Evening star., 1940-06-18
) French Generals
'Assassinated, > Claim
Of Embassy Attache
Count de Chombrun
Attributes Killings
To Parachute Troops

Three French generals were "as-
sassinated" in their own headquar-
ters by German parachute troops
during the Battle of Flanders.
which the Nazis won largely by
"flfth-column" activities. Count
Rene de Chamburn said here yes
terday.
The count, a nephew of the late
Speaker Longworth, descendant of
La Fayette and honorary citizen of
the United States, came here re-
Gently as assistant military attache
at the French Embassy after serv-
ing as liason officer between the
French Army and the British FIX
peditionary Force in Flanders.
He declined to name the three
generals killed by parachutists, but
said he knew the incidents to be
a fact, comparing the French Army
to prize fighter who discovers
after the first round that his oppo-
nent is using brass knuckles.
Sees Allied Victory.
Count de Chambrun emphasized
confidence that the British Empire,
helped by American material aid,
will win the war against Germany
and Italy so that the thousands of
French soldiers, sailors, flyers and
civilians killed by the Nazis will not
have died in vain.
French resistance, by delaying and
weakening the German war ma
chine, has given Britain time to
expand her armies and get ready to
Outright the totalitarian powers, he
declared. The morale of the French
people, he added. lis still intact"
Trained at st. Cyr, the West Point
of France, Count de Chambrun, a
captain of infantry, enjoys Ameri-
can citizenship as direct male de-
scendant of the Marquis de La
fayette. Arriving in New York by
Clipper plane last week he was a
guest of the President on his week
end cruise down the Potomac.
AS liaison officer between the
French Army and the 10 divisions
in the British Expeditionary Forces,
Count de Chambrun spent % days
in Flanders and had an opportunity
to study the methods used by Hitler's
army. They were the most amazing
methods of warfare" he said, lever
resorted to by any army" He de-
scribed employment of fifth column
technique
"We did not fight the same war as
the Germans, nor use the same
methods" he said. when our
troops moved into Belgium, every
man thought he was going to fight
at the front Soon we found that
the biggest part of the battle was
behind us.
Panic Slows Troops.
CAS- soon as I entered Belgium
| discovered that fifth column agents
were in every village, spreading
panic and encouraging the inhabi-
tants to flee. AS result, our divi-
sions found every road and village
blocked with refugees. This rem
dered almost impossible every mill
tary movement.
Behind every billboard advertis-
ing certain products we found q
map of Belgium. placed there by
fifth columnists the day before the
invasion of that country by the
German Army. We discovered also
that German soldiers were hidden
in many of the carts carrying ref
| Tho f4 NJ ~,
our troops with machine guns from
the rear. Military telephone lines
were cut by spies hidden among the
masses of refugees. Fifth columnists
supplied with fuel the mechanical
divisions which crossed the Belgian
Ardennes. Throughout the whole
campaign I had the impression that
the enemy was behind me, and moi
in front"
Britain is further from bein,
beaten today than she was wher
Napoleon, master of most of Europ,
more than century ago, planned it
conquest.
Sees Cause Salvaged.
Speaking as a liaison officer with
the British army" Count de Cham.
brun said, II have complete faith IL
the British Empire. German avia'
tion has suffered terrible losses. Tn,
Nazi and Italian navies, in m!
opinion, don't stand a chanc,
against the British home fleet. Tn,
resistance of France has giver
Britain an opportunity to get read!
and expand her armies. Britain i
now producing the best airplanes
When I left Dunkerque I saw 81,
British Defiant planes bring dowr
20 German Henkels, without suffer.
ing loss.
with such assistance as thu
United States can give Britain vii
save herself, and the cause for which
we have been fighting"
just as earlier, the German mill
tary power was generally underesti
mated, so today, Count de Cham
brun declared. there is tendenc,
to overestimate that power.