IN EGYPT

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1940, Page 7

IN EGYPT

NEW ZEALANDERS DEMONSTRATE

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

(Recd. June 13, 8.55 a.m.) LONDON, June 12.

A demonstration, occurred in a Cairo cinema, ( full of New Zealand troops, when the Italian declaration ot war was announced. The New Zealanders rose and cheered wildly, stopping the show. A New. Zealand brigadier said that the temperament of the troops had completely changed in the last few hours. Everybody was carrying _ out his duties in a most-hilarious spirit.

CANAL DESERTED.

LONDON, June 12.

Cairo, sleeping its first night under the shadow of war, sprang to life when motorised columns of Egyptian troops and tanks and commandeered taxis came out from police headquarters in the centre of Cairo to round up Italians. A number have been interned.

The Suez Canal has already become a silent, deserted waterway. Only British warships patrolling the Mediterranean \ and Red Sea will henceforth pass through. The Egyptian Prime Minister (Aly Maher Pasha), in a statement to the press, said that the country was ready for an eventuality in fulfilling her obligations under the BritishEgyptian Treaty. The evacuation pf 18,000 civilians from Alexandria and the Port region has begun. Later.

The Associated Press Alexandria correspondent says: Strong concentrations of Allied warships blocked the Suez Canal, cutting off Italy from her East African Empire. Admiral Raeder is reported to have assumed an active part in the direction of Italian naval operations. Eight Italian submarines are believed to be, operating in the Red Sea. There are a few small Italian ships eastward of Suez. The majority of the naval forces are concentrated in the Mediterranean.

ULTIMATUM REPORTED. LONDON, June 12. Both the British United Press and the Exchange’s Cairo correspondent say that Italy is reported to have sent an ultimatum to Egypt. (Received June 13, 9.55 a.m.) / ROME, J.une 12. Officials denied that an ultimatum had been sent to Egypt. CHAMBER’S APPROVAL (Recd. June 13, 10.25 a.m.) CAIRO, June 12. The Chamber of Deputies approved the Prime Minister’s declaration, severing diplomatic relations with Italy. The Premier announced the formation of a force of 5000 reservists, to protect public buildings, exclusive of 6,000 volunteers, to combat parachutists and Fifth Columnists.