OPERATIONS IN MADAGASCAR

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23741, 12 September 1942, Page 5

OPERATIONS IN MADAGASCAR

British Resume Attack THREE OBJECTIVES CAPTURED (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, September 10. Three places in Madagascar against which British troops began operations yesterday morning have been captured, according to a statement by Mr Churchill in the House of Commons. There was little opposition and the casualties were light. The landings were made at Majunga, Ambanja, and Morondava, states the “Daily Mail.” A War Office communique issued on Thursday stated that operations in Madagascar had begun early that morning and were continuing satisfactorily. The State Department in Washington has announced that Britain has found it absolutely necessary to make further attacks in Madagascar, in which the United States fully approved. A Vichy communique states that British forces launched a general attack against the west coast ports of Madagascar “after de Gaullists made a

vain attempt on September 8 to disembark to the northwards of Majunga. British forces in the morning simultaneously attacked Majunga and Morondava. A large fleet of 18 ships attacked Majunga. British aeroplanes flew over the island to a depth of more than 90 miles. , , . ‘‘The British launched the attack without more justification than when they attacked Diego Suarez on May 5. All Frenchmen will condemn this unfriendly act of aggression. Their hearts go out to the heroic defenders who are fighting an unequal battle for France s honour.” , , A statement Issued by the War Office said that after the occupation of Diego Suarez it had been hoped that the Governor-General of Madagascar would allow the British to take what steps were considered necessary to deny the Axis Powers bases and facilities elsewhere on the island. The Vichy Government, whose instructions the Governor-General followed, made it clear, however that their essential requirements could not be achieved by peaceful means. They therefore had been reluctantly compelled to undertake a further military operation in the island. ■ Once a friendly administration had been established in the island and was willing to enter into full collaboration with the United Nations and thus contribute to the liberation of France, His Majesty’s Government would extend to Madagascar all the economic and financial benefits accorded, to other French territories which had joined the United Nations. This would include the early reopening of trade with the United Nations and a guarantee by His Majesty’s Government of the payment of salaries and pensions to all civilian and military employees in Madagascar who continued service under the new administration. His Majesty s Government had no territorial designs on Madagascar. Madagascar remained French. Diplomatic circles say complete control of Madagascar, which is the key to the Red Sea and to the Indian Ocean, is necessary to prevent intelligence leaking to the Axis from Vichy officials. It is known that Japanese aeroplanes have been allowed to reconnoitre without hindrance over the Vichy part of the island, and supplies have been furnished to Japanese submarines. Two Japanese naval officers landed from a submarine were captured near Diego Suarez. It is also known that local officials, under Vicny orders, assisted German agents who reached the island.

V.C. AWARDED

GALLANTRY OF SOUTH AFRICAN SERGEANT (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 11. The Victoria Cross has been awarded to Sergeant Quentin George Murray Smythe, of the Royal Natal Carabineers, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in Libya three months Smythe, a 26-year-old Natal farmer, took command of a platoon after his commanding officer had become a casualty, and although suffering from a wound in the forehead, he stalked an enemy machine-gun nest and captured its crew. He continued to lead the advance and captured an anti-tank position,' Sergeant Smythe is the second South African to win the Victoria Cross in this war, but the first member of the South African forces to do so. The first South African to win the Victoria Cross in this war was Squadron Leader J. D. Nettleton, of the Royal Air Force, who led the daylight bomber raid on Augsburg.

HEAVY RAID ON DUSSELDORF

GERMAN INDUSTRIAL CENTRE (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 11. A powerful force of Royal Air Force bombers attacked Du&seldorf last night. Thirty-one aircraft failed to return. Dusseldorf, which is the chief centre of the German steel and engineering industries, was last attacked at the end of July. After dark a few German raiders dropped bombs in the south of England- ‘Some houses were wrecked and 10 people were killed. An enemy convoy off the Dutch coast was attacked by Coastal Command Hudsons, states the Air Ministry. The largest ship in the convoy was hit and set on fire and other ships were also probably hitFour times on Thursday formations of enemy aircraft tried to break through the British defences and reach an east coast English town. Each time Hritish fighters attempted to engage them they streaked out to sea. The Paris radio states that a lowflying Royal Air Force aeroplane machine-gunned a passenger train between D'reux and St. Malo, killing two Frenchmen. German newspapers are busy explaining why so many Axis radio stations went off the air on Wednesday night. They stated that the interruption was due to some mysterious defence measures. Parliament Prolonged.—ln the House of Commons a bill providing for the prolongation of Parliament, and for the extension of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, was read a first time.—Lbndoi), gejpt, 10.

FIGHTING IN EGYPT

PATROL ACTIVITY CONTINUES DUST STORMS HAMPER AIR FORCE (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright.) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 11. Land activity in Egypt continues to be on a small scale. The latest Cairo communique states: “On Wednesday night our patrols were active in the central sector. Enemy troops which contacted our patrols in the northern sector were engaged with mortars and machineguns. Yesterday on the southern sector our artillery was active. “Off Derna torpedo-carrying aircraft scored a direct hit on an enemy merchant ship. Owing to rising dust storms air activity over the battle area was on a small scale.” In daylight, heavy United States bombers attacked Tobruk, where the harbour and shipping had already been bombed during the night.

SECOND FRONT IN EUROPE

SUPPORT OF TRADES UNIONS (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 10. Full support to the movement for offensive action in Europe by the Allied Nations was given by the Trades Union Congress at its meeting at Blackpool to-day. This was embodied in the following resolution, which was carried; “The Trades Union Congress, sharing the general desire to give the maximum assistance to Russia, and to hasten decisive military action which will bring about the defeat of the enemy, pledges the fullest support of the British trade union movement as soon as the competent authorities decide that the time has come to launch an offensive action in Europe.” An amendment by the Amalgamated Engineering Union seeking the immediate opening of a second front was rejected by 3,584,000 votes to 1,526,000. The secretary qf the Trades Union Council (Sir Walter Citrine) cleared up misconceptions about the proposed co-operation of American Labour organisations with the British and Soviet Trades Union Committee. He said that the proposal to include American representatives first came from himself. It was proposed to try to bring the American Federation of Labour and the Committee of Industrial Organisations into relations with the British and Soviet Trades Union Committee. Sir Walter said that when he went to America, he found the American Labour leaders dubious about the proposal, but he.explained that British Labour had no intention of Interfering in American Labour quarrels. A meeting of the British and American Trades Union Committee was planned for September 23, but the British Government suggested that this should be postponed. He was not prepared to accept what he considered the interested advice of the Government, but when he got in touch with the presidents of the A.F.L. and the C.1.0., he found that they, too, were proposing a postponement.

U.S. AND VICHY

OPEN BREAK BELIEVED LIKELY (Rec. 12.15 a.m.) NEW YORK. Sept. 10. The Washington diplomatic observers of the New York “Herald Tribune” note the rapid deterioration of United States relations with Vichy, which may result in an open break. They indicated that the break would come from Vichy. The Germans are doing their utmost to exploit the Allied raids on occupied France for a general campaign to create a breach between France and the Allies. The Brussels radio quoted an unnamed French newspaper for the assertion that British bombs had killed an average of 10 Frenchmen daily since the Armistice' and for the suggestion that all Britons, in France should be placed in concentration camps and in places most exposed to the Royal Air Force attacks. The German radio quoted reports from Paris that the French People’s Party had protested to M, de Brinon. the Vichy representative in Paris, against the British raids and demanded the confiscation of British and American property. A French political group called the Friends of the Marshal demanded the internment of Britons and Americans in Francq.

TREATMENT OP JEWS IN FRANCE

POPE’S MESSAGE TO PETAIN NEW YORK, September 9. “It is ( semi-offlcially reported that the Pope has sent a personal message to Marshal Petain, approving the initiative of the French cardinals and bishops in favour of the Jews and also requesting Marshal Petain’s personal intervention ‘to prevent a continuation of the wave of horror on the soil of Christian France,”’ says the Berne correspondent of the “New York Times.” Simultaneously reports fronh France reveal a general feeling of uneasiness, because the Vatican protest has created a difficult situation for the Government, Devout Roman Catholics, who hitherto have been Marshal Petain’s most reliable supporters, resent the official anti-JeWish persecution, and even the French Legion, which Marshal Petain regarded as the bulwark of his Government, is becoming lukewarm and will be reorganised. Observers in Vichy say that Laval is fully aware of these sentiments, and is therefore striving gradually to eliminate from public positions all those practising tolerance. Popular indignation was aroused in Lyons by the imprisonment of eight Jesuit priests who refused to surrender for deportation several hundred Jewish and non-Jewish foreign children who were hidden in the buildings of the order.

RUBBER STOCKS IN U.S.

PRESENT DANGEROUS SITUATION WASHINGTON, September 10. Mr Roosevelt’s special rubber investigation committee, headed by Mr Bernard Baruch, has presented its report, which says that the existing situation is so dangerous that unless corrective measures are taken immediately, the country will face a military and civilian collapse.. The report recommends nation-wide rationing of petrol and drastic restrictions on the civilian use of automobiles as a means of conserving rubber. The committee also recommends the expansion of the synthetic rubber production programme to 1,100,000 tons yearly, a speed limit of 35 miles an hour, and an average annual mileage per car not exceeding 5000,. and this only for necessary driving.