Evening star., 1939-09-08
Paris
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French offensive against the Sieg-
fred line.
The French general staff said the
army's action had caused Germany
to rush reinforcements into the 100
mile-long sector extending along the
Siegfried line from the Luxembourg
border to the northeastern tip of
France near Lauterbourg. an ancient
Roman fortress town and now key
area in the French Maginot line.
At the left wing of the French
advance was the rich Saar basin. a
German industrial region. At the
right was the German Palatinate
area which, fringed by the Bienwald
is hilly, forested district north of
Lauterbourg.
The fighting, however, rolled along
the whole length of the frontier
down to Switzerland. Along the
southern half. fronting on the Rhine,
it was confined to heavy artillery
shelling and small skirmishing
parties sent ahead in an effort to
wipe out advanced German machine
gun nests.
Shells Hurled.
German and French guns hurled
shells from their concrete-hooded
fortresses lining each side of the
river. The civilian refugee stream
grew under the force of the fighting
launched by France anG Britain to
relax German pressure on Poland in
the east.
Polish official dispatches said the
Poles stubbornly held large. pocket
area in the Posen district of Western
Poland, but that it was endangered
by advancing German forces push
ing up from German Silesia to meet
a salient spearing down from East
Prussia.
French sources did not reveal the
! extent Of German resistance on the
Western front except TO say there
was marked activity and that the
Germans were bringing field organ
to mean mechanical forces and light
artillery.
The French saw their action to
aid Poland getting results when the
Germans moved up reinforcements
With heavy fighting in the area
around Lodz. and the German
menace to Warsaw growing, France
and Britain must draw German at
tention from Poland.
However, Genevieve Tabouis, writ
ing in L'Oeuvre, said the Poles were
using only Is divisions against the
Germans, with As more waiting
intact on prepared defense positions
behind the Vistula River.
Paris Streets Crowded.
British soldiers and pilots crowded
Paris streets. The troops were part
of the detachments being moved
east to join the French.
The British air force already is
operating over the Siegfried line
area, seeking to aid French artillery
onslaughts and hunting German air
bases and underground hangers in
the Black Forest.
The French gave the Tommies a
great reception, both on the street
and in the press. The latter en-
phasized the resurgence of Tip
perary," the British marching song
of 1914.
British military leaders conferred
with the French high command on
the disposition of their forces. Gen.
Maurice Gustave Gamelin, supreme
commander of the French land, sea
and air forces, is expected to be
generalissimo of the allied armies.
Col. Joseph D. Stehlin, former
member of the Lafayette Escadrille.
has sent cable to the office of
DR.. Edmund l.. Gros, chief of the
medical staff of the American Hos
pital here, offering the "Raoul Luf-
berry Escadrille" to France. Dr.
Gros was one of the organizers of
the American volunteer pilots in the
World War.
The American Legion in France
has organized a unit of 20 stretcher
bearers, IL drivers and 3 ambulances
to serve the new allied cause. The
war ministry granted authority for
it and Dr. James V. Sparks heads it.
The women department of the Le-
gion has obtained the names of 100
women and 400 men civilians for
part time work.
Meanwhile, the American Ambas-
sy is awaiting word from the State
Department on how to get an esti-
mated 1000 stranded Americans
home.