The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-23
M. C. Handler Story
 Of Actions In France
tcontinued From Page D.

Continued The ships were lost In operations of the Dutch coast. In announce ing their loss the navy ministry cited the navy air force for "sub- lime bravery shown May 10 on the land front when they pulveri2ed at close range assigned objectlves at the cost of half their effectives,"
 Thirty-Ave minutes earlier anti- aircraft guns In the Paris area had bazed Into action and it was as- sumed that German raiders had teen seen near the city,
 German alrplaneS are joining heavily in the CambrRi. Valencien- noS battle, a high military inform ant said. The German planes arc diving desperately Into the Allied fighting and communication linos Including the Stuka dive bombers, Allied planes in turn arc bombs ing the German lines and their sup- q)ly roads far to the rear.
 Local engagements were fought In the region between Arras and AmlenS, the informant said, with the French continuing to hold Ar. raS.
 Naxi Artillery Work
 German artillery, it was said, started the extremely violent hght- Ing In the Longuyon, Attigny and Med river sectors, ft was not yet known whether the German fire was Q prelude to an attack in force, pos sibly diversional one to draw Al. lied attention from the reportodly dangerously thin German "wedge'' toward the English Channel coast The military Informant said that it was estimated Germany had lost about 1000 planes on the French front alone since May l0
 There had been plain indications that c gigantic battle was about te open, with perhaps 100000 men involved, In the Sommo valley,
 Supply columns moved steadily toward the front on both sides un. der q hail of bombs and machine gun bullets.
 Wild Fights GO On
 Wild, diSorganiZed fights were go- Ing on at many places, 50 many In such bowildering fashion that tho high commands Of none of tho armies were receiving, for the mos mont, detailed reports which could be collated to give c real picture oi the entire situation.
 Allied authorities said the sltua- ton from their viewpoint was very serious still. But the general tont of comment was decidedly more op- timiStic than it had ben and I seemed certain that again, If only for n short time, the German blitz. krieg had slowed to walking pace.
 There were completely unconnrm' cd reports that the French had re. taken not only Arras but Amieni and Sedan. The authorities, de' tormlned that no false hopes Bhoult Dc aroused by premature claims, de. precated the reports and preferred to await some big development tha might show n general trend in thl fighting.
 Tt did seem clear now, however that SO far whatever grip the Ger mans had obtained on the channe coast at the mouth of the Somml was a weak one, grip exerted by [ handful of motorcycle specialist who spent much of their time dart ing about from place to place, mos Of the time back and forth between the Abbevillc and Amiens regions.
 No More Withdrawals
 Further, it was apparent that tn, main body of the French army has ceased all important withdrawals It was firmly entrenched along tn, south banks of the Somme ans Aisne rivers all the way from Amiens 65 miles north Of Paris, to Mont medy, on the Maginot line.
 One expert suggested that now 1 was simply question of small, pow erful German mobile forces openinI a number of corridors in which the! themselves were really engulfet among French forces.
 Premier Paul Reynaud and hi war cabinet decided today that n, further civilian evacuations shal take place without written order from the high command.
 No civil servants or others thar those who left Paris by order at tn, start of the war may leave the capi tai from now on.
 With the exception of shadow fac tories being set up elsewhere no in dustrial units may leave.
 200 Maxi Spies Arrested
 The newspaper Excelsior said to day that British, French and Bel gian countcr-s spies had arrested nor, than 200 German spies who allegedl, had revealed the Allied defense plan and had helped demoralIzc civilian morale at the start Of the klitz krieg.
 The German spies, operating prin cipally in Belgium, were said to hay revealed to the German high com mand the Allied plan to meet tn German tank invasion through tn frightened they never do anythinI but play cricket, football, hopscotcl and tennis.
 "The kaiser made the mistake O friQhtening the English and no,