Evening star. [volume], September 19, 1939, Page A-3, Image 3

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Swift Attacks Dissipate Stories of Nazi Army Deficiencies
-fl.
Strategy Is Termed
Superior to That
In World War
British Military Leaders
Convinced Mechanized
Arm Has Speed
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 19.—Military men
in London today drew from the
first two weeks of the Polish cam
paign some of the initial lessons
of the 1939 war as Polish resistance
crumbled before German and Soviet
Ru*ian armies.
They said they included:
1. The mechanized arm of the
German army proved itself capable
of swift, sure advances. The legend,
carefully cultivated after the Aus- :
trian invasion, of its structural de- \
ficiencies has been dissipated. The
speed with which its forces took
military objectives was staggering
in comparison with similar attacks
in Spain's civil war.
2. Afforded every opportunity by
the rolling, dry terrain of Poland, j
the mechanized forces nevertheless
had to be followed by cavalry and
infantry, the former arm was espe
cially useful in moving speedily to
positions already stormed by tanks
and armored cars.
3. It was established that aerial
bombardment is a most effective
weapon against the preparation of
counter-attacks in open country
and that the air strength of war
ring powers must be somewhere
near equal if the war is to be fought
. on anything like even terms.
i _ re l — :i,U
ururiai •
They said that to these points !
must be added three observations
on a broader scale.
First, that the German general
staff appears more flexible and
adaptable in strategy than in 1914.
Second, that the sweep through
Poland might have oeen accom
plished in a week had the Poles
not exhibited desperate bravery j
throughout.
Thirdly, that the downfall of the
Polish Armies was accomplished as !
much through the superior—often |
uncanny—work of the German intel- j
ligenee service as through any other j
agency. I
Speaking of the mechanized arm. I
one neutral officer who fought |
through the World War said:
"I was skeptical of its efficiency !
until the last two weeks. But its
performances, attested by neutrals,
have been prodigious. It performs
today many functions of cavalry in
the 19th century, but it moves faster
than any cavalry, even your Jeb
Stuarts, ever moved.
"Of Inestimable Value."
“If the Maginot Line is ever
broken," the same officer continued,
‘‘this mechanized arm will be of in
estimable value even in the rougher
terrain of the western front. It may
be early to make the prediction, but
I believe that in mechanized col
umns, such as the German, the
World War advantage of the defense ]
over the offense in casualties has
been adjusted."
Although the advancing Germans
used cavalry to follow' tanks and
armored cars into new positions in
Poland, observers pointed out this
was made possible by the character
of the country.
‘‘In the rugged terrain of Western
Europe these same cavalry divisions
would be slowed down to the pace
of infantry.” said one, "but cavalry
always will be useful over such
ground.”
* British Army
(Continued From First Page.)
a member of a battalion, if he hap
pened to be assigned to the infan
try, The American system differed
only in minor details from the Brit
ish, In this battalion there were
eight companies, each w’ith a cap
tain and a varied assortment of
lieutenants. There were—British
figures—1.008 men under command
of a colonel. They were arranged
in squads and platoons. They went
marching down the road in unbro
ken columns of fours, the colonel
and the colors at the head. Every
man carried a rifle, for which he
was individually responsible.
Victims of Science.
In the course of the war two or
more battalion machine guns were
* admitted Veteran colonels and ser
geants were the grudging victims of
science. They regarded the inno
vation as another Hun atrocity.
Today, quoting from Co], J. K.
Dunlop, late adjutant general of the
Territorial Army, the recruit “would
find himself marching in threes,
three sections to a platoon, three
platoons to the company. He would
be in a world of threes. No longer
would the emphasis be alone on the
rifle and bayonet. Each battalion
would have in its organization light
machine guns, anti-tank rifles, two
- inch mortars and three-inch mor
tars. While the strength of the bat
talion has been greatly reduced,
he would find headquarters unit"—
remember the foul names that used
to be applied to fellows lucky enough
to punch typewriters, etc., in head
quarters?—“swollen until it reached
almost one-third the strength of the
battalion, including such innova
tions as a carrier platoon, a pioneer
platoon, and a large signal action.
He would find that the macnine gun
had left the ordinary rifle battalion
and that special machine-gun bat
talions had been formed. He W’ould
find that, within the divisional or
ganization, there were such units as
anti-tank regiments, royal artillery
and batteries of anti-aircraft guns.
Much of Technique Gone.
"If he were a field gunner he
would find that the traditional bat
tery had completely disappeared,
, and that with the disappearance has
gone much of the technique of old
time gunnery, n place of the bri
gade, there is now the field regiment
of 24 guns, divided into two bat
teries, and each battery into three
new-style four gun troops. He
W'ould, no doubt, be astonished to
find a new generation that had never
driven a picketing peg or groomed a
horse. However much his sentiment
might make him regret the disap
pearance of the well-turned-out
team and the jingle of harness, he
W’ould be the first to admit the
greater facilities for training given
by the adoption of mechanical trans
port and the obvious advantages
which motors give.”
Don’t gamble your life to win a
minute.
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^ 1988
IS POLAND TO BE SPLIT UP THIS WAY?—Heavy dotted north-and-south line on this map in
dicates the manner in which Poland may be split between Germany and Russia, according to
Berlin sources. These indicate the Germany Army may halt along a line from Lwow to Brest
Litovsk to Bialystock, with all territory east of that line to be Russian—unless Lithuania Is per
mitted to retake its former capital, Wilno. Map also shows how Poland was pieced together
after 1918 and the sources of each area. Reports were that the best the Poles could hope for
was a possible protectorate, with Warsaw as the capital—possibly a “buffer state between the
areas claimed by Germany and Russia. A- p- Wirephoto.
This Changing World
England and France Expected to Reject
Terms That End Poland's Sovereignty
By CONSTANTINE BROWN.
Poland is down but not out. This
is the tenor of all dispatches re
ceived from Europe in the last 48
hours.
Whatever weakening of the heart
may occur among some French and
the British leaders, it seems a fore
gone conclusion that both countries
will see this fight to an end. how
ever much the odds are against
them at this time.
The most influential man in the
British cabinet now is dynamic
Winston Churchill, who more than
any other British politician has the
full confidence of the people. He is
one of those men who are trouble
makers in ordinary times, but essen
tial in a crisis.
Unless our representatives and ob
servers abroad are completely deaf
and blind, it appears from their re
ports that the chances of Britain
and France accepting any peace
terms in which the real sovereignty
of Poland is not restored will be
turned down cold by the allied gov
ernments. The Poles have been di
vided three times before, yet they
have maintained their nationality
intact. They are out of the run
ning at the present time—just as the
Belgians were in 1914, the Serbs in
1915 and the Rumanians in 1918.
Some 50.000 who are in France at
present will be incorporated in the
French army as a Polish army corps
and will continue to fight for their
country from there. But unless'
Britain and France are completely
downed they all believe that Poland
will be revived as an independent
state at the end of the war.
British Won t Repeat Error
The British and the French are
not likely to declare war on Russia
despite the Soviet's unwarranted
aggression against the Poles. The
reason is that the U. S. S. R. can
not be reached by any of the allied
forces. The British are not going
to commit the famous Churchill
error of 1915 when British forces
were sent to the Dardanelles to
rush the straits and force Turkey
to her knees. The idea of sending
an expeditionary force against the
Soviets to the Black Sea has been
in the minds of some amateur
strategists in London, but has never
been given any real consideration
by the general staff. The war, they
said, must be fought in the west
and the decision will be reached
there. t
Betrayal Expected
But the real reason that the Brit
ish government is so mild about
the Russian aggression is that it
expects Stalin to betray the Ger
mans after a while. The British
and French believe there is not an
ounce of honesty and morality in
the Russian government. They
assisted the Germans at the present
time to finish off Poland, but many
things may happen if the war is
protracted. London and Paris be
lieve that by caretui nanaung oi
the Russians they may become a
useful tool in the hands of the
democratic government if and
when the German defenses in the
west begin to crack. This may be
wishful thinking on the part of the
allied diplomats, who heretofore
have done a lot of such thinking
and have been proved utterly
wrong. But considering the men
tality of the Russians they may be
right this time.
Fair Weather Ally
Beyond doubt the Russian forces
will camp in the east and will not
participate in any action in the
west. As long as the German
Armies are victorious the Russians
w’ill shout "Heil Hitler.’ But if
something ever goes wrong with
those armies and the allies show
that they can do more than they
have done so far, it is likely that
the Soviet government may fire tfte
executioner's shot at Hitler just as
they have done to the Poles. These
considerations have determined the
British government merely to “de
plore'’ the action of the Soviet gov
ernment on the eastern front with
out making a casus belli out of it.
Napoleon’s Fate Remembered
Rightly or wrongly Britain seems
disposed to treat the present war
in the same manner it treated the
Napoleonic wars. At that time it
appeared that Britain was fighting
a hopeless battle: that nothing in
the world could possibly down the
French military genius. Every con
tinental nation had to surrender.
Britain W'ent on fighting. Napoleon
had the world at his mercy; yet he
was defeated finally.
It is true that modern warfare
is much different from the type of
war which nations fought 125 years
ago. Airplanes, submarines and
mechanized forces have changed
the aspect of wars. Economic and
social conditions are also totally
different. But, the British say, there
is no poison without an antidote
and in the entire history of the
world there has never been a case
when a man could build an empire
by force alone. He did it temporari
ly, then went down with a bang. The
British believe history repeats it
itself and eventually Hitler will share
the fate of all other conquerors. This
is the fundamental reason why the
British government wants tt> carry
on this fight to the bitter end.
r ....
Nazis' Morale in West
Boosted by Arrival
Of Guns and Planes
French, However, Feel
They Can Cling to
Week's Gains
By the Associated Press.
BASEL, Switzerland. Sept. 19 —
The morale of Germany's West Wall
defenders, as well as their actual
fighting strength, was reported to
day to have been boosted by the ar
rival of captured Polish guns and
other equipment and the allocation
of several thousand warplanes no
longer needed on the eastern front.
The German manpower already
had been increased greatly by a
shift of army divisions from the
east. Alcag the Rhine. Saar and
Moselle River Valleys the German
watchword became:
“We have finished our part in the
Polish campaign: now we will hold
the Siegfried Line against the
French."
The French felt, however, they
had demonstrated their ability to
cling to their gains despite the re
peated counter-attacks and "over
the-top" direct assaults of the last
week.
Breaking down their attack into
a system of infiltration, spearheaded
; by small units, the French had ad
vanced their battle line steadily
through pillbox-guarded advance
posts to a line roughly parallel to
the Siegfried defenses.
Typical of the French forward
movement has been the penetra
tion along the Blies Creek front,
between the rich industrial center
of Saarbruecken—still objective No.
1 of the drive—and Zwiebruecken,
16 miles farther east. There the
boundary runs east and west, and
the French attack is from the south.
Federal Agents Probe
Charge U. S. Liner
Carried Arms
Strike Holds Up Seven
Ships Taking Americans
Out of Europe
By the Associated Pres*.
NEW YORK, Sept. 19.—A striging
seaman’s testimony led Federal au
thorities today to investigate wheth
er the United States liner American
Trader carried arms for foreign ship
ment in its cargo in violation of the
Neutrality Act.
The American Trader and six
other vessels engaged in returning ,
American citizens from Europe have
been held at their piers here by a
strike of sailors demanding $250 ]
bonuses and $25,000 war-risk insur
ance.
John Masek, one of 61 American
Trader crew members being tried by
the Bureau of Marine Inspection
and Navigation for refusing to obey
their skipper's orders to sail last
Friday, testified yesterday he saw
what he thought was ammunition
being loaded onto the vessel.
Masek told Karl ’Nielsen, trial
board chairman, the “ammunition”
was in small boxes carried to the
pier in a truck bearing the legend,
"Winchester Arms.”
"I’ve seen ammunition on this
boat before, and I know what it looks
like,” he added.
Inquiry Ordered.
Ordering an investigation, Mr.
Nielsen said he would turn the case
over to the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation, if Masek’s testimony
were substantiated.
Capt. Harold Miide. master of the
American Trader, said he had not
inspected the cargo personally, but
believed nothing illegal was aboard, j
since otherwise the ship could not
clear customs.
"The United States Government
was satisfied that the manifest com
plied with its orders,” he observed.
Anxious to end the ship tieup here,
the Maritime Labor Board in Wash
ington told representatives of the
National Maritime Union (C. I. O.)
and the ship owners to "go into
conference and stay there” until the
dispute over extra payment for sail- j
ing in war zones is settled.
Senator Reynolds Returns.
Nearly 2,000 passengers, mostly
Americans, arrived from Europe yes
terday on the United States liner
Washington and the American Ship
per.
Aboard the Washington were Rob
ert Montgomery, film star, and his
wife; Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy, wife
of the United States Ambassador to
Great Britain; Republican National
Chairman John D. M. Hamilton,
Fritz Kreisler, the violinist; Thomas
Mann exiled German writer, and
United States Senator Robert R.
Reynolds, Democrat, of North Caro
lina.
Senator Reynolds, in a prepared
statement, urged the United States
to arm so strongly "no nation will
seek a quarrel with us.”
Among 146 passengers on the
American Shipper were 32 crew
members of the torpedoed British
freighter Blair Logie, picked up in
lifeboats 200 miles off the Irish
coast last week.
.22-Caliber Cartridges
Shipped, Firm Reveals
NEW HAVEN. Conn.. Sept. 19
—Robert C. Swanton, assistant sec
retary of the Winchester Repeating
Arms Co., said today that his firm
had a consignment of .22-caliber
cartridges aboard the American
Trader, one of several vessels strike
bound by demands of their crews
for bonuses and war risk insurance.
Mr. Swanton said the shipment,
consigned to London, consisted of
.22-caliber short gallery cartridges
and long sporting rifle cartridges
besides a quantity of flashlights and
batteries.
The Embargo Act. he asserted, ap
plied only to shells over .22-caliber.
One Victim of Quake ^
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19 UP).—
The only casualty of a light earth
quake which jarred Southwest Los
Angeles and Inglewood yesterday
was Homer Hawes, 25. He yelled,
dislocating his jaw.
TOPEKA, KANS. — LANDON
FLOODED WITH CALLS—
Alf M. Landon was busy with
the telephone yesterday, lis
tening to persons giving their
views after he accepted Presi
dent Roosevelt’s invitation to
the White House conference
tomorrow on neutrality prob
lems. “Glad” to confer in
“this serious situation,” Mr.
Landon said.
—A. P. Wirephoto.
Neutrality
(Continued From First Page.)_
of witnessing during this war the
bombing of open towns and villages
and the slaughtering of thousands
of innocent and defenseless men,
women and children.”
The September 1 appeal was
addressed to Germany. Poland,
Great Britain, France and Italy.
The first four replied in the af
fimative. Italy pointed out that
it was not a belligerent nation.)
Similar Allegations.
In his reply to President Moscicki
last night, Mr. Roosevelt pointed out
that similar allegations against the
Germans had been made bv Ameri
can diplomatic officials in Poland.
The Polish charges were being
countered here by a statement of the
German Embassy that retreating
Polish troops had left mustard gas
mines in a bridge at Jaslo. Poland,
resulting in death of two and hos
pitalizing 12 "German pioneers.”
An international convention in 1925
outlawed poisonous gas warfare.
Another development here in the
last 24 hours was the issuance of an
executive order by the President
providing for an increase of 2.000
men in the personnel strength of
the Coast Guard. The increase was
necessitated, it was understood, by
assignment of the Coast Guard to
co-operation with the Navy in an
Atlantic seabord and Panama patrol.
Discussion also continued un
abated on the prospects of amend
ing the Neutrality Act at the special
session. With congressional leaders
of both parties already invited to
tomorrow's White House conference.
Mr. Roosevelt announced yesterday
that Alf M. Landon and Col. Frank
Knox, titular heads of the Repub
lican party, had been invited and
would attend the meeting.
On Capitol Hill, Senator Borah,
Republican, of Idaho, held the spot
light in the pre-convening debate
as he declared the administration's
proposal to repeal the embargo pro
visions of the neutrality law has
lost support In the last two weeks
because of the possibility that war
goods might be shipped from this
country to Germany by way of Rus
sia or Japan.
The administration plan would
allow warring nations to buy sup
plies here if they paid cash and
transported them in their own ships.
It has been believed generally that
British naval power would prevent
Germany's obtaining American sup
plies under such conditions.
Senator Borah expressed the opin
ion that England and France had
been “pulling their punches” on the
western front.
"There is something phoney about
this war,” he said. It would have
been expected, he added, that Bri
tain and France would make their
big attack while Germany and Rus
sia were “engaged in the east.”
Sees Peace Chances Aided.
Senator Borah said he believed the
Russian action in Poland increased
the chances for peace, “but not right
away.” He thought this might come
about through British and French
acceptance of German peace pro
posals after the former had con
cluded “they had discharged their
obligation to Poland.”
On the problem of stabilizing!
the British pound in the New York
market, Secretary of the Treasury
Morgenthau reminded reporters yes
terday of the upsetting effects on
American import-export trade if
foreign currencies are in a state of
constant fluctuation.
He said no Treasury money has
been put into efforts thus far to
maintain the price of the pound,!
quoted recently as low as $3.75 by
contrast with the $4.02 rate set by
the Bank of England and the inter
national parity price of $4.86. He
said he had "a pretty good idea”
that the central banks of some Eu
ropean countries have been among
the heavy sellers, but stopped short
of accusing them of “malicious”
speculation.
The Federal Reserve Bank in
New York has been asked for infor
mation on the currency transactions.
Secretary Morgenthau said.
Policemen Ask Change
PADUCAH. Ky. UP).—A group of
Paducah's night policemen, saying
they had not seen their families
“after dark for years,” petitioned
the board of police commissioners
to shift officers from night to day
duty every 30 days. The board
took the plea under advisement.
Boykin, Rushing
To Special Session,
Fined as Speeder
Ey the Associated Press.
MISSOULA, Mont., Sept. 19 —
Representative Frank W. Boykin,
Democrat, of Alabama, hurrying
home by automobile from
Alaska, was brought before a
justice of the peace yesterday
to explain why he was traveling
in excess of the speed limit
while approaching Missoula.
He explained he had received
President Roosevelt's summons
to a special session of Congress
September 21. The justice, how
ever, advised him to observe the
traffic laws anyway and imposed
a $5 fine.
Mr. Boykin paid and con
tinued his journey.
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