DRIVEN OFF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 236, 4 October 1940, Page 7

DRIVEN OFF.

ITALIAN RAIDERS.

Hollow Claim To Control Of

Mediterranean.

United Press Association.—Copyright

(Reed. 2 pjfi.)

LONDON, Oct. 3.

A message from Aden says the Italians for the 32nd time attempted to raid Aden. A British fighter machine-gunned the only raider penetrating to the city. The raider was seen to dive in flames.

Raiders so far have penetrated Aden 16 times. The principal objectives have not been damaged.

An Italian communique report* that the enemy raided Gura, but caused neither damage nor casualties. Other raids on Elwak, Buna and Assab caused altogether three killed, nine injured and insignificant material damage.

A Beirut message says the British Consul General demanded the internment of the crews of two heavy Italian bombers forced down in Syria during a

A spokesman of the Ministry of Economic Warfare disclosed the hollow uess of Italy's claim to control the Mediterranean or even seriously interfere with British trade to the Levant.

Some convoys are able to traverse the Mediterranean and a regular and steadily increasing trade is passing to and from the Suez Canal and the Red Sea past Eritrea and Italian Sonialiland. Italian submarines and aeroplanes are powerless to check it.

Since July, Britain has imported tens of thousands of tons of magnesite. from Greece for making bombs. The United Kingdom Commercial Corporation has imported vast quantities of dried fruits from the same source. Timber has come from Rumania, dried fruits and other poods from Turkey, hemp and flax from the Balkans and cotton, cotton seed, lime phosphates and onions from Egypt. Cotton shipments for the first six months of this year were above the average. Cyprus sends nsbe«tos and iron pyrites. Increasing quantities of jratash are being imported from Palestine.

Britain is currying on a lar*je export trade with these countries. Egvpt gets coal. oil. fertilisers, timber, metals and machinery, although, according to enemy propaganda. British trade to the Xear East has been completely stopped.