Evening star., 1940-05-13
Germans Risking All
TOWN War Quickly,
British Believe
Allied Public Prepared
For News Of Certain
Withdrawals

For News Of Certain
Withdrawals
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 13.-An authorita-
tive British source said today that
the main German attack on the
Lowlands was developing as expected
and was attempting to drive a wedge
between the Belgian and Dutch
Armies.
There were many indications, not
necessarily military, this British
source said, that the Nazis will
stake almost everything in an at
tempt to win this war quickly"
Britons were urged not to be
disheartened when they hear OF
certain Withdrawals and should not
| be unduly pessimistic," he said, in
emphasizing that reports for the
next few days would be obscure,
scarce and often inaccurate.
Information regarding para
chutists in Rotterdam and The
Hague, he said, was obscure and
frequently contradictory.
Charges Allied Uniforms Worn.
German parachutists, he said, all
are very highly trained in offensive
technique and armed to the teeth"
He charged that they were chosen
for ruthlessness and wore allied
uniforms, civilian clothes, police
and postal uniforms and even
womens dresses.
This source said the parachutists
were very we'll informed about the
localities in which they landed and
instances were reported in the
Netherlands of their going directly
to addresses of German sympa-
thizers.
He asserted the number of Ger
man planes destroyed in air COM
bats, by anti-aircraft and on the
ground were believed to exceed 200.
The number included number OF
Messerschmitt fighters shot down by
the Royal Air Force, he said.
Denies 20 Spitfires Downed.
He denied there was any truth IN
a German claim that 20 British spit
fires had been shot down, saying
only that one of that type had been
damaged. German claims were
widened today in report Of DNB,
official German news agency, that
36 Spitfires had been shot down
In the Netherlands this morningo
The Air Ministry announced q
series of successful bombing at
tacks' by the Royal Air Force dur
ing the night on the Waalhaven
Airdrome, near Rotterdam, which
German forces occupied on their in
vasion of the Netherlands, lost on
Saturday and then recaptured.
The Air Ministry also announced
that the air force had attacked
German communication lines be-
tween the Rhine and Dutch frontier
and heavily bombed" troops ad-
vancing in East Belgium.
Canal Defenses Pierced.
Reports from Belgium said the
Germans had pierced the Albert
Canal defenses at Maastricht and
were threatening to repeat the story
of their 1914 drive through the little
country.
Partly ofsetting the adverse news
was British communique which
reported that the Royal Air Force
had shot down approximately 100
German planes over the week end
and had helped check the Nazi push
by bombing lines of communica-
ton.
British general headquarters said
the successful advance of the Brit
ish expeditionary force into Belgium
in conjunction with French forces
lis continuing as planned" and added
that British mechanical forces had
won an edge in initial skirmishes
with the Germans on the Belgian
(5ront.
Minelayer Lost.
On the debit side of the ledger
was an admiralty announcement
yesterday that the undersea mine
layer Seal was missing and presumed
lost. The Seal, which normally car
ried IS men, was the eighth British
Submarine officially acknowledged
lost.
The drive to step up the British
war effort was accompanied by
swift action to forestall any Ger
man attempt to invade England
from the air with the aid of fifth
column" activity.
Acting on orders from the home
Office, Scotland Yard rounded up
more than 5000 Germans and
Austrians living in 20 east coast
countries and turned them over to
military authorities for internment
in concentration camps.
Police said that a number of in
nocent aliens undoubtedly would
have to suffer as a result of the
roundup, but that the government
could not take a chance on missing
any potential fifth columnists.'
Every male alien between 16 and
80 living in coastal areas was Or
dered to report daily to the police
They were forbidden to use private
motor vehicles or bicycles and must
stay indoors from 8 pm. to 6 am.
Preparations were made mean
while to shelter the stream of ref
ugees which, began arriving here
yesterday from Belgium and Hol-
land.
Twenty of London's % boroughs
were designated as reception centers
and the government took over the
Wembley Sports Arena as q tenn
porary shelter.
IA Vnlorn EaaL:nr .xRS