Current Events September 1, 1943; WW II Enters It's 5th Year:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1943:

World War II Enters 5th Year
Hitler Won First Round By Invading Poland Four Years Ago

At 5.30 AM, four years ago today. German armies invaded Poland from three points and World War II was on. Two days later Britain and France redeemed their pledges and went to war with the Nazis.

The attack on Poland had been preceded for weeks by a typical Nazi war of nerves, with Hitler alternating demands and violent accusations. He demanded the Free City of Danzig and the evacuation of the Polish corridor until a plebiscite could determine whether the people wanted to join the Reich or remain with

Poland. He accused the Poles of persecuting people of German blood and said that Poland intended to attack Germany

In his long-awaited world broadcast from Quebec, Winston Churchill today declared that whenever a second front was opened in Europe it would be done only when there was' every chance of military success and would not be swayed by political considerations

Fleets of Allied warplanes droned across the Channel to Europe yesterday and wrote finish to the fourth year
of the war in another all-day session of blast and fire for Nazi installations. Mass formations of American and RAF bombers and fighters shuttled from airfields in Britain to targets across the water, rounding out what may total up to the biggest month yet in the Allied air offensive against the Wehrmacht.

A powerful Russian Army yesterday launched an attack at the heart of the German Kiev defenses as Red forces swept forward in a push to encircle Stalino and drive the Germans out of the Donetz Basin, one of the richest areas in all Europe

        THE STARS AND STRIPES
     Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces in the European Theater of Operations
                New York, N.Y.—London, England Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1943

Allies Won't Invade
Europe Till Success
Assured—Churchill
Politics No Factor,
Despite Criticism
From  Moscow
 QUEBEC, Aug. 31 (AP)—
In his long-awaited world broadcast from Quebec, Winston Churchill today declared that whenever a second front was opened in Europe it would be done only when there was' every chance of military success and would not be swayed by political considerations.
The Prime Minister said that the Quebec conference was concerned principally with ••inflaming" the war against Japan, and therefore it would have been embarrassing to the Soviet Union to be represented.
Mr. Churchill said he was looking forward to the opening of the third front, presumably referring to Japan. Italy, he said, was paying a terrible penalty for having been misled by the Germans.
                                                           Won't Squander Lives
Referring to a second front, Mr. Churchill said that he could not tell when it was likely to happen, and added:
"Wherever the great blow is struck, you may be sure it will be because there is a good prospect of continuing success and our soldiers expended in accordance with sound military plans and not squandered for political considerations of any kind."
Any speculation on when the war would end, Mr. Churchill said, was "vain and unprofitable." that                                                  'Don't Blame Soviet Criticism'
Mr. Churchill said he did not blame Russia for any criticism she had levelled at her Allies for not having opened a Second front on the Continent. He said that no country had ever withstood such a devastating attack as that thrown at the Russians. The terrific aerial attack against Germany would not be possible were it
not for the magnificent stand of the Russians against Hitler's forces, he pointed out.

No Let-Up
In Air Blows
On Europe
B26 Assault on Airfield
Opens Day; RAF Hit
Rhine at Night
Fleets of Allied warplanes droned across the Channel to Europe yesterday and wrote finis to the fourth year
of the war in another all-day session of blast and lire for Nazi installations. Mass formations of American and RAF bombers and fighters shuttled from airfields in Britain to targets across the water, rounding out what may total up to the biggest month yet in the Allied air offensive against the Wehrmacht.
The day's raids, kicked off by a Marauder blitz on an enemy airfield, a power station and chemical works in
France early yesterday morning, came after another night saturation raid by the RAF on the industrial area of
Munchen-Gladbach-Rheydt, in Germany's Rhineland.
Mosquitoes also made night attacks on Duisburg. and intruders continued the unceasing assault on Luftwaffe fields in the occupied countries. The night's work cost 28 bombers.
                                                        B26s Hit Bases in France
Reds Capture
Vital Junction
In New Drive
Threaten to Cut Railway
Behind German Lines
On Central Front
A powerful Russian Army yesterday launched an attack at the heart of the German Kiev defenses as Red forces swept forward in a push to encircle Stalino and drive the Germans out of the Donetz Basin, one of the richest areas in all Europe.
In a sudden advance, the Soviet troops captured a town called Glukhov and thus threatened to cut the great lateral railway which runs behind the main German positions. On this railway hinges the defenses of Kiev. Sixty-six miles beyond Glukhov lies Bakhmach, toward which the Soviet troops are advancing. Its capture would destroy the German lateral communications just behind the line from Briansk right down into the heart of the Ukraine.
                                                              Vital Junction Captured
The fall of Yelnya, one of the most ssential German positions for the defense of their great Smolensk base, in
the Russian central front offensive, was announced triumphantly by Stalin in an order of the day yesterday, and last night the Soviet radio monitor in London coukl hear through his headphones the crash of salvos from 124 guns fired in Moscow in celebration of the victory

World War II
Enters 5th Year
Hitler Won First Round
By Invading Poland
Four Years Ago
At 5.30 AM, four years ago today. German armies invaded Poland from three points and World War II was on. Two days later Britain and France redeemed their pledges and went to war with the Nazis.
The attack on Poland had been preceded for weeks by a typical Nazi war of nerves, with Hitler alternating demands and violent accusations. He demanded the Free City of Danzig and the evacuation of the Polish corridor until a plebiscite could determine whether the people wanted to join the Reich or remain with
Poland. He accused the Poles of persecuting people of German blood and said that Poland intended to attack Germany.
On Aug. 23 Ribbentrop, German foreign minister, went to Moscow, where he signed a ten-year non-aggression pact with "the Soviet. With Russian neutrality assured. Hitler became ever more demanding
and abusive. He completely disregarded the appeals of President Roosevelt and the warnings by Britain and
France that they would adhere to their pledges to protect Polish independence.
                                                                     The Climax
The climax came the night of Aug. 30 when Hitler sent a 16-point program for the settlement of the disputes to the Poles with an ultimatum to answer immediately.
On the morning of Sept. 1, saying that the Poles had refused to answer, he ordered his armies to attack.
The attack by the Nazis was spearheaded by hundreds of planes which attacked airfields, traffic junctions, communications and military bases. Later, the Germans claimed th'at their air attacks were so successful the first day t h a t they virtually destroyed the Polish air force in 24 hours.
Land forces attacked from Slovakia in the south; East Prussia In the north, and Pomerania and Silesia in
the west.
It was the first use of tactics which later became standard procedure for Axis and Allied armies. Armored columns raced ahead of the infantry, breaking through strong points and encircling Polish troops that were finished off at the infantry's leisure.
One third of Poland was in Nuzi hands by Sept 12 and by the 15th. the port of Gdynia, which had held out in the north, had surrendered after ceaseless bombardment by both land and naval forces.
The fate of Poland—if it had ever been in doubt—was sealed Sept. 18. when the Russians occupied more than half of the country. Only Warsaw and the surrounding country remained in Polish hands and the city was bombed day and night.
Warsaw surrendered Sept. 28. and Germany and Russia divided the country between them, at the same time unannounced that it was "to the interest of all concerned that the war should cease."
                                       Hitler had won the first round of the war.