FORCED TO RISE PREMATURELY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 196, 16 May 1941, Page 9

FORCED TO RISE PREMATURELY

Iraqi Rebel Movement ATTITUDE OF BRITAIN REPEATED

(British Ollieial Wireless.)

RUGBY, May 14.

The Secretary for India, Mr. Amery, making a reference to Iraq in the House of Commons, said: “We forced Rashid Ali and his clique to show their hand in the vain hope that German help could reach them in time.” he said.

The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, in answering questions on the Iraq situation, said: “The British Government has never had and does not have now any intention of threatening the independence of Iraq; our sole desire has been to safeguard our legitimate treaty rights, which rights it is our intention to maintain.” Mr. Eden said that according to thy latest reports from Iraq the small forces of the Royal Air Force stationed at Habannia, having successfully beaten off the attack of the Iraqi forces under the orders of Rashid Ali, were now in control of the whole area round the cantonment. Both they and the Imperial forces at Basra were being rapidly reinforced, and vigorous air action was being carried out by the R.A.F. against military objectives throughout Iraq. “This will be continued,” Mr. Eden said. “The British Government is convinced that the action of Rashid Ali and his supporters in launching the attack upon the loyal ally of their country is not upheld by the Iraqi people as a whole.” Today’s Cairo communique on the land operations in Iraq says the situation is quiet.

A message from Bagdad to Vichy says that a communique from Rashid All’s headquarters states: “Our desert patrols have frequently contacted the enemy.” It adds that a single British planeflew over Bagdad, dropping many bombs without result, and also alleges that enemy planes bombed two clearlymarked Red Cross ambulances.

THE FREE NAVIES

High Responsibility Of

Two Leaders ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNITY

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, May 14

"On the wise use of the navies of the world may hang the destinies of the free peoples of the world. Kindly Providence, at this time of stress and danger, has placed at the head of the two great Englishspeaking peoples two men whose knowledge of the sea is probably greater than that of any other statesman of any time,” said the United States Ambassador, Mr. Winant, when addressing the Eng-lish-speaking Union.

“It is probably the crowning virtue of the English-speaking countries that they recognize and respect virtue wherever they find it and are not inclined to beguile themselves with the primitive and barbaric idea that they themselves have a monopoly of it,” Mr. Winant said.

“That is why today, throughout Europe ami throughout the world, people of all races and all religions are hoping praying, and, wherever they are given the chance, fighting for victory for Britain and for the English-speaking countries which rally to Britain’s aid. “Only this week in London, in the early morning hours of the Sabbath, enemy bombs destroyed the House of Commons room of Parliament and smashed the altar of Westminster Abbey. These two hits seemed to symbolize the objectives of a dictator and pagan. Symbol of Lincoln. "Across the street from the wreckage of these two great historic buildings of State and Church the statue of Abraham Lincoln is still standing. As I looked at the bowed figure of the great emancipator and thought of his life I could not help but remember that he loved God, that he had defined and represented democratic government, and that he hated slavery. “As an American I was proud that he was there in all that wreckage as a friend and sentinel of a gallant day that had gone by and a reminder that in this great battle for freedom he awaited quietly support of those things for which he lived and died.” Mr. Winant added: “The freedomloving peoples of this earth are coming to realize that this is not Britain’s fight alone. When clever, and cunning dictators are striking with lightning speed at any and every free nation that dares to stand in their way, the time lias come for the democratic nations to prove to the world that, while they are free to debate, they have the power and the will to act.

IMPORTANT RESULTS BY BRITISH

Week’s Attacks On Enemy

i British official Wireless.)

Received May 15, 7 p.m.i

RUGBY, May 14.

Enemy shipping was again continually attacked by units of the British Fleet and the Royal Air Force in the week elided May 12. At least 12 vessels, ranging from an armed merchant cruiser acting as a commerce raider, (which was sunk by 11.M.5. Cornwall in the Indian Ocean) to patrol vessels which were destroyed off the coasts of Norway. Holland, France and Germany, were sunk or rendered tt total loss.'

Supply ships witli ait estimated tonnage of 18,000 were sunk and at least six others severely damaged.

During the attack by British naval forces on Benghazi harboiir on May 8 an enemy ammunition ship between 5000 and 0000 tons was blown to pieces. A supply ship of 3000 tons was sunk in the same engagement, while the further bombardment front point-'blank range on the night of May 10 caused more damage to enemy shipping and military objectives.

The R.A.F. made two more successful attacks on Ihe battle-cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Brest, ou the nights of May 4 and 7. direct lilts with powerful armour-piercing bombs being obtained. On May 11 a German raider in the Indian Ocean and Hie Norwegian tanker Kelly Urovig, of 7031 tons, caplured by lhe raider, were inlerccpled by H.M.A.S. Canberra and H.M.S. Inlander.