Evening star., 1940-05-17
Invaders Pocket
Reaches Rethel
East of Paris
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PARIS, May 17-Adolf Hitler's
swift armored units have driven 30
miles into France to battlefield
about 100 miles northeast of Paris,
but French military spokesmen in
sisted today they considered the
situation still Gin hand"
Three great battles are raging
one in the German bulge toward
Paris in the Rethel region SOUTH
west of Sedan, another south OF
Sedan, and the third in Belgium.
where the Germans are thrusting
toward Brussels, with Louvain, l6
miles east of the Belgian capital, the
main scene of conflict.
Declare pocket" Surrounded.
The French high command ad-
mitted that German mechanical
units had reached the region north
of Rethel, 100 miles from Paris, but
a military spokesman said the
pocket" formed by this drive was
being surrounded by French
mechanical forces.
The French spokesman said the
Rethel pocket" ran from near Sc
dan, its northeastern end, to the
neighborhood of Rethel, 80 miles
southwest, and then back to the
Sambre River, its northwestern ex-
tremity.
The point where the outline Of
the pocket" joined the Sambre was
not given, but the river runs east
ward through part of France and
into Belgium, where it joins the
Meuse River at Namur.
Military authorities reported sew
eral air bombings OF outlying districts
of Nancy today, but said casualties
were slight. In the "a hours up to
early evening, 22 air raid alarms
were sounded in the Nancy region.
Battle Spectacular.
A spectacular battle continued
through its third day in Northern
France, where the French said that
at least for the moment they had
halted the German drive toward
Paris.
It was battle of swiftly attacking
columns of tanks and armored cars
and the mass use Of aviation, with
no tendency yet to settle into the
World War style of fixed lines.
The Germans, after see-Saw fight
ing that lasted throughout last
night, launched new attack at
dawn today. simultaneously, they
attacked the British and Belgian
lines north of the Sambre. (Here
six words were censoredo
Fight Extremely Violent
Meanwhile War Ministry
spokesman said fighting south of
Sedan was extremely violent" dur
ing the night, with villages chang
ing hands as many as five or six
times.
In view of the grave developments
British Prime Minister Churchill
flew to Paris from London yesterday,
accompanied by military experts, for
an urgent conference with French
leaders.
French Premier Reynaud, Gener-
Alissimo Maurce Gustave Gamelin,
commander in chief of the British
and French forces; Mr.. Churchill,
French National Defense Minister
Daladier and others were together
for hours formulating campaign
plans.
It was not formal session of the
Supreme War Council, though it
brought together its principal men,
bers.
Heartened by Roosevelt.
President Roosevelt's special mes
sage to Congress on national de-
tense, in which among other things
he asked Congress not to take any
action which would hamper or de-
lay delivery of American-made
planes to foreign nations which
have ordered them or may order
them, came at a time when the
allies are hard pressed and hao
what the press and public commen,
(Coa pADTC pace A7N