GERMANS IN AFRICA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 7

GERMANS IN AFRICA.

GRIP ON TUNIS TIGHTENS

London. April n.

I lie 11-c nt Ireiich (erritoria 1 waters along the i-i>a-t, <ii Tuni-ia by German M-f-rl- i-rin viii'i troops iiiul supplies for tin' new Axis a i tack «*?i tin- Rriti-h torcc- in Libya pro\idc> c\ idoiice of < .11 mamincreasing grip <>n the From !i African 1 '.mpire. I'or tl.i- lir-t time in hi-torv. state new-pa per ii>rn*-|>i ' .'or in a uy 11n- -itnatimi in French North Africa. l.'erinan -npplv -hips. they c-tato. I'l'n— from Sicily In Timi.-ia and sail ci<i w n the Tnni-ian coa»t to Trijx»l i. *1 lu' number of German troops in Libya anil Tuni-ia. tlio left flank of the

;t id 111.111 «11 i\<•. i- :i> it is on the rijjli? flunk in S|inni-!i Morocco. il(>m:i;ih Iron;.- ;i :<• aVu »• Tea din:.' I I": fll■ 11 Mi.l'i'i'ru, tllf l'i.-llCst I Xl'l l'l ,\ i'l ic:l M hi n.l.

French Morocco. it is bdie\ed. will lioeonie a German l>oinl>er ba-e against Hriii-h r-iiif►]>ill-_r. Spanish Janvier also is Ix-ing transformed into a base.

The po-ition (> f the local French authorities i- very dilliciilt. The neroften demand tin- recall of General Weypand. though tlicy tolerate the! Frcii' h Reside:,i i.cnci.il in Mcrncm,' ' t i"iici .11 \'iji:<--. l.ecau-e he ,- friendly I with tin- sultan of Morocco. The GorI man- are al-o exciting tin- Moors throitgh propaganda. ■ Tho.-e developments indicate that Germany is forcing the Vichy Government! into anti-lJriti-h situations. | Valuable cargoes, including rubber.® tat-, oils and coffee reach France from From-!: AftVa. Tho-e are taken alons the I Sahara ltnad to Algeria, or shipped | around t lit* Altanie eoat-t to Morocco and, I taken bv rail to ports on the Mcditer-I I : anean coa.-t "f French Africa thence I u France. '