January 15, 1940; DUTCH, BELGIANS MASS:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JANUARY 15, 1940:

LONDON, Jan. 15.—(U.P)—The Moscow radio today announced that Russian men aged 19 and 20 had been called to, the colors.

By HENRY SHAPIRO ,

MOSCOW, Jan. 15.—(U.P)—Russia announced today that it had protested to Sweden and Norway against their aid to Finland, and that the replies were regarded as unsatisfactory.

The full exchange was broadcast to the world over the Moscow radio and disseminated by the official Tass agency. It disclosed that Sweden had rejected the protest openly, and that Norway had. rejected it tacitly.

Russia's protest was made on January 5 through the Russian ministers at Stockholm and Oslo. It was a protest against dispatch of volunteers to Finland, shipment or transshipment of war materials to Finland, and anti-Russian newspaper articles.

THREAT IMPLIED
Seriousness of the representations was shown by a paragraph from the representations to Norway: "The Government of the Soviet Union deems it urgent to declare to the Norwegian Government that the above actions of Norwegian authorities not only flagrantly contradict the policy of neutrality proclaimed by the Norwegian Government but may lead to undesirable complications and disturb the normal relations between the Soviet Union and Norway."

By DeWITT MacKENZIE

(Associated Press Staff Writer)
If Herr Hitler is indeed preparing to invade Holland or Belgium or both, it may mean the beginning of the general European war which the world has been fearing.

However, it shouldn't be overlooked that this may be a deliberately engineered German-Russian scare. The purpose of such a thing might be two-fold—(1) to stop the neutral low countries and Scandinavia from aiding Finland against the Soviet and (2) to warn the neutrals not to pursue their tendency to sell supplies to the allies for cash instead of continuing to send them to Germany for barter trade.

REASONS FOR ACTION
Should the German offensive develop it presumably would be intended as the preliminary to a heavy assault on the Allies a little later.

There are numerous reasons why the Nazi high command might undertake an operation against Holland and perhaps against Belgium.

Among them are these

1—Control of Holland would give the Germans extremely desirable air bases for operations against England, against the British blockade and other shipping. It might presage the blood-bath from the air which the Navys have threatened so often. Such control also would provide invaluable submarine bases.

2—The G e r m a n s may feel impelled to haste in preparing for major operations against the Allies because of the growing aid from the Anglo-French brotherhood for Finland.

There is a danger to Germany's right flank if this assistance continues.
BLOCKADE PRESSURE

 

German threat to the Lowlands'
neutrality.

Close to 1.000.000 Belgian and Netherland soldiers are reported  already at or ordered to positions along the border—a 300-mile wall through -which Germany would have to smash to outflank the British-French Allies on the Western Front. (Germany in the past has denied planning any such maneuver.)

In. Belgium there were reports of new concentrations of Nazi attack troops, while in the Netherlands a Government communique spoke of "certain less favorable symptoms in the International situation."

ALARM PLAYED DOWN
The semiofficial Belga News Agency, however, issued a note in Brussels denying what it called "alarmist stones" being "spread in Belgium and abroad" and said additional mobilization was proof only of the vigilance of the Government.

It was confirmed that Belgian Premier Hubert Pierlot conferred with Foreign Minister Paul Henri Spaak, Saturday night and received foreign diplomats for exchanges of information A full cabinet meeting has been called for today.

The Brussels Government put into force "phase D" of her mobilization plan, filling in the ranks of skeleton units with such specialists as machine gunners, artillerymen and tank drivers

The final step for complete mobilization would be enforcement of Phase E—likely only in event of actual outbreak of hostilities

ON WAR FOOTING

 

Bombs Rained

On Viipuri

Entire Street Razed;

Two Dead, Many Hurt
In New Air Raid

VIIPURI, Finland, Jan 15.—WP)—Twenty-one Russian bombing planes attacked Viipuri today, killing two persons, injuring many and leaving a whole street of stores demolished.

Newspaper correspondents in a private home 50 yards from where the first bomb landed had difficulty in reaching air raid shelters amid falling debris.

The raid lasted two hours. Some buildings were burning. Office desks, show window dummies and plateglass were scattered in the streets.

Most of the city's inhabitants had been removed to the country and those who remained have become so hardened to repeated raids that they joked among themselves as they ----