Evening star., 1939-09-06
Planes Precede
Troops Pressing
Down From North
BY LLOYD LEHRBAS.

Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
WARSAW, Sept. $3.50 am
$50 am. E. S. T0.-The situation in
Warsaw steadily grew more perilous
today with the expectation in some
quarters that German troops press
ing down from the north would
arrive before nightfall.
Poles, proud of their capital and
hoping to save it from extensive
damage from artillery fire, plan to
defend it beyond the city limits to
the best Of their ability, but it was
generally expected there would be a
bitter battle.
While Nazi troops were approach
Ing ever closer they apparently had
not yet reached the Bug River, Is
miles north of here.
No retreating Polish soldiers have
yet been seen in Warsaw.
IS Miles From Warsaw.
A communique said the Germans
had reached point between Plonsk
and Ciechanow bringing advance
motorized units of the enemy"
about IS miles north of Warsaw.
"On the Southwestern front our
army is holding back overwhelming
numbers of the enemy" said the
communique, which added there was
SHARP fighting with strong enemy
divisions" in the Warta-Kamiensk
region southwest of Warsaw.
Earlier communiques said 10 Ger
man bombers yesterday raided War
saw, that Polish forces continue to
hold Gdynia and that 20 Polish
planes had bombed Berlin, all re-
turning safely to their bases.
Invading German armies un-
masked powerful drive to take the
Polish capital while the city, de-
serted by official life and by the ma
jority of its citizens, waited tensely
for the battle that would decide its
fate.
Fighting ragged to the north and
west. The Nazi infantry was pre-
ceded in its push by planes that
yesterday roared over Warsaw in
repeated attacks which no Polish
planes rose to meet.
Several hundred thousand resi-
dents remained of the normal l.
100000 population-many of them
because of lack of money with which
to leave, others because they had
turned back in despair from high
ways choked with horses, autos.
carts, bicycles and plodding, bundle
laden pedestrians.
The government secretly left the
city last night, leaving only skeleton
stats.
Biddle and Family Leave.
United States Ambassador An
thony J. Drexel Biddle, jr., whose
home was bombed Sunday, left with
his family and staff, as did all other
Embassy and Legation staffs.
The official exodus added to the
confusion since the war Office left
no one authorized to give out in
formation. The press gave no hint
Of what was going on.
The Warsaw radio told of the
fighting shortly before midnight and
said the struggle would decide the
fate of Warsaw. The broadcast said
Polish lines were holding fast.
The, main Polish defense line was
said to be pivoted on Ciechanow, IS
miles north of Warsaw, bending
from there to Plonsk, IS miles north
west of the capital.
The troops opposing the Poles ap-
parently were those advancing south
ward from East Prussia. 1t was
indicated the Germans were tanning
out as they advanced, stretching
their lines in the beginning of what
might be an encircling movement.
The jubilation with which Warsa W
greeted the entry of Great Britain
and France into the war as Polish
allies vanished yesterday under the
rain of NaZi bombs. There remained
. stubborn determination to hang
/Cno vYYADC CAJIy De- EI