REACHING A CLIMAX

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 142, 17 May 1941, Page 8

REACHING A CLIMAX

BRITAIN AND VICHY. (I nited Press Association—Copyright) U<ee. 1.50 j). ni.) LONDON, May 16. The position in Syria is rapidly moving towards a climax. Swiftly alter the announcement of the British bombing of Syrian aerodromes comes the news of a French protest by General Dentz (the Governor). A communique states that a French officer was killed when British planes bombed Palmyra and Ravak and machine- ' gunned the barracks at Beirut, Damascus and the llayalt aerodrome. The protest has been lodged with the British Consul-General at Beirut. It states: “The British action constitutes flagrant hostility against France.” It is authoritatively stated in London that should Britain enter hostilities against Vichy the French warships at Alexandria would certainly be seized. The French units have been demilitarised but could quickly be commissioned. A fair proportion, of the 1 French naval personnel are believed to bo on our side, but not the majority. The Associated Press of America's correspondent at Istanbul says the news of the British bombing of Syrian aerodromes has caused a tremendous stir in official circles at Ankara. If the fighting spreads to Syria Turkey would virtually be isolated from the Democracies, to which her policy is attached. Well-informed circles in Ankara said Turkey would maintain her attitude of non-belligerency despite the Syrian developments and only abandon it if her independence were threatened. This course is only interpretable of the meaning that Turkey will keep out of the war at all costs. , The Independent French Agency’s Cairo correspondent says that Ger- i man tanks and light war material < are crossing Syria in the direction i of Iraq. Twenty big bombers landed at Damascus, and transport planes at the Kayak aerodrome, BO miles irom Beirut.

Free French Air Force planes dropped pamphlets urging the French in byria to throw off the Vichy yoke. At least eight German freighters and four or five Italian or Rumanian ships have entered the Aagean Sea from the Black Sea laden with troops and war material, states the Istanbul correspondent of the British United Press. A Berlin spokesman refused to comment on the Luftwaffe’s use of Syrian aerodromes, but said that if France permitted the passage of German troops and planes across Syria llf she would merely be applying the United States principle of lease and lend. AIR OPERATIONS. (British Official Wireless,) , RUGBY. May 16. An R.A.F. (Middle East) communique states: In Iraq, aircraft of the Fleet. Air Arm successfully attacked military barracks at Samawa and a large number of bombs fell inside the compound. In Syria, German aircraft on three Syrian aerodromes were attacked yesterday. At Palmyra three Junkers 90 machines and two other German aircraft and one Caproni -19 were machine-gunned. At least three of these aircraft were severely damaged and one other was burned out. Similar attacks were made at Damascus and at Kayak.