The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-22

but we have yet to meet the body of the enemy" he said.
 T can imagine our forward march being halted for while now, and that the next few days will see hard fighting, for Weygand (the Allied commander in chief, Gen. Maxine WeyganO will surely give orders to every man to stand his ground.
 Talks With Hitler
 Reichenau said he talked frequent ly with Adolf Hitler by telephone, and gave Hitler periodic reports on troop movements.
 "He is not only the political but the military leader of the German people in the full sense of the word" Relchenau said of Hitler.
 Germany has no illusions about this war, Reichenau said, and is in- dulging in no unjustifiable cele- hrations in advance.
 We know greater battle must come" he explained. We will pre- pare for 1t and win It."
 The German losses since the start of the offensive were less than one- tenth the number of Allied prison- CTS taken, he asserted. He did not give figures. But the Germans have asserted that they had taken be tween 100000 and 10000 prisoners, which would mean German losses of from ii ,000 to 12,000.
 Reichenau said that he and many of those about him had been amazed at the Hack" of air activity by the British, He said he travelled about l25 miles Q day and had yet to see British plane attack. He said that two bombs dropped Monday night near his headquarters but that they were not near enough to wake him.
 British May be Waiting
 "The English might be holding back for Q decisive showdown" he conceded.
 The German air force, he said had been trained carefully for a good many years before it had had practical eXpereince of war.
 Out In front Of the German ar. tillery, I saw the way in which the Germans are trying to cut Allied communications and trap e big AL lied army between Reichenau's army and the Somme valley wedge.
 The British, holding the rear, were striving to keep their positions along the Scheldt river as they fought their way back 10 France and the main Allied armies.
 I could sec plainly the German shells exploding In a road along which the British were retreating,
 From observation posts in their own lines, the British could sec [ ne intending lines of German supplies and achievements moving to the front. The whole business of the Blitzkrleg seemed to be proceeding with perfect timing, without e hitch, machine clicked into place. Every man had a task to do In an appoint ed time and every man seemed so be doing 1t.
 Fight Was Bitter
 On the way from Brussels to the battle zone I saw how bitter must have been the fighting as the Allies stubbornly retreated.
 Tho town of Ath, down by the French border, showed the effects Of c blasting.
 Bridges over the scheldt at Ath had been blown up by the Allies.
 As we passed to the other side of the town, we saw the evidences Of the savage fight that had taken place Sunday between German and British and French tanks.
 Disabled and abandoned tanks strewed the main road oil the way from Leuze to Renaix.
 The bodies of the horses and tho French field guns which had been caught in surprise flank attacks dotted tho fields along the road.
 Tension among the peasants of the smaller towns that had been fought over, obviously had been re- faxed somewhat. Belgians in these parts seemed convinced that for them the war was over, that there would be no Allied counter attack and that their land would not again be overrun again and again by fighting armies.
 There were few smiles to be seen but people were going doggedly back to piece their lives together. The white flags that hung In win- dows when the Germans came are being taken in, cement is being mixed in ruined villages and the children are collecting souvenirs of the war.