Evening star., 1940-06-17
Iron Jaws Of, German Advance
Close on A|soce and Lorraine;
PoiIus Abandon Moginot Line
Retreoting Force
Fighting Fierce
Reorguord Action
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BASEL, June 1.-THE iron Jaws
of the German Armies were clos
ing today around the French
provinces of AlSace and Lorraine,
attempting to take in a single
bite one of the greatest fortified
systems the world has ever
known-the famed Maginot Line.
Reports reaching here from
the battle front indicated that
the French, who virtually aban-
doned the Maginot defenses yes
terday under the threat of en-
circlement, had Snatched their
troops out of the German Jaws
literally in the nick of time.
The French forces were reported
engaged in fierce rear-guard action
as they withdrew, pressed by mo-
torized Nazi columns plunging to-
ward the Swiss frontier through the
Jura Mountains.
Some of the German units were
reported to have already reached
the famous wine center of Dole, in
the heart of Northern Burgundy,
only so miles by air from the Swiss
border.
Skeleton Force In Line.
The retiring French troops. con-
sisting of fresh reserve divisions.
were reported holding the Germans
there while a skeleton force left in
the Maginot Line put up stiff re-
sistance against attackers.
Nevertheless the German thrust
deep into Eastern France seemed
to indicate that the famed lost
provinces" of Alsace and Lorraine
were destined to be lost again.
Although the Maginot forts were
constructed with a 360-degree de-
fense petentialEthat is they were
designed to resist fire from all
sides-they would be of little use If
severed from Frances main fight
ing forces by the German encircling
movement.
It appeared to military observers
here that Gen. Maxine Weygand,
Allied commander in chief, had
acted not an hour too soon in order
ing the withdrawal of most of the
Maginot defenders.
Nazi mechanized units which shot
down into Burgundy through the
high Langres plateau were spread
ing out like star shells. along the
route and were being followed up by
motorized infantry The swathe cut
into French territory was being
widened yesterday as the day wore
on.
Bridgehead Expanded.
Along the Rhine Valley, where the
Maginot forts were weakened by the
French withdrawal, the Germans
expanded their bridgehead at Neuf
Breisach into a real front, backed
with pontoon bridges across which
motorized units raced.
Some of these units already have
fought their way along the Vosges
road via Munster Pass. If they can
establish connection with the Ger
man forces driving southwark from
Verdun the greater part of Alsace-
Lorraine and the Maginot forts will
be cut off.
The Nazis have still another ace
in the hole-the lower German
column aimed toward the Swiss
frontier in the Jura.
The troops pulled out of the Magi-
not Line by Gen. Weygand were
reported joining the assembling east
ern army in the Besancon region,
where they are preparing for what
military men called the battle of
Burgundy.
The German goal in this battle,
they said, would. be to join hands
with Italy and, as a neutral source
described it, take Mussolini by the
hand and lead him to the RhoAe
Valley"
The French goal would be to try
to save the republic by a stand on
the Besancon-Doubs line. After
Doubs the only alternative would
be to fall back on the Alps just south
OF Geneva.
Swiss Feel Lack of Activity.
The inhabitants of Basel, accus-
toned to being awakened during the
night by artillery exchanges along
the Rhine, felt something unusual
was afoot by the lack of activity
over the week end.
During Saturday night and yes
terday morning the dull booms of
on the French side of the
Rhine replaced the customary thun-
der of the heavy guns. A burst OF
flame which rose at one time be-
hind the French lines led Basel
residents to believe a munitions
dump had been fired by the retreat
ing troops.
Refugees again became a problem |
as the withdrawal was begun.
Swiss authorities at border can
,ons such as Bern, Vaud and Geneva |
(See BASEL, Page A-3.)