ARMY FROM CHAD

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 November 1942, Page 5

ARMY FROM CHAD

LONDON, November 18. With the Bth Army a little more than a day’s march from Benghazi comes the news that an Allied column is moving against the Axis forces from the Lake Chad area. The Morocco radio, which gave the information, said the advance was towards Tripoli, but did not state whether the column was designed to play a part in Tunisian or Libyan strategy. There is no official confirmation of this report. Chad Territory, in French Equatorial Africa, was the first of the French colonies to declare for General de Gaulle. OVERSEAS^TROOPS CAIRO, November 18. The Commander-in-Chief in . the Middle East (General Alexander), speaking at a Press conference, praised troops from the Dominions for their enterprise in-the quick use of captured enemy, material. The New Zealanders. Australians, and South Africans, by virtue of the lives they led back home, had learned to be dependent upon themselves, he said. In the present operations they had used to good purpose much captured material, including anti-tank . guns, machine-guns. and anti-aircraft guns. ’ R.S.A.’s CONGRATULATIONS WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. The congratulations of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association to the New Zealand Division on its outstanding work in the Battle ol Egypt were forwarded to-day by the Dominion president (Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C.) to Lieutenant-General Freyberg. At the beginning of this month. Mr. Perry sent a cablegram to General Freyberg, saying that the association was keenly following the progress of the battle and members knew that the New Zealand Division would more than maintain its great traditions.

To-day Mr. Perry sent the following cablegram: “The New Zealand Returned Services’ Association knew that its confidence in the division was justified, but even our expectations have been surpassed. The Division has given Rommel bad shocks before, but now he knows what a real mobile New Zealand earthquake is like. Well played all.”

EGYPT lAN. TNT ER ESTS

RUGBY, November 19.

Opening the Egyptian Parliament to-day. King Farouk said that Egypt’s interests would be safeguarded when hostilities ceased and peace negotiations began. He read a letter from the British Ambassador giving that assurance, and stating the British Government would use its good offices with the object of ensuring Egypt’s equal footing at the peace negotiations which might directly affect its interest.. Moreover, the British Government would not in the course of the negotiations discuss any question directly affecting Egypt’s interests without consultation with the Egyptian Government.