The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-06-17

fiioI's W supply ''t "h'' WV"
planes and munitions so long as
the French army continues TO
s.. resist the German forces.
Mr.. Roosevelt's message was
cabled To Reynaud In reply to
the latter's final desperate"
appeal for more planes, guns and
war equipment Of all kinds.
Mr.. Roosevelt also assured
Reynaud that the United States
would not recognize any con-
quest of French territory.
BY EDWARD w. BEATTIE, JR.
United Press staff Correspondent
WITH THE BRITISH EAfE-
DITION AIRY FORCE IN
FRANCE - Great Britain's expe-
dictionary force has been compelled
to change its tactical plans radio
ally because of the abandonment
of Paris, but it is prepared to fight
on under changed conditions with
its basic plans unaltered, l was
informed Saturday.
have seen and talked to men
who have been fighting for three
weeks against seemingly impos-
sible odds and who, here resting
for a few days, are ready to return
and fight again, no matter what
the odds may be.
The French decision to abandon
Paris creates a score of ready
made bridgeheads across the Seine,
where there had been a ready-made
fortress buttressing the rivers
middle reaches.
1t left the entire front positions
Friday night in an admittedly fluid
condition.
am informed here at Brit
ish general headquarters that
the British evolutionary force
is prepared TO meet changed
conditions with an unchanged
plan of operation.
This name cenSored) t01cn
is eloquent of the confusion
of acar. It's residents are sub
merqed beneath q mass of
refugees. Who left northern
France in tdtterdemalion
haste, and hundreds Of staff
officers.
Everybody has asked through
out the day, residents, refugees,
officers and men, what the United
States is going to do in answer to
Premier Paul Reynaud's appeal to
President Roosevelt.
The answer is still unknown
rs 1 write. But the news Is
filtering through that the
creation of an open city In
the Paris region. whether
necessitated by the breaking
through Of the Germans along
the lower reaches OF the Seine
or because of sentimental at
tachment to the most beauti-
full city in the world, has
radically changed strategic
plans.
Where this new British expe-
dictionary force. an expeditionary
force made up of that part OF the
old one which did not go to
Flanders and the new one that is
pouring across the English channel
to the fighting lines, will end up
nobody knows.
But however small II IL
there is evidence on all sides
that this expeditionary force
has proved its mettle, as did
the Flanders army In its with
drawal from Belgium 10 Dun
kirk.
I visited Friday afternoon 3
British light tank unit just return
ed from three weeks Of catch-as-
catch-ean fighting against the
spesrhead Of the German attack.
This unit. once a crack cavalry
regiment. has been doing seeming
~ impossible tasks in an about
fight. far removed from the re-
connaissance and skirmishing work
Y was supposed 10 do.
found the men Of this unit
still cleaning their guns and
their faces, and already one
of them, his face washed and
his gun clean, was stroiiing
along the river bank with a
long fishing pole of the type
which French fishermen hold
for hours withOut-so far as
anyone has ever known -
4 catching a fish.
They went through the fighting
st Amiens. al Abbeyille and at
ROuen before they crossed the
Seine last Sunday They are tired
but they are ready to 60 back,
knowing what they face.