SYRIAN ARMISTICE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 191, 15 July 1941, Page 5

SYRIAN ARMISTICE

RATIFIED AT ACRE. AFTER PINAL TALKS. LONDON, July 14. The Syrian armistice was finally signed at 7.55 this evening, the signatories being General Sir Maitland Wilson, Commander-iu-Chief in Syria, for the Allies and General De'Verdillac for the French. The ceremony took place in the Sydney Smith Barracks at Acre. The signing followed a discussion which commenced at 11 a.m.

An Arabic' newspaper comments that with the conclusion of the armistice Syria will now get her independence. The path of co-operation between the Arab countries and Great Britain will then be open.

The worth of the American Tomahawk fighters in the fighting in Syria has been described. In the three days before the engagements eifised the Australians brought down as destroyed or damaged 19 Vichy machines with the loss of only one plane. EGYPT "TO - INDIA.

BULWARK TO BE DEFENDED NEW YORK, July 14

Mr Carl Sulzberger, Ankara correspondent of tho New York Times, says that with Syria conquered preparations have already been begun to defend the front line from Kgypt to India, particularly the Iran border, against a possible German thrust from tho Russian Caucasus.

Tho Quetta Command, in Baluchistan, has been considerably reinforced and the army in Iraq has been expanded. Tho Turkish papers are hinting of a war in Iran to prevent Germany getting the oilfields.