ITALIANS SUBDUED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23923, 25 March 1941, Page 7

ITALIANS SUBDUED

LULL IN ALBANIA PROMPT REPLY TO BRIBE GREEK NATIONAL DAY (Herd. T.ifu p.m.) ATHENS, March 21 Fighting in Albania remains on a small scale, although artillery was active on both sides. Greek artillery repulsed an Italian patrol attempting to penetrate the Greek lines. Italian leaflets dropped recently and addressed particularly to certain Creek soldiers promised deserters 500 drachniars each, according to a news agency message quoted in a British official wireless message. The soldiers replied in their own wa_v next day by capturing 1 MO Italians. During an enemy raid on a Koyal Air Force station in western Greece British fighters shot down one enemy aircraft and seriously damaged a number ol others. There were no I'oyal Air Force casualties as a result of the raid. Celebrations began on Sunday in connection with Greece's National Day. which falls on Tuesday. A procession ol 15.000 people, drawn from youth and workers' organisations, passed before the Unknown Soldier's monument. King George of Greece and Crown Prince Paul look part in the ceremony, which was witnessed by thousands. . ITALIAN PRISON CAMP APPALLING CONDITIONS MOGADISCIO REVELATIONS LONDON, March 23 After the capture of .Mogadiscio the British discovered 1300 political prisoners interned by the Italians under the most appalling conditions in a camp known as Denane, states a Ministry of Information report quoted in a British official wireless message. All except 200 to 300 of these unfortunate prisoners were Abyssinians, who had been kept in revolting conditions for more than five years. Others were anti-Fascist Somalis and British Indian traders. Among them were also 70 seamen, mostly Lascars, from crews of ships sunk by Nazi raiders in the Indian Ocean. The prisoners had to sleep in lean-to structures, protected from the rain, but under corrugated iron roofs. The heat was intolerable. Their only drinking water came from a weli near the bench. This was not rationed, but was salty. Bathing was allowed once a week under supervision. Conditions were worst among the Abyssinians, who were living in most unsanitary quarters. After the fall of Mogadiscio the Italian guards ran up the white ilag an 1 fearing a rising they sent officers to appeal to the British.

CROSS-CHANNEL FIRING LONDON, March 21 After a long silence German guns mounted on the French coast opposite Dover fired across the Channel yesterday. There were no damage or casualties.

FREE FRENCH RECRUITS PORT OF SPAIN (TRINIDAD), March 2:: A party of 170 Frenchmen from Martinique and Guadeloupe, ami Dutch, British and French Guiana has left to join General do Gaulle's forces.