EAST SYRIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23993, 17 June 1941, Page 7

EAST SYRIA

FUNKING MOVE town occupied BEST STANCE WEAKER POSITION IN - CAPITAL jjy Trlfffrnpli Press Association —Copyright (Pfcd. I P-m.) LONDON, Juno lti .\s the result of a flanking rnove-/-jpnt, Allied forces have occupied Vjjjifa, seven miles oast-north-east pf Kiswo. This has enabled 'the jtraiehteniiitf out of the line in eastern Syria from Sidon and Djezzin t0 Damascus. Sii'iis are increasing of a weakening 0 f resistance in Syria, and Free French headquarters in, London are optimistic that Damascus will capitulate soon. The governor of the city is reported to have pa sst 'd through Ankara en route t 0 Istanbul. and (ieneral Dentz, tho Freiicll commander, lias significantly c(] l| p( j on th<■ officials of Damascus and Beirut to'■"'remain at. their posts, unless otherwise directed. Gendarmes are patrolling the streets of Damascus. At Beirut, night- precautions have been -lkcn against disorders. Proclamations (Vl |j on the population to remain calm, ['he evacuation of civilians continues. Colonel Collet, who recently left the >vrian forces to join.General de Gaulle, is operating in the Damascus region. He conferred with a number of prominent Svrians and sent them back to their huinoß with appeals to their followers to facilitate the bloodless progress of the Allies. The commander of the Free French air force has made a broadcast appeal to French airmen to cease fighting. The Free French, he said, had no squadrons in the air, because in the air it was impossible to parley. The Brazzaville' radio says British and Imperial troops from Irak are advancing rapidly toward Aleppo and Palmyra. OCCUPIED AREA allied administration food supplies brought in LONDON, June 16 An independent French news agency message from Jerusalem says the Syrian and Lebanese territory so far occupied by the Allies equals the area pi several French departments and contains nearly 500.000 inhabitants. Officers devoted to the Allied cause have already taken the first steps toirsrd realisation of the Allies promise cf independence and are reorganising {he departments of finance, police, customs, public works and education, piiich are now running smoothly under (he improved conditions. Merchants from Syria and Lebanon are being granted permits to purchase petrol anywhere in Palestine, and also to send into the occupied territory wheat, flour, rice, sugar, coffee and kerosene. , PETAIN NOT TOLD GERMAN USE OF SYRIA REPERCUSSIONS EXPECTED / ' LONDON, June Hi The revelation that the organisation of German air bases in Syria was without the' knowledge of Marshal Petain is. expected to have repercussions in France. _ . Free French circles in the United States consider that Vichy is supported by only 5 to 10 per cent of the French population. The , importance i.- stressed of letting the people of France know the true facts, as Vichy is telling them that, if Britain wins, France will become only a British Dominion. APPEALS BY RADIO TROOPS JOIN DE GAULLE (Reed. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. June 15 Wireless is playing an important part in savinf lives 'in the British campaign in Syria, says the British official wireless. Continual broadcasts are being made to the Vichy tioops ex plaining to them how they have been duped into playing the German game and fighting Germany's war for her. British and Free French proclamations are given out over the wire ess as well as being dropped from the air in pamphlet form. The object is to persuade the Vichy troops to join the forces of General de Gaulle and to repel the Germans. So long as this weapon achieves its object, as it is known to be doing from the number of Vichy troops constantly joining General de Gaulle, the Allies are saving the lives of their troops. SOLDIERS IGNORANT I PRESENCE OF GERMANS LONDON, June 10 A correspondent states that l'rench prisoners at first strongly denied the presence of German troops in Syria, and later were amazed when they were shown concrete evidence of German infiltration. They said they had to obey orders as soldiers, although they knew that the Germans and not the British Were the real enemies of f ranee. CYPRUS BOMBED LONDON, June 10 Cyprus was bombed by enemy aeroJilnnes last night, but no material damage was done. ITALIANS AT JIMMA CAPITULATION EXPECTED XRpcd. <;.30 p.m.) CATRO, June 15 It is estimated that 20,000 Italians are still holding out at Jimma, but it is not expected that they "will resist much longer. Operations continue slowly, but satisfactorily, owing to heavy rain. Strong patriot forces are moving up with Imperial troops,-who completely encircle the main remnants of the Italian army 8t Jimtna. t