LITTLE ACTIVITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 218, 13 August 1940, Page 7

LITTLE ACTIVITY

MIDDLE EAST FRONT. ABUSIVE ITALIAN WRITER. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received August 13, 10.50 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 12. An official communique issued at Cairo states : “There is nothing to report from the Western Desr ert. In the Sudan and Palestine there is no activity to report. No operations have been reported in British Somaliland, and the enemy have made no advance. Reports of reconnaissance units in Kenya indicate that the enemy are holding Dobel (30 miles south of Moyale).

A Rome communique states: "Our troops in British Somaliland have made contact with a heavy enemy concentration.” Signor V. Gayda (Mussolini s Press mouthpiece), writing in Giornale d’ltalia, states the Italians in Africa are facing Australian, New Zealand, South African, British and Indian troops who ‘‘lack the war spirit, have inferior command, fighting will, and organisation when facing the manly, warlike qualities of the Italians. This explains the British retreats.