Evening star., 1939-03-26
Poles Reported
Massiing Army
Near Danzig
More Than 10000
Declared Now
In Gdynio
BACKGROUND

Free City of Dansig, created at
end OF Ddr 1Dhen Poland Was
giuen corridor to sea through
former German territory, is OBJ
1ect OF Nazi desires in recon-
structing Germany BY reclaiming
War-lost territories. Germany
has non-aggression treaty uith
Poland Which still has fpe years
to run. Chancellor Hitler has
been expected, hoUeuer, to make
moue soon to regain Dunsig.
BY the Associated Press.
FREE CITY OF DANZIG. March
25.-Polish troops. estimated by Ger
mans to number more than 10000
today took positions in the Polish
harbor city of Gdynia, on Danzig s
western frontier.
Although Polish officials declined
to comment, semi-official German
sources said they had confirmed re-
ports of Polish troop movements
which also had been received by the
United States Consulate General and
other foreign consulates.
The troops were said to have been
moving in small groups up through
the Polish Corridor, which gives
Poland a Baltic outlet and separates
East Prussia from the rest OF
Germany.
There also were unconflrmed re-
ports of German troop concentra-
tions IN East Prussia and along the
Corridors western frontier.
Danzig Little Aroused.
Danzlg citizens, wondering when
does our turn Gomez" in Adolf Hit
lerSs map remaking, showed little
excitement over the military reports
They were more concerned, however
with Poland's order withdrawing
surplus railway equipment from
Danzig and the Corridor, which they
feared would hamper shipping
activities.
A few weeks ago Danzig's Nazis
were resigned to waiting long time
But the tempestuous events which
Drought Bohemia and Moravia and
then Memel into Germany's realm
and put Slovakia under Nazi pro-
lection have caused some to re-
consider.
Almost every German expects
confidently that Danzig and Po-
morze (the Polish corridor) will be-
come part of Greater Germany some
day. They say that separation OF
East Prussia from the rest of Ger
many by Danzig and the corridor
Is unnatural"
Tension Reported Growing.
Authoritative sources, meanwhile
reported a growing tension between
German and Polish official circles in
the free city, long a source of fric-
ton between Germans and Poles
Before German absorption of
Bohemia-Moravia and Memel, many
Germans said that annexation of
Danzlg would not occur during the
life of the German-Polish non
aggression treaty, which runs until
1914.
A good many still cling to that
view, but more ardent Nazis look
at Europe's newest map and won
der.
The belief that more time NAV
elapse is based on a feeling that
Hitler does not yet want to take
any major step inimical to Poland
Although Danzig. taken from Ger
many after the World War to give
Poland an outlet on the Baltic at
the head of the corridor, is politi-
cally and spiritually allied with Ger
many, it is bound economically tc
Poland by treaty. It is within the
Polish customs administration.
Nazis Reforming Danzix.
Nazis. meanwhile, are forging
ahead in their efforts to make Dan
zig as much as possible like any
city in Germany.
No longer molested by the League
of Nations. which now has only
nominal control, they are introduc-
ing laws almost textually the same
as those in existence in Germany
Only minor alterations are made to
fit different conditions.
So, if and when the German Army
does come, it will find a territory OF
754 square miles and 100000 popu-
lation already living under Nazi
principles.