LITTLE DAMAGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 143, 19 June 1941, Page 7

LITTLE DAMAGED

TOWN OF SIDON

WELCOME TO AUSTRALIANS

JERUSALEM, June 17,

The Australian official war correspondent says that the battle of four days and nights and the naval bombardment of its outskirts left little trace in Sidon, the most important town of southern Lebanon. Outside the town native soldiers lie dead in little huddled groups. Sidon itself is practically undamaged. Its townspeople are going about their daily work as usual.

Australian soldiers who swarmed through the centre of the town were given a warm welcome. The citizens had not much to offer except bananas and tomatoes, but what they had they showered upon the troops.

A Syrian stated that although the great majority of the townspeople undoubtedly welcomed the Australians, and had always been opposed to' the Vichy Government's decisions, there was still an element, mostly among the Moslems, who distrusted the British. This was caused by Nazi radio propaganda, which had been busily working in Syria.

According to this man, the bulk of the Vichy forces in the town were Algerians, Tunisians, and members of the Foreign Legion. Few civilians had been injured during the bombardment of the outskirts of the town,

and the worst that most people had suffered had been a bad fright. The man added that the citizens had not been able to secure flour to make enough bread for months past. The streets had been full of demonstrators —men, women, and children marching up and down yelling for bread.—U.P.A.