NEW THREAT IN ERITREA

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 118, 12 February 1941, Page 7

NEW THREAT IN ERITREA

Thrust On Coast WARLIKE SPIRIT IN ETHIOPIA

(British Otiieial Wireless and Press Assn.)

LONDON, February 10

An advance by British troops in the coastal area of northern Eritrea, which has not hitherto been mentioned as a theatre of operations. is announced in today s Cairo communique, which reports the occupation of the small maikct town of Karora. which stands on the frontier of Sudan and Eiitrea, some 40 miles from the Red Sea, and of Mersa iachai, a small village on the Red Sea with an anchorage, some 13 miles down the coast from the Sudan frontier. This northern movement, in conjunction with the British drive from the east threatens to etnvolope the Italians based on Keren ail'd Asmara. In addition to announcing this action the British communique states that -meanwhile the pressure on the enemy positions about Keren has been continued. , -In Abyssinia.” it adds, "bouth African troops advanced into southern Abyssinia in the Hdbok area to a distance of 50 miles inside Italian territory, capturing quantities of war material. In Italian Somaliland intensive patrol activity continues.” Abyssiuiaiis Take Over.

'The Kassala correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says that a British officer has just returned after assuming control of 5000 square miles of territory forming the Abyssinian province of Walkait and Togade, which the Italians recently abandoned. He was greeted in the town of Adiremoz by 10-year-old Abvssinians carrying Italian rilles and bandoliers, which the Italians had handed to their chiefs, who were regarded as loyal to the Italians. The Italians (lid not know that these chiefs had corresponded with the Emperor for weeks. The Italians’ own weapons were turned against them before the garrison left the town. Two Black Shirts were killed in the streets and 55 others were killed along the route of the retreat.

Every Abyssinian male from the age of .10 upward was armed with abandoned weapons. All notable people whom the British officer met freely recognized the Emperor’s authority.