GREECE UNDER MENACE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 9

GREECE UNDER MENACE

Defence Preparation ITALIAN AEROPLANE SHOT DOWN

Frontier Tension Mounts

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright.)

(Received August 22, 7 p.m.)

LONDON, August 22. The Athens correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says an Italian aeroplane'was shot down over a Greek arms factory 30 miles from Athens. The General Staff has decided to investigate the incident on the spot. It is reported that Italians ate massing on the Greek-Albanian frontier and'defensive booms have been placed at the entrances to the harbours of Athens and Salonika. LONDON, August 21. Tension is rising in Athens as a result of reports of Italian mobile uivi sions concentrating on the frontier. The Soviet air attache conferred with the Greek General Staff. Rome wireless quoted at length from an article in the semi-official Albanian newspaper “Tomori,” in which it was stated that the Albanians are watching suspicious activities by the Greek authorities on the border of the province. The wireless added that these activities were “a positive indication that, trouble is ahead.” The Athens correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain sajs that, reacting to the Italian concentrations, Greece Ims called up a new military class and has cancelled all military leave. Officials declared that Greece will not be taken by surprise if invaded. It. is reported, without confirmation, that General Metaxas appealed to Hitler, who warned him of the dangers of a disruption of peace in southeastern Europe. It is emphasized that General Metaxas’s appeal docs not indicate that Greece is abandoning the British guarantee, as demanded by the Axis. A delegation, beaded ‘by the Governor of the Bank of .Greece and including representatives of the Foreign Office and economists, is going to Berlin tomorrow. NORTHERN IRELAND R.A.F. Defences Fully Prepared (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 21. The Secretary of Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, replying to a question, assured the House of Commons that, the air force is well placed, thoroughly equipped, and fully prepared to meet successfully any attempted inroad of the enemy' on Northern Ireland. PURCHASE TAX Effect On Imports To U.S.A. (British Official Wireless.) (Received August 22, 7.5 p.m.) RUGBY, August 2L ■The President of the Board of Trade, Sir Andrew Duncan, stated in the House of Commons that the effect ot the purchase tax on- the dutiable value of imports into the United States had been the subject of friendly discussion with the United States authorities, but it had unfortunately proved impossible to meet the difficulties created by the existing law without filtering the struc ture of the tax to such rm extent as would, in the opinion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, raise grave administrative difficulties and endanger the revenue. SIR ALEXANDER GODLEY IN HOME GUARD (Received August 22, 5.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 22. General Sir Alexander Godlcy, commander of the. New Zealand Expeditionary Force in tlie lirst. war, is now a platoon commander in the Home Guard. GERMAN COMMUNIQUE LONDON, August 21. A German communique states: “Isolated air lights developed when several British planes penetrated to France and Holland. No enemy plane has been over the Reich tonight. “During armed reconnaissances oui air force "a I tucked isolated targets and military objectives in the middle and south of England yesterday ami effectively bombed an ammunition factory and a railway junction in Suffolk and harbour works at, Groat Yarmouth, as well as a warship off Great Yarmouth. Our pianos bombed and macliineguiined aerodromes near Cambridge, Eastchiirch. Mansion, and Deal, and also harbour and railway works at Lowestoft, and Exeter, scoring several hits. Heavy explosions were observed nt a factory at Chelmsford. Heavy damage was caused to harbour and dockyard works at Fabersham, Burryport, and Pembroke. where several small vesels were sunk and oil depots tired on. "We sank a merchantman of 12,000 tons north of Ireland. German bombs heavily damaged three merchantmen off Hie north-west coast of Ireland.

•'Tlie enemy lost 10 planes and three of ours have not returned.”