Evening star., 1944-08-24

mored Division and some American
units were reported to have entered
the city today.
Gen. Koenig said the German
commandant in the French capital
tried to stall the fate of his troops
by asking for an armistice
1t was understood from other
sources that he sought thus to gain
temporary safe conduct for the with
drawal through Paris of German
troops which still were in action
against American forces in an arc
west of the city.
Refused Armistice Plea.
The French said they refused and
fought 1t out and won.
There still was no ofIicial word of
the total number Of Germans cap
tured, but on the basis of the thou
sand taken on the first day-before
the German stand began to break
the bag might have been consid-
erable.
The text Of Gen. Koenig's COM
munique:
Following orders ior 4 gene, al
uprising on August 10. strikes be-
came general and the Germans pa
raded the streets with tanks and
fired into crowds, killing many
civilians.
Very soon guerrilla fighting was
going on over the city. Particularly
heavy fighting took place in the
areas of the Hotel de Vile ,the
City Hall, the Island Of the Cite.
between the Place St. Michele and
Pantheon, between the Place Den
fert-Rochereau and the Gobelins
between Porte dOrleans and Uni
versity City and in the area be-
tween the Place de Ia Republique
and the East Station.
Big Progress First Day.
an the first days fighting a dozen
heavy tanks were destroyed and
more than 1000 prisoners were
taken, as we'll as a large number
of wea pons, including antitank guns
During the next night and day
the occupation of public buildings
proceeded rapidly and during Sum-
day night the enemy Withdrew from
certain positions.
negotiations for an armistice and
offered to recognize the FIJI as COM
oatants.
In one action during Sunday
and Monday 400 Patriots entrenched
IN the Boulevard st. Michel de-
stroyed 10 tanks, four armored We
hicles, 81 lorries and II other cars.
They inflicted heavy losses on the
Germans"
Forces Otherwise Occupied.
Hal Boyle. Associated Press cor
respondent with the American
armies driving beyond Sens toward
the German border, said in a field
dispatch that the Americans could
have entered Paris at will during
the last few days, but that 1t. Gen.
George S. Patton's forces were more
concerned with the task of chopping
the Germans to pieces.
Roughly one-third of France, 2l2,-
500 square miles, has been liberated
by the Allied armies and the FIJI
and the last vestige of the Vichy
government of Pierre Laval has dis
appeared ss a political force.
Edward Kennedy. Associated Press
correspondent in Southern France
where American and French troops
already have captured Marseille
said the French now appear united
as they never were in peacetime. >
He said there was little on the sur
face to support oft-heard predic-
tions that liberation of France
would be followed by civil war.
The German Ambassador to Swift
zerland was reported by the secret
German-language station radio At
lantik last night to nave asked the
Swiss government for asylum for
Laval. There was no confirmat ton
elsewhere of the broadcast report,
heard by NBC.
Laval. Chief of Government in
the Vichy regime, was last reported
to be virtually q prisoner OF the
Nazis in Belfort. 3.