FRENCH FORCES IN EAST

Southland Times, Issue 24166, 1 July 1940, Page 6

FRENCH FORCES IN EAST

DECISION TO STOP FIGHTING (Received June 30, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 29. The Daily Telegraph says that General Maxime Weygand, presumably at the instigation of Germany and Italy, flew to Beirut on June 26, and induced General Eugene Mittelhauser, French Commander in the Middle East, not to continue resistance. General Weygand is imposing on all a policy of general surrender by which he will be able to force the fulfilment of the armistice terms. It is understood that the French administration in Syria and Lebanon will continue. Tire Syrian forces would have fought on if there had been an alternative government, but the absence of one and the soldiers’ worries about their families in France swayed opinion from the week-end enthusiasm to a realization of the necessity for collaborating with the Bordeaux Government. French residents in Aden and Gambia informed the governors that they would fight on to victory with Britain. The German High Command states that no outstanding events have occurred in France. U-boats report sinking 38,000 tons of enemy merchant shipping. Another U-boat sank three armed enemy merchantment. Bomber units on Friday and Saturday attacked armament works and docks in southern and central England with visible success. Particularly effective were bombing raids against troop concentrations and embarkations at Jersey and Guernsey, where large fires and violent explosions were observed in the docks. British aeroplanes continued night raids over northern and western Germany via Belgium and Holland and dropped bombs which damaged only dwelling houses and wounded several civilians. Four attacking aircraft were shot down. There were no German losses.

CHILDREN DESTINED FOR DOMINIONS

DATES FIXED FOR RAILING OF FIRST SHIPS

LONDON, June 28.

It is learned that dates have been fixed for the sailing of the first ships to the Dominions with children evacuated from Britain. The Ministry of Health plans for an evacuation as completely revised, as the possibility of the removal of the bulk of the civilian population from certain districts for military reasons must be considered. Fewer than 240,000 schoolchildren were registered under the February scheme, which provided for 560,000. It is now necessary to increase the number in evacuation areas and to eliminate certain reception areas.

WORK OF AUXILIARY SERVICE WOMEN FROM DOMINIONS JOIN LONDON, June 29. New Zealand and Australian women and numerous Canadians have joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, which is campaigning for 10,000 recruits. The Dominion women are paying their own fares to England to join up. Members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service served with the British Expeditionary Force up to the evacuation of Dunkirk. One platoon of 50 spent five nights in the trenches just behind the front lines before they were evacuated from Dieppe. The Germans bombed Dieppe mercilessly half an hour after the women left. All the members have now returned to England without casualties.