Evening star., 1940-05-22
Successes Spur British Hope Of Stemming Nazis

population Of Paris. many Of whom
already were streaming ont Of the
capital to seek safety in the south.
Military officials described the sit
uation in the battle zone as highly
confused, with allied and German
troops mingling in a general melee.
Expanding on the recapture OF Ar
ras, War Ministry spokesman said
that the German troops which had
entered the town consisted only of
motor cycle detachments. These,
the spokesman said. were dislodged
from the station and several other
points where they gained . foothold.
The, French declared that they
still were holding out at Cambria,
approximately IS miles northeast of
Amiens and 20 miles east of Arras.
Fighting was reported in many
other sections tar behind the adj.
vance positions to which the fast
moving German mechanical coll
umns penetrated yesterday.
Task to Close Breach.
The immediate task facing Gen.
Weygand is to close the breach in
the allied lines through which the
Germans swept westward along the
Somme Valley before the Nazis
can rush sufficient reinforcements
through the hole to consolidate their
positions.
The situation was complicated by
the speed with which the armored
German units famed out in all di-
rections after their break through,
striking at unexpected places, put
ting the torch to towns and desolat-
ing the countryside.
The Germans were said to be
dropping parachute troops and Ger
man bombing planes kept up con-
tinual, harassing attack, smashing
at allied lines of communication and
troop concentrations.
The French charged that the
German planes attacked many non
military objectives. bombing defense
less hamlets and strafing refugees on
the open highways.
Faith Held in Weyxand.
Despite the admitted gravity of
the situation, which threatened to
isolate England and cut of hun
dreds of thousands of allied troops
fighting in Belgium, there was no
indication of Official lack of faith in
Gen. Weygand's ability to save the
nation
The British Expeditionary Force
was said to be bearing the brunt of
the fighting in the coastal sector,
fighting with rifles and machine
guns against the power of Nazi
mechanical forces in a last ditch
stand to keep them from gaining a
foothold on the channel
Already the Germans have pene-
trated farther westward than at any
time in the World War.
The fate of Gen. Giraud. COM
mander of the Meuse River sector.
who was reported yesterday by the
Germans to have been captured, re-
mained uncertain.
A war Ministry spokesman said
he could neither confirm nor deny
the report, but it was understood
that some members of Gen. Giraud, s
staff had been taken prisoner.
Women to Be Enlisted.
The Ministry Of National Defense
meanwhile, announced plan to en-
list women between 81 and SIS years
OF age as army auxiliaries. They
will assist the work of cor,c ond
regimental stats, the quartermaster
service, transportation service and
Medical Corps and will be paid on
the same basis as women already
employed in munitions factories.
Paris itself was a strange COM
bination of normal gaiety and anx-
iety as reports from the front in
dicated the Germans were less than
70 miles from the capital.
Along the boulevards, sidewalk
cafes last night were full of people
slipping coffee or champagne.