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Newspaper
Grafton Sentinel
Location
Grafton, West Virginia, United States of America
Date
May 11, 1940
Page
1
German forces pushing into Belgium and the Netherlands report heavy bomber activity and paratroop deployments. German air power and armored units claim success across the Dutch, Belgian, and Luxembourg borders as Allied defenses struggle.
London May 11 AP Prime Minister Churchill is expected to announce his new war cabinet within a few hours, according to the authoritative British Press Association report.
President Roosevelt faces urgent calls for military expansion as war in Europe accelerates. Proposals include building a regular army and Navy, acquiring reserve arms and equipment for a million-strong land force, and possible federal outlays up to 785 million dollars. General Marshall has outlined beyond the current $785,000,000 supply bill.
President Roosevelt warned that aggression challenges American civilization and that no mystic immunity protects the western hemisphere in a world of conquerors. He affirmed the 21 republics stand for peace but faced an immediate issue as Europe’s conflict spreads to the low countries and questioned if peaceful construction can endure if other continents adopt different principles of life.
Vatican City May 11 Pope Pius XII expressed moral support for Belgium Luxembourg and the Netherlands in messages to their rulers saying he prayed for their triumph. He anticipated an appeal from King Leopold and conveyed prayers for the restoration of Belgium’s full liberty and independence.
The New York World's Fair opened for its second season in a glittering atmosphere aimed at average visitors. The $160 million affair contrasts last year's formal opening with an informal, fun filled program designed for the general public.
Washington May 11 The United States may find new markets for nearly 10,000,000 tons of coal in the western hemisphere as a direct result of the European war. Coal experts said today that war influence is already increasing tonnages moving to South America despite ongoing conditions.
In Bucharest on May 11 Premier Gheorghe Tatarescu's cabinet resigned. King Carol asked the outgoing premier to form a new national union government to unite all political factions amid war fears. The monarch sought broad representation to block Nazi influence.
Paris May 11 The French army and allied Belgian Dutch forces report spirited battles as outposts on the Moselle river sector are regained and German infantry engage along two newly opened fronts. Air war over Belgium intensifies with British and French planes contesting Nazi air superiority while reinforcements move into the Low Countries. Luxembourg and the Moselle line are key battle zones as fighting spreads.
The AP reports candidates near the finish of a bitter campaign marked by factional strife. Governor Homer A. Holt, unable to seek another term, travels to Wheeling to urge support for Democratic Chairman R. Carl Andrews as the next governor.
Former Governor H G Kump of Elkins urged federal investigators to review the entire West Virginia primary record. Campaigning for the Democratic Senate nomination, he criticized Senator Neely for seeking FBI agents, calling it a frenzied move by a disappointed politician using his Senate power to undermine citizen sovereignty.
The Grafton Sentinel invites Mrs H P Queen of 219 Love Avenue to tonight's presentation of Young Tom Edison starring Mickey Rooney at the Strand theatre or Is Man With Nine Lives featuring Boris Karloff at the Ditzie.
Belgian fortresses once strong like Fort Berlin fell after a surprise German air attack. German pilots proved the fort completely defenseless and the blitzkrieg swept through Belgium and the Netherlands. German forces also held Belgian and Dutch airports, with combat continuing nearby.
German air raid smashes into central Amsterdam killing about 20 people. Dutch defense engineers flood eastern frontier to sever Holland, while a bomb nearly hits the post office near the Dam and royal palace area.
In Parimaribo Harbor, the 6,040-ton German merchant ship Goslar, which had taken refuge there earlier in the war, was scuttled by its crew. The action occurred as Dutch Guiana’s port authorities confirmed the event.
Reports from Brussels relayed by Reuters say German planes bombed Belgian towns Alest Renaix Louvain and Verviers. The British AP dispatch notes the attack reached London headlines today.
Berlin reports authorized sources say German bombers scored heavy hits on a British battleship off Narvik yesterday and seriously damaged one or more cruisers along the Norwegian coast.
A German bomber crashed in the canal of Villebrug near Paris after being hit by a shell from a British steamer at anchor. About 30 persons were reported killed in the city. The AP dispatch from Brussels notes the crash occurred May 11.
May 11 Brussels reports two bombings as Belgian defenses hold against German forces. British and French units, aided by tanks and artillery, push to strengthen positions while the Belgian army maintains a steady front.
Belgian and Netherlands airports remain in German hands, with authorized sources stating German troops fight Belgian and Dutch units on the ground. The report notes Allied denial of any change in control despite ongoing hostilities.
The air ministry announced that the Royal Air Force destroyed at least 50 enemy aircraft yesterday and damaged or put out of action many more. About 20 RAF planes are missing. The report underscores heavy combat losses on both sides and ongoing aerial warfare over London.
The Dutch general staff announced that British and French troops are now operating with Dutch forces and that the German advance has been stopped at the front, signaling a united Allied action in Amsterdam May 1.
Four German planes were shot down today in a non bombing attack on Amsterdam's airport, south of the city, by Dutch and British fliers. Bombs from the planes set several small fires but caused no deaths or injuries.
Sir Percy Loraine prepared to protest Italian authorities after two British embassy staff members were assaulted in Rome while posters were pasted. Diplomats George La Bouchère and Commander Rodd were attacked as American journalists Miss Virginia Cowles and John Witaker were guests at a dinner. A crowd of about 50 collected as posters appeared on hotel walls.
Tokyo announces to all concerned that Japan will maintain its position in the Netherlands East Indies despite the European war. The move follows a decision to state Japan’s policy and protect its interests in the region as tensions rise.
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