CAPTURE OF BESSIE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23316, 30 April 1941, Page 7

CAPTURE OF BESSIE

Fall of Italian Stronghold

main resistance NOW BROKEN

(Received April 29, 11 p.m.) (UP.A.) LONDON, April 29. The Italian stronghold of Dessie, 140 miles north-east of Addis Ababa, was , captured on Saturday evening by the . British without any fighting, in the . town itself. The South Africans first . broke through in a pass 14 miles sou,h . of the town, and enemy reinforcements ; which were coming up turned tail and and ammunition sufficient for three months were held by the Italians in Dessie, but it is not yet known how much has been captured. With the defeat of the greater part of the Duke of Aosta's army, the Italians are now holding out at only two points, at Gondar, in the Lake Tsana area, and at Jimma, south-west of Addis Ababa. . , , When the British Imperial forces entered Dessie on Saturday evening the main strength of what was left or Italian resistance in Abyssinia was broken and the Duke of Aosta s, troops now have only the choice of uselessly retreating towards inevitable starvation or striking, across the desert to French Somaliland; Should the latter course he chosen, the Italians run a grave risk of being cut off by the claws of the armoured pincers from, norm and south. , , There seems little chance of these defeated troops being able to make contact with the remaining points of resistance at Gondar or Jimma. and the capture of Dessie places at the Bntisn Imperial Forces’ disposal the administrative centre of the Wallo Province. With the fall of Dessie the Imperial forces have won the battle against the rains which, although they have started, have not reached their full intensity. All the chief towns of Abyssinia are now in British hands. The capture of Dessie followed tougn fighting round the pass south of the town. The Italians defended strongly from well-fortified positions, hut they finally broke and withdrew rapidly. On reaching the summit of the pass the British sighted Italian reinforcements, upon which they charged, but the Italians turned and fled. . Haile Selassie’s flag now flies in every town in Gojjam, except at Bahrdar on the southern shore of Lake Tsana. General Nasi at- Gondar is reported to he cut off by patriots approaching from three points. , An Italian communique admits mat Dessie has been evacuated. It states that members of Blackshirt divisions have occupied Corfu. ’ , A communique Issued by the Royal Air Force in the Middle East says: In Abyssinia on Sunday our fighters machine-gunned and badly damaged a number of enemy motor transport vehicles at Akroma and set on fire a petrol dump on the landing ground. On the previous day a convoy _of motor transport which was carrying enemy troops was attacked. Considerable damage was done and many casualties were inflicted. Aircraft of the South African Air Force bombed and machine-gunned military buildings at Jimma. All our aircraft returned safely.” RELATIONS WITH JAPAN ATTITUDE OF AUSTRALIA SIR FREDERICK STEWART’S . STATEMENT (Received April 30, 2 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 29. Relations between Japan'and Ays* tralia were again in the spotlight ’ ” day, with the Central figures the Japanese Minister hi Australia (Mr Tatsuo Kawai) and the Federal Minister for External Affairs (Sir -Frederick S Theca’ll was set rolling by Mr Kawai, who, in a long statement, couched in more pointed terms than those which marked his .arrival, reassured Australians that there was no intention by the Japanese Government of "moving down" on Australia oy military force. On the contrary Japan wished only to cultivate trade and friendship, after which he asserted mat Japan will never be induced to resort to force- except as a final measure ‘ when there is sufficient provocation. Mr Kawai deprecated constant implications by persons’ in responsible positions, and also by sections of the press, that Japan has sinister aims 1 since signing the neutrality pact with ; the Soviet. He concluded by express--1 ing a hope that, he would not leavo this country a failure in his mission, i Sir Frederick Stewart, in his reply, ■ said: 3 "The paramount concern . tor Australia is that we have engaged ’ heart and soul in a war on the side Qf

Britain against an enemy with whom Japan has allied herself. Our duty is to pay regard to current trends of opinion and policy in other countries.” Sir Frederick Stewart recalled speeches by the Japanese Foreign Minister (Mr Matsuoka) on the occasion of his visit to Berlin and Rome and his more recent message of congratulation on the victory of the Axis in Greece, where Australians had laid down their lives. “No surprise should be felt,” he said, “if cognisance is taken, not merely of the official interpretation of the Tripartite Pact, to which Japan adheres with Germany and Italy, but also of the many interpretations given of it by Japanese commentators, who continually urge closer collaboration with our enemies. “These factors provide some vital considerations which must have an influence on Australia’s outlook, what Mr Kawai calls mistrust and suspicion against Japan is for us vigilance, an inescapable duty as a full partner in the British Commonwealth.

Mr Keynes in United States. —Mr J. M Keynes, the British economist, is making a brief visit ’to Washington at the request of the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir Kingsley Wood) to confer with the United States Administration and the British Supply Council on the operation of the Lease-Lend Act and other related matters. —Wash[ittgton, April 28. y