RUSSIANS IN LITHUANIA

Southland Times, Issue 24154, 17 June 1940, Page 6

RUSSIANS IN LITHUANIA

Capital Entered By Tanks NEW GOVERNMENT STIPULATED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright (Received June 16, 6.30 p.m.) BERLIN, June 15. The German Official News Agency states that Germany and Russia signed a treaty at Moscow on June 10 arranging methods for the settlement of disputes and border incidents. It adds that the Soviet Army crossed the Lithuanian frontier at 3 p.m. It will occupy Vilna, Kaunas and three other towns. Two hundred Soviet tanks entered Kaunas. Soviet officials arrived by air. The Prime Minister, M. Merkys, and the Cabinet resigned following the acceptance of a Soviet ultimatum, in which'the Soviet claimed the right to occupy Lithuania and also stipulated a change of Government. General Pastikis, a former commander-in-chief, is forming a new Ministry. ITALIANS SHUT IN MEDITERRANEAN NECESSITY TO ENGAGE ALLIED FLEETS (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, June 14. In considering the Mediterranean theatre of war, informed London quarters regard that sea as divided into three main zones—the eastern basin, dominated by Egypt and the British Fleet, the central sector, within the triangle of Sardinia, Sicily and Cape Bon, at present under Italian control, and the western basin, dominated by Spain and by the French Fleet. Italy, therefore, is somewhat isolated. In order to obtain free access to two of the three entrances to the Mediterranean, through which she mainly relies for supplies, it may be necessary for (her to endeavour to break out at one or the other end. In order to effect this in the western basin, Italy must control Spain and destroy the French fleet. To bring about this result in the eastern basin, the occupation of Egypt and the destruction of the British Mediterranean Fleet would be necessary. . ... . . There is no tendency in official circles to underestimate the fighting power of the Italian Navy, the training of which shows great improvement on that given before the last war. It is felt that the main strength of the navy probably lies in its submarines and motor torpedo boats, of which Italy has a considerable quantity and which in the last war she showed her ability to use. Of her six battleships, judged by British practice, two of these are regarded as effective and the remaining four not yet efficient fighting units, as they have not yet fully completed their trials. The custom of the British Navy is to regard new or reconditioned ships as not being 100 per cent, effective until they have had six months’ working after their trials have been completed. Italy’s merchant fleet already has been depleted, by British naval action, by about 210,855 tons. Some of these ships were scuttled but many were captured and, therefore, have been added to the Allied merchant service. In view of the fresh outbreak of German submarine activity, this implementation of the merchant fleet is valuable. Before Italy declared war she had already suffered some loss at sea; between September and * June 10 eight Italian vessels, of a total of 37,619 tons, were sunk by Germany.