Evening star., 1944-08-26

the northeast and only 10 miles from
the Rhine.
The London News Chronicle car
ried an unofncial and unconfirmed
report that the Americans were at
the cathedral city Of Reims, IS miles
northeast Of Paris and Is miles
north of the Marne. The London
Herald said q German DNB agency
broadcast had reported the Ameri-
cans were In Reims. Major listen
ing posts in London. including the
Associated Press, did not record
such a statement from DNB.
The speed of the American ad-
vance. coupled with word of a gen.
eral German withdrawal north of
Sens, suggested that Marshal Guen-
ther Won Kluge had no forces to
risk against the American spear
head short Of the Marne River-if
there.
Supreme headquarters has re-
vealed that the Americans were on
or across the Seine most of the ITS
miles from Elbeuf to Troyes.
At their bridgeheads at Nantes, 80
miles northwest of Paris, and the
others southeast of Paris, the
Americans were barely 100 miles
from the Belgian border and the
Germans stolen provinces of Alsace-
Lorraine.
The Somme- -Marne River line
along which the retreating Germans
might attempt stand extends from
the mouth of the Somme River, on
the English Channel midway be-
tween Dieppe and Boulogne, south
eastward for about $50 miles to the
uplands Of the Haute Marne De-
partment.
Such a position would touch the
vicinity Of Abbeville, continue
through Amiens, Peronne and Ham
on the Somme, then drop southwark
about so miles to the Marne some
where in the region between Chateau
Thierry and Epernay.
At the German border itself the
Nazis have the Siegfried Line, Hit
ler's old west wall facing France.
Madrid dispatch quoted a radio
message received in the Spanish
capital as saying more than 10000
foreign laborers were working night
and day under Nazi overseers in an
effort to strengthen the Siegfried
Line.
In his order of the day Gen
Eisenhower said:
"The elimination of the German
7th Army as a fighting entity has
decided the battle of France. The
survivors of the Normandy battle
and a handful of German divisions
north of the Seine can at best fight
series Of delaying actions on their
retreat into Germany.
"The areas in which you live are
already today in the rear area OF
military operations. Very soon they
may become a theater of war.
Heavy Aerial Blows.
'Tn view Of these facts I give you
the following notice:
"One: The rear communications
of the remnants Of the German
Army retreating into Germany will
be subjected to bombing rs devas-
tating as that which preceded and
accompanied the Allied campaign in
Normandy. The people Of Alsace
Lorraine, and of the Duchy Of Lux
embourg are hereby warned that
every one who lives or works in the
vicinity Of road, rail and canal COM
munications, Of military depots
camps or factories working for the
Na1 war machine, must from now
on reckon that they may be exposed
to high-level or low-level air attack
ct any hour of the day or night
Take al precautions TO protect your
self.
1.-TWO: The Germans may attempt
to force you to build emergency
earthworks and fortifcations. Such
constructions will be areas Of special
danger. Therefore, In order to pre-
vent useless civilian casualties, keer
away from them. take refuge In the