BASES IN SYRIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 185, 20 May 1941, Page 5

BASES IN SYRIA

NAZIS AT THREE AERODROMES.

THE ATTITUDE OF TURKEY#

CONFIDENCE IN BRITAIN.

(United Press Association—Copyright-1 LONDON, May 19. Precise information about what is happening in Syria and Iraq is difficult to obtain, hut it is confirmed that German operational staffs have taken over three Syrian aerodromes, which it is expected will soon he bases for operations against the .British forces in Iraq, Egypt. Palestine and elsewhere. According to the Ankara correspondent of “The Times,” tho first 30 bombers sent to Iraq were mostly oldfashioned machines of French mnnur facturo which the Gormans captured last year. The French are helping tho Germans by facilitating the passage.of Syrian volunteers for Seyyid. Rashid Ali’s army.

About 5000, who are described as “disaffected riff-raffs,” were-brought to the frontier in French military lorries and are now. awaiting a favourable opportunity to cross, it is reported that a small detachment which crossed within the last few days met with a shower of bullets and bombs from British aeroplanes. No Defence by the French, French statements of the actions almost give tho impression that tho French have given up responsibility for Syria. There is no evidence that the French attempted to defend their aerodromes from British bombers, and they aro sending to Iraq each day irreplaceable guns and ammunition. This does not indicate any intention t : o> resist invasion.

The correspondent adds that Turkey is taking the Middle East crisis calmly. It is thought, the British may well como out of this much better than tho Germans. The British have an army on the spot and have experience in handling the Arabs. The Gormans can send troops to Iraq only by air, and must rely upon a general Arab revolt. The Turks will bo surprised if the Gormans find many Arabs willing to servo .them.

A threat t’o meet, force -by force was made by General Dent?;, the Vichy High Commissioner for. ■Syria, in a broadcast from Beirut, in French and Arabic. “You have heard the address of Marshal Retain, which was full of firmness and wisdoifi,” he said. “It means that Vichy is determined to secure order and peace for France and her empire. “After the incident at Dakar, England has now seen fit to attack aerodromes in Syria under the pretext that they have'been put at the disposal of .the Germans. Actually, German aeroplanes only flew over Syria. “There is nothing to prevent France, from defending her independence or the independence of her, empire. The course of events will only draw France and Syria and Lebanon closer together/ My task is to defend the skies and soil oi‘ Syria. T am determined to meet force by force.” The latest British communique "says that the situation at Basraand Habbania remains calm. Reinforcements for British, The arrival of fresh reinforcements at Habbania by air, including some of the most .warlike units of the Indian Army, has cheered the besieged garrison, says the Jerusalem correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” The former besiegers seem momentarily on the defensive, he adds. The garrison was not even upset hv the attack by a small group of German aeroplanes on Friday. However, with the threat of German reinforcements still impending, it. cannot be said that the situation is yet entirely happy.

One indication of .beyyid Ali’s failure to rally the whole body of, his countryment behind him is that the Arab tribes of the Euphrates Valley have so far shown’no signs of joining the movement. They have been among the fiercest participants in every previous anti-foreign trouble. In the meantime, attacks continue to be made against German aeroplanes on Syrian aerodromes. German aeroplanes have not only been destroyed, Out runways have been smashed.

Most of the British colony in Syria has now crossed tho border into Palestine.

A Free French officer who was in Syria recently stated emphatically that nine-tenths of the military and civil populations desired an Allied victory. Gormanophiles are limited to only one small clique of higher officers. The French Army in Syria consists of between 45,000 and 50,000 troops, mostly colonials. The equipment has deteriorated since the armistice through neglect and much of it is now unserviceable. There are about 300 aeroplanes, of which only 30 per cent, are thought airworthy, while petrol supplies are short. Trainloads of Materials. Oil is flowing once more through the pipe line from Mosul to Tripoli, but recently a mysterious explosion put out of action the refinery at Tripoli. which is the largest in Syria. Incidentally, the "Iraqis, while permitting the flow of oil to Tripoli, have cut off supplies bv the pipe lino to Haifa.

While the British Elect and Air Force operating from Alexandria, Crete, and Cyprus can prevent the Italians and 'Germans from landing large forces in Syria, the Germans are accumulating a respectable fleet of transports in Aegean ports by bringing Axis, Bulgarian, and Rumanian ships through the Bosporus from the Black Sen

The Egyptian .Cabinet sat all day on Saturday to discuss events the gravity of which is evident, says tho Independent French Nows Agency. Several Turkish newspapers declare that Britain must occupy Syria at once. One says it should have been done long ago. An Ankara messsage reports that several trainloads of war materials passed from Syria to Iraq Oii Friday and Saturday.’ As the railway passes through Turkey, the Turks under the convention governing tho use of th*e

railway, must he notified ' of the passage of such materials in excess of one truck-load, but Turkey has no powpr to hold up the traffic. This, however, is not expected* to continue, as it is known that stocks of munitions and petrol in Syria, are short. The Cairo correspondent of the Independent French News Agency says the National Committee of Frenchmen in Egypt has drawn up a declaration in which it protests against the cession of Syrian aerodromes to Germany. Tho declaration says: “Tho committee emphatically denounces the hypocritical and underhand character of the concession which, by creating a new menace to the valiant Imperial troops in tho Middle East, may oblige our Ally to take legitimate l measures of defence.

“We know that in protesting against this last particularly odious abdication we are acting a,s tho mouthpiece of all French people in the homeland, who are obliged to keep silence.” A Bombay message says that the Nizam of Hyderabad has sent a. message to Moslems in India explaining at length the reasons for tho British and Indian military measures in Iraq, and condemning the treachery of Seyyicl Ali. He appealed to Moslems to join in an expression of disapproval of the action of Sovyid Ali and his clique, who had offended against the most solemn precept of Islam, which is honour of the pledged word.