ALL MOPPED UP

Evening Star, Issue 23907, 10 June 1941, Page 5

ALL MOPPED UP

NAZI PARATROOPS LANDED FRENCH APPEAL TO ALLIES FOR HELP (Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 9. The first German parachutists are reported to have landed at Merjiyn. The French garrison immediately appealed to the Allied forces for help. Other groups of parachutists landed at various points on the Lebanon frontier, but, according to the Free French radio in the Levant, all were mopped up after doing only slight demolition work. Many were firedl on bv the French garrisons, who afterwards greeted Allied troops as friends. An inspector of the French Surete was arrested because he aided the parachutists. The Druse chieftain, Sultaiu El Atrah, also welcomed the advancing troops, thus showing gratitude for British hospitality after the 1926 Druse revolt, when he and his followers were sentenced to death by the French and fled to Transjordan. According to a Damascus message, a state of. siege placing Syria under virtual military rule was proclaimed shortly after the start of the Allied advance. _ A Vichy communique states that British and Free French forces intensified their attacks in the morning in the region of the Druse mountains and Hermon foothills, using strong forces of all arms, including a liigh proportion of armoured units. The French covering forces, supported by artillery and aircraft, defended the terrain foot oy foot.

SECRET AERODROMES FOUND BY BRITISH 111 SYRIA (Reo. 8 a.m.) LONDON, June 9. A British United Press message from Cairo states:—A British pilot said; “ We found secret aerodromes in Syria which General Dontz had allowed the, Germans to build. I found one field through a large transport plane being there. I was unable_to identify it definitely, but believe it was of German type.” Tho pilot also said that French pilots in Syria made merely a pretence at fighting off British planes. NEWS FROM FOREIGN SOURCES BERLIN REPORTS HEAVY FIGHTING (llec. 8 a.m.) LONDON, June 9. A Berlin news agency message from Vichy states that there is heavy fighting in Syria. The British captured a border station at Dera, but the French halted them near Kuneitirah and also made the coast road impassable. The Rome radio says it is reported from Ankara that port works and defence posts in Cyprus were heavily bombed last night. An Ankara message says that Raymoii Lacoste, of the Vichy Ministry of Information, who has completed' his mission in Syria and Turkey, announces, his resignation on the ground that lie is “ unable to approve of Darlan’s policy of modifying the armistice terms into open espousal of a German victory.” diplomatic protest lodged (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 9.50 a.m.l RUGBY, June 9. The Madrid Press reports that a diplomatic protest concerning British action in Syria has been lodged by the French Ambassador to Spain with Sir Samuel Hoare, British Ambassador in Madrid.