Northern Europe Neutralized Jan advantage, especially in these days when it making into Poland is in Silesia where the How Fighting in Poland Goes so important to inform all nations of favour-[Germans are reported to have reached Wielun Britain Declares state of War Able developments before the other side can fen route for Sieradz, and, if they reach that Austratts "Declares State. of War [get in its version and distort the facts. town, they will have penetrated Poland 10 a Britain Forms War Cabinet". distance of about 35 miles. Until further and Majesty Addresses the "Empire more detailed information comes to hand it Shocked by Pateful Nows Allfeg" Wit Abo.
The First Sinking may be assumed that the Germans will not seek 'The first case of civilians to suffer at sea to attack the Poles through Slovakia, for that would mean fighting for the passes' over the from enemy action is that of the Donaldson liner, Athenla, which was torpedoed off the Carpathians, and it. seems more than likely ovat. Navy. Selzes German Liner that the invaders will strike towards Cracow Hebrides and sunk with 1400 souls on board.
US." Neutrality Pledged es. ind points further east for the purpose of turn-Nolen' Under Naval Blockade What has happened to them has not come to ing the Polish position in the mountains. None Poles. Claim Germans Halted hand at the time of writing these lines, but it jof the distances in Poland are very great and Brenet launch Drive is (o be hoped that many of them will by now Wielun, which the Germans claim "to have Cavalry Enter E. Prussia have been rescued. It Is inevitable that, until Wat Cabinet" Now Completed entered is but 120 miles southwest of Warsaw, the convoy system has been brought fully into Africa Breaks with Germans which is even closer to the East Prussian yo German Ships Sunle by Brits Navy operation, an occasional ship should be lost in border. "There is at present no indications as this manner, but the experiences of the last Rome' io" Maintain Neutral Status {to where the Poles will commence to make a 35 Buropean States Declare Neutrality war conclusively proved that once it is in stand, and the fact that the invaders have made action the chanees of such occurrences will be ]some' progress across the boundaries does not Surprise greatly reduced. It is not believed that the sub-necessarily mean that the Poles have been, o Parenthest narine menace will prove so serious now as it fare in any danger of being overwhelmed, and did twenty odd years ago, for it will be re-You Kxow? S! the chances are that they have not yet -had an membered that when the Germans first com-Lowoon Cnoss-Wars' Purtise opportunity of coming to grips with the German enced their submarine blockade they were forces. Poland can mobilize an army. which ible to wreak considerable destruction, but [should be able to protect her against German wraduolly the British navy by a process of invasion once Great Britain, and France have trial and error succeeded in securing the entered"the" war, and as matters stand at resent there does not appear to be any very great chance that Germany will be able to overrun Poland in short order, before turning her attention to the west, The possibility of Germany being able successfully to prosecute a short, sharp War as Was contemplated against Czechoslovakia last year scorns to be remote. It will be remembered then that the plan of the German army was to strike swiftly at Czechoslovakia, and reduce her resistance within the space of about two weeks, atter which it was expected that Germany would then have been able fo turn the whole of her attention to the Entente on the western front. It is pos sible that the German high command may have something of the same idea for dealing with her enemies should war become general, But there, seems Yo. be no more chance of such campaign proving successful than it was believed last year'in the ease of Czechoslovakia. Plans such a8 these generally read very well fon paper, but the trouble with them is that time margins are so small that if the scheme breaks down in any particular it completely crumbles, There is no real reason why this should not rove to be true in this instance, Russia is Coy The part that Russia in playing in the European crisis is now attracting the attention of the whole world. It will be remembered that, when it was announced that an. none aggression pact had been reached between Germany and Russia, it was also stated that one of the terms of the eyreement was that it should be immediately ratified by both parties, Russia appears to be in no hurry over the matter, and the Supreme Soviet which was summoned after the signing of the pact has placed consideration of its ratification last on the agenda, which consists, however, of only three items, 'The interesting suggestion has been made that Russia is purposely' delaying ratifeation as a means of bringing pressure (0 bear upon Herr Hitler to retrain from war, and if this is indeed the ease then the success which Der Fushrer gained in obtaining the pact ix modified by reason of the manner in' which the Soviet apparently contemplates applying tt. That view, however, may not be entirely cor rect. To sign an agreement with a nation which is not at war Is something vastly different from signing with one which is, and though the crisis was actually in being at the time the German-Russian understanding was reached, the Soviet may very rightly care to think twice before Anally committing self to nation which may be on the verge of hostili es. True the agreement does not provide for any Russian assistance for Germany, but on the other hand it does provide that Russia shalt abstain from attacking Germany, who is under similar obligations towards. Rustia, But. the fortunes of war cannot be estimated in advance, ud it might very well be that the Kremlin envisages a situation in which ratification the pact might place her under a very definite disadvantage, especially it she were disposed to honour it, The Soviet might have an opportu lly of delivering a deadly blow to the country which after all is the main enemy ofthe ideological principles which dominate it, and as Mf, Stalin has in the past shown himself very much of an opportunist, so may he again the future, More Border Fighting The reports from Hailar to the effect that the Japanese Army in Manchoukuo contemplates major offensive against the Soviet-Mongol forces to dislodge them from positions cast of the River Khalka throws an interesting light upon the situation. According to the Japanese version some 20,000 Russians have succeeded in digging themselves in east of the River and are holding the Nero and Balshogal heights, having formed a semi-circular front from. these hills to the Khorsten River of approximately sevens teen miles. In view of there statements earlier claims of the Japanese to have driven. the raders. back across the Khalka and. Khorst Rivers do not appear to have been Justified, oF if indeed they did succeed In' doing 30, they have not me consolidated" their silted the Soviet-Mongol recupy their former posts. If, as it is stated, there is a force of 20,000 Russians in that area "it is likely that whatever action sues will asstime snajor proportions, For the purpose of commencing the proposed offensive the Japanese are reported to be rushing wp reinforcements, and if the Russians do likewise: there is the possibility that the whole affair may extend until very' much larger forees are required than would usually be required for fray, which it is clear now this fight for Nomonhay certainly is not. That the Russians have thrown so large a force ints this particular area is probably one of the con sequences of the non-aggression pact reached with Germany, be udales, she would be given a comparatively free hand the Far Ea need actually" contemplates at waist Japan, though desirous of obtaining, som her sticcess against Japanese arms, if only for the purpose of her own domestic policy, A. repetition of Chengkufeng would undoubtedly redound to the credit of Russian arms, and while that might not prove particularly impressive to western minds, its' moral effect it. Russia might be of considerable importance,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.