MEETING IN EXILE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24849, 22 March 1944, Page 6

MEETING IN EXILE

SHORT ENGAGEMENT LINK WITH BRITISH KING The engagement of King Peter 11. of Yugoslavia to Princess Alexandra of Greece was announced early in August. It had been recognised unofficially for more than a year, but the formal betrothal was postponed for reasons of policy. King Peter is aged 20 years and six months. His bride is 23. fneir acquaintance dates from the arrival of both in Britain after Germany's conquest of the Balkans in 1941. Princess Alexandra is a niece of King George 11. ot Greece, and a first cousin, once removed, of the Duchess of Kent. Her father, the late King Alexander, was the second son of King Constantino 1. of Greece. When King Constantine abdicated and left the country with his eldest son George in 1917, lie designated Alexander his successor, and the latter reigned until his death as n result of bites bv a monkey which attacked him in the Royal Domain in October, 1920. King Constantino returned for a second period, only to abdicate again two years later in favour of the present King. King Alexander in 1919 had married a commoner, Mile. Aspasia Manos, and their only child, Princess Alexandra, was born after her father's death on March 25, 1921. She was brought up in Greece, and on the German invasion went with her mother to England. She has since been engaged in voluntary war work, mainly in London. King Peter is a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria through his maternal grandmother, the late Queen Marie of Rumania. The Princess is also related to the British Royal House through her great - great - grandfather, King Christian IX. of Denmark.

SUCCESS IN BURMA CAPTURE OF SUMPRAEIUM (Reed. 12.45 a.m.) LONDON. March 21 Renter's New Delhi correspondent Bays it is announced from General Stilwell's headquarters that Gurkha troops and Kachin levies have captured the Japanese mountain stronghc! 1 of Sumprabum, about 80 miles north of the Japanese railhead at Myitkvina. Chinese and American forces have smashed Japanese resistance throughout the Hukon Valley, Northern Burma, says a Chinese communique issued in Chungking. During the campaign, which lasted for four months. 1800 square miles were cleared of the enemy and 4000 Japanese were killed. The Associated Press correspondent at New Delhi says that probably the largest battle fought in Burma is developing nlong the Chin Hills, where the Japanese have sent large units across the Chiudwin River. Hard fighting has been progressing for two days in the Tiddim area, on the southern flank of the main operation. Evidently the Japanese objective is to break through the thick jungle along the front, and cut the rail and river supply line feeding the American forces in China, also the Chinese and Americans advancing toward Myitkyina. Although" the Japanese threat is serious, the Allied commanders appear to feel at least as much enthusiasm as apprehension about the attack, which means that the Japanese are lacing a difficult supply problem. The Japanese have only jungle trails along which to move supplies unless they use air transports, which can be reached from dozens of Allied lighter fields. The South-east Asia communique states: "On the Arakan front yesterday the Allies made further progress on the Mayu Range. The Allies, after artillery and air bombardment, drove the Japanese from a prominent feature north of the Maungdaw-Buthidaung road. The enemy met with some initial success in the attack against the Allied position in the Kaladan Valley. We counter-attacked and retook the position. inflicting casualties in hard lighting."