Evening star., 1940-05-13
Paris
Continued From First Page)

again and bringing down a total
OF II Nazi planes during the night.
A War Ministry spokesman an
nounced that Edouard Daladier
member of the war cabinet and
Minister of National Defense, ar
rived in Belgium yesterday.
The spokesman said the French
War Minister, accompanied by high
British and French officials, was
received by King Leopold III of Bel
gium and visited outposts along the
Belgian-French frontier.
He also said the action in which
French advance guards were back
ing up the Belgians in their fight
against tremendous German thrusts
in the Tongres region and the Bel
gian Ardennes was the prelude to
a gigantic battle which might be ex-
pected in the next day or two, when
the main body of the allied forces
will be in position.
German Division Stopped.
On the French main front, a full
German division was stopped in an
attack east of the Moselle River, the
spokesman said. In the Ohrenthal
salient of the Forbach region, French
outpost forces dropped back to their
first line of fortified positions when
the Germans charged after heavy
artillery preparations. The French
and Germans also were at grips
along the French -Luxembourg
frontier.
A French armored car unit stopped
q German column in the Tongres
region yesterday as the Germans
sought to press on to the west after
capturing the Dutch city of
Maastricht. Tongres is 10 miles
west of Masstricht.
Allied planes subjected the Ger
man rear lines to heavy lombard
ment.
Courage of Troops Praised.
A War Ministry communique
praised "the magnificent courage"
Of the allied soldiers.
Everywhere our conveys of troops
and war material are moving for
ward in impeccable order and with
perfect regularity" it said.
British military sources reported
the capture of German parachutists
who succeeded in landing very far"
behind the lines. The French press
called upon the population of the
Paris and other regions to ward off
danger from parachutists.
Although authorized French cir
cles expressed an opinion that there
Is no immediate likelihood of Ital-
ian entry into the war, the closest
watch is being kept.
In regard to the Netherlands East
Indies. it was said there was no
thought Of any attempt by the al
lies to give military protection to
the rich colony of the Netherlands
80 long as Japan does not threaten.
French circles said they were ia
vorably impressed by the United
States attitude toward maintenance
Of the status quo there.
French dispatches expressed con-
fidence the German drive could be
checked now that the main allied
forces were entering the lines.
Advance guards of the French
columns which dashed into Belgium
Friday Immediately after the Ger
man invasion already were in con-
tact with the enemy, military dis
patches said.
On the French front, the Germans
shifted their attack from the Vosges
Mountain region to the Warndt
Forest around the central Saar Sec
tor, but the main lines appeared
unchanged
Voluntary departure from Paris
again was under way as in the first
days of the war, last September
About one-third of the city's usua
population of 3,000,000 already were
in the country. and many more
were following.
The closing hour for cafes, restau.
rants and theaters in Paris wa.
changed from midnight to II pm.
Developments Of the last few day.
left no doubt that the German
parachute forces who drop behine
the lines have become a major factol
In modern warfare.
The allies answer to the mas