Evening star., 1939-09-19
Wi|no Is Reported
Occupied by 5oviets;
Estates Liquidated
Dispatches Tell Of
Stirring Meetings
And Red Banners
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Sept. 19.-The general
staff of the Soviet Army reported
today that Soviet forces continued
to "eiect troops of the Polish Army"
and that the westWard-bound Rus
slams were approaching the Polish
cities of Lwow and Wilno.
Wilno, in Northeast Poland, is
about IS miles from the Russian
frontier; Lwow, principal city OF
Southeast Poland. is about 80 miles
IN from the Russian border.
(Reports reaching Riga, Latvia,
said Soviet Russian troops, led
by tanks, occupied Wilno at 6
am. midnight, E. S. T., Mon
day.. Inhabitants were said to
have started plundering army
storehouseS, carrying away flour
and other goods in large guam
titles. The streets were reported
decorated with marrow red flags.
1t was officially stated that up
to this morning 500 Polish ref
ugees had passed the Latvian
frOntlerD
1t was not known just how far
the Russians intended to penetrate
Poland, but it was believed they
would halt on a line between Wilno
in the north and Lwow in the south.
Liths Want Wilno.
It was understood here the Lith-
uanian Minister to Moscow was
opening negotiations with Foreign
CommiSsar Premier VyacheSlatt
Molotoff in an effort to have the
Russians aEd Germans return Will
no to Lithuania. The Lithuanians
consider Wilno, which the Poles oc-
cupied after the World War, their
ancient capital.
That the process of liquidation OF
huge estates of landlords in the
Ukraine and White Russia already
was in progress was disclosed in
dispatch to the army newspaper
Red Star.
The Red Stars correspondent re-
ported that army commanders were
instructing peasants to take the
land for the people" and to turn
your cattle into the landlords pas
lures"
Reports received here said peas
ants were destroying Polish flags
and hosting strips of red bunting.
Stirring Meetings.
AS the Red army advance contin-
ued, Tass, official news agency, re-
ported stirring meetings" OF the
population with Soviet army units,
particularly in Western (Polish)
white" Russia and the Western
(Polish) Ukraine.
Tass reported the morale OF the
Russian troops respectfully hlgh
and said this was best shown by
the unprecedented rapid ad-
vance"
Tass quoted the secretary of the
Central Committee of the Commu-
mist party in White Russia as say
ing that people with red banners
lined the roads where Soviet troops
passed and that girls decorated with
flowers the tanks and horses of ad-
vancing troops.
Soviet Russia S Warships have en-
barked on measures against the
remnants of Poland's submarine
fleet. believed hiding in Baltic ports,
while the Red Army rolls across
Eastern Poland.
The precise nature OF the action
was not disclosed in an announce
ment by Tass, the official news
agency. 1t said merely the Soviet
Baltic fleet is taking measures"
Escape of Sub Reported.
The announcement indicated
strongly that Soviet measures" are
aimed especially at Estonia, one OF
the small Baltic states north OF
Poland and adjoining Russia,
"On September 18 Polish sub
marine previously interned in Tai
linn, port OF Estonia, escaped and
disappeared in an unknown direc-
ton" Tass said.
This is believed to be a case of
allotment on the part of Estonian
authorities. The command of the
Soviet Baltic fleet is taking measures
against the possible diversions on
the part of the submarines hiding in
Baltic waters
CA dispatch from Tallinn by
the Ritzaus, Danish news agency
said the Polish submarine Orzel
eluded Estonian gunfire early
yesterday to escape from Tallinn,
where she had been interned.
Short batteries and Estonian
warships were said to have tried
to halt the craftD
Foreign military experts estimated
the Soviet Union has at least O.
100000 soldiers on her western front
and that 100000 to 100000 are in
action in Poland-all under the di-
rection of 58-year-old Marshal
Klementi E. Voroshiloff, war COM
missar