"DEATH TRAP"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23839, 14 December 1940, Page 11

"DEATH TRAP"

ITALIANS' RETREAT SOLLUM "BOTTLENECK" POSSIBLE DISASTER R.v Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON, Dec. 1.5 The belief that the. Italians, now in full retreat, would find a death trap at the point where the narrow road from Solium enters Libya, was expressed by Mr. George Sloeombe in a broadcast to-day. Mr. Sloeombe said that Solium was a frontier town, and a "bottle-neck*' through which the Italian army passed in its advance into Egypt. Through it the Italians would have to pass on their return to their bases in Libya. In the region of Solium the desert plains narrowed to a siimle deli!", on one side of which was the Mediterranean and on the other mountains. This escarpment road, continued Mr. Sloeombe, was inadequate for supply columns in normal conditions. When it was the only means of retreat for an finny exposed to bombardment by I British warships and to bombing by the i lioyal Air Force, it might easily prove I to be disast rolls. The. war in Ibis theatre might he expected to move swiftly in the next lew days, he concluded. (hie of the greatest problems lacing the Italian commander. Marshal Gra?.iani. will be a supply of water, i stated Mr. Phillip Jordan, a correspondent who recently returned to London from North Africa. This was in spite of the fact that the Italian soldier had been trained to exist on as small a water ration as any soldier in the World. Mr. Jordan said that, before the I British advance, Marshal Graziani ! obtained water from Sidi Barrani and I Bugling, and in addition had to transport supplies from Libya. But now Sidi Barrani was gone and Bugbug was in danger. SEATS RESIGNED LEADING AFRIKANDERS I GENERAL HERTZOG'S STEP PARTY'S LACK OF CONFIDENCE JOHANNESBURG. Dec. 12 The former Prime Minister, General Hertzog. and the former Minister of Finance. Mr. N. A. tlavenga, have resigned from the Parliament, of South Africa. In a letter to their constituents they stated that they had resigned because ot lack of confidence in them revealed in recent Free State and Transvaal Congresses. The reunited Nationalist Party Conference's decisions "prove that the party is on a course that will necessarily lead Afrikanderdom downward," they stated, and added that they would devote the remainder of their lives to loyal service of the people but outside party politics. GERMANS OPTIMISTIC FUTURE COLONIAL POLICE VISIT TO ITALIAN COLONIES (Received December Kl. •'>..10 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 12 The Berlin radio states that a special force is in training as Germany's luture colonial police. After a period of training at home, it is stated, the force will gain practical experience over a period of several mouths in Italian colonies, and will then spend a month at the colonial police school in Home. MISSING IN ACTION HOUSE OF COMMONS MEMBER (Received December 1:5, .V."io p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 12 Flying-Officer J. P. Bntlibone, Conservative M.P. for the Bodmin Division since 19-15, is missing in action. He was mobilised as a member ot the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in September of last, year. Flying-(Hlieer Rathhone. who is aged ;{() years, was educated at Eton and Oxford Fnivorsity, and in IM" was appointed Parliamentary private secretary to the Civil Lord of the Admiralty. RUMANIAN VICTIMS MURDERS BY IRON GUARD (Received December IH, 5..M) p.m.) LONDON. Dec. 12 Assassinations by the Rumanian Iron Guard on November and .'lf) consisted of 2160 Rumanian ex-prefects, gendarmerie and police, and 680 Jews, states the Istanbul correspondent of the Times. Seven Germans were killed by mistake.