city
OF Zweibruecken.
The French held a four mile wide
salient near Ohrenthal, between the
Blies River and the Vosges foothills
and reports said they were concen-
trating their answering artillery fire
In an attempt to smash German
communications
Patrol units fought on the wooded
slopes of the Vosges, these sources
said, and about nine miles east Of
sarreguemines. They said the French
had taken another German prisoner.
German artillery and patrols ap-
parently were testing the whole
length Of the 100-mile northern flank
Of the western front between Luxem-
bourg and the Rhine River by shift
ing their action from one sector to
another.
There still was no sign of a major
Nazi offensive, but every time q
concentrated artillery barrage starts
the French set themselves against
that possibility.
French Hail U. S. Action.
The action of the United States
House of Representatives toward
ending the embargo on arms for
Europe's warning nations was hailed
In France as a major victory for the
allies over Germany.
Premier Daladier was understood
to have devoted much of his ANALYSIS
of the general situation at a cabinet
meeting today to prospects of buy
ing equipment, particularly air
planes, in the United States.
"The vote of the House of Rep
tesentatives at Washington, which
makes lifting of the American en-
barge henceforth certain" said a
semi-off1cial note issued after the
cabinet session, lis regarded in Paris
as an event Of great material and
moral Importance.
1T is greeted with great satisfac-
ton and homage is paid to the sense
of fairness which inspired debate of
the American Congress and the per-
sonal action of President Roosevelt"
Claim IL Planes Shot Down.
French sources estimated that IL
German planes were shot down dur
ing October as compared with % in
September. They said bad weather
reduced aerial activity last month.
Two peasants were acclaimed for
the barehanded capture of the crew
of German plane brought down
yesterday near the French-Belgian
frontier. It was one of a group of
three German planes apparently
heading for their bases after flight
over the North Sea, military sources
said. )
Havas, French news agency, said
the farm workers quick action pre-
vented the Germans from smash
ing their instruments and Destroy
ing their papers. The plane had
been downed in an air battle with
British planes.
A general headquarters commu-
nique of the British expeditionary
force in France said British flyers
had shot down two German Heinkel
bombers yesterday while the third
sped away trailing smoke.
Havas said the unarmed men. Eu-
gene Vantours and Jean Elbout,
rushed to the plane when it came
down in a field near where they
were working and held the flyers
until French soldiers arrived.
OF the four occupants of the
German plane, one was killed, an
other was wounded and two were
unharmed.
Quiet Night Reported.
A French communique reported
the downing of a twin-engined Ger
man reconnaissance plane by a
British fighter" yesterday. It said
the night had been quiet with some
artillery and infantry fire."
A general headquarters commu-
nique of the British Expeditionary
Force in France said two German
Heinkel bombers were brought down
by British flyers in Northern France
yesterday and a third chased toward
German territory. 1t was not known
whether that was the same air fight
as reported by the French.
The Alsatian sector of the front,
which had been inactive since Oc-
tober IS. came to life again when
the French sent out raiding parties,
apparently to capture prisoners who
might enlighten the French on Ger
man plans.