A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 142, 12 March 1941, Page 8

A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Vichy has publicly announced the intention of using French warships to convoy food supplies through the British blockade oi France and French Africa unless Britain eases in the next few weeks what is declared to be a very serious situation. A British spokesman in reply points to the Nazi plundering of France and repeats that the aim of the blockade of German-dominated Europe is to liberate the French and other peoples. It is hinted from Washington that the United States may intervene in the dispute. As the Balkan crisis gradually deepens a growing anti-German movement has been seen in Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. The Bulgars are believed to be influenced by Russian radio attacks on their King and Government, which Moscow describes as traitors. Germany is said to have made “some proposals” to Greece, and another repoit says the Germans intend supporting Italy against Greece with reinforcements in Albania itself. The menace has not prevented the Greeks from driving their offensive deeper into central Albania, where the Italians are declared to be facing their worst debacle of the Albanian war. Successful operations continue in Abyssinia and Italian Somali land. Following the recent Rome announcement of the loss of ai; Italian warship in the Mediterranean, the British Admiralty states that a cruiser was torpedoed and “almost certainly sunk” by a British submarine. France and Thailand have finally accepted the Japanese mediation plan in the Indo-China-Thai dispute. The Tokip Press hails this as the first concrete step in Japan’s southward policy.