The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1941. Advances in Syria

Southland Times, Issue 24460, 13 June 1941, Page 4

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1941. Advances in Syria

NEWS from Syria is still scanty, and it is difficult to form a clear picture of what is going on. No doubt this is partly due to the unusual nature of the Allied invasion: it is a political, as well as a military move, and the political factors may be predominant. A cable message from London, printed this morning, points out that the entry into Syria must not be regarded as “blitzkrieg warfare,” in which troops advance at any sacrifice for the sake of speed. Far from being an invasion of violence, it is an attempt to forestall a German entry by an appeal to the honour’ of the French and Syrian forces and a guarantee of their independence. The British and Free French troops are advancing cautiously and are using leaflets and loud-speakers in the hope of accomplishing their purpose by persuasion rather than by force. Where harsher methods have been found necessary, however, the Allies have not hesitated to employ them, for Germany's recent advances into the Mediterranean have made the occupation of Syria imperative. If Britain does not secure this French mandate, Hitler soon will; and from its aerodromes his bombers would be able to threaten the Suez Canal. The danger of the situation is that Britain may be forced into open conflict with her former ally, in which case not only the French Fleet but the French North African Army might fall into Hitler’s hands. However, this is a risk which has had to be taken; it is amply justified by the gravity of the situation which would arise in the Middle East if Syria were to become available to the enemy as a base of operations. The resumption of the advance along the coastal road to Beirut, the capture of defensive positions to the south of Damascus, and reports of other gains in the north-east suggest that the tactics followed by the Allies are meeting with some success. In several places there have been sharp engagements with the Vichy forces, but the quality of the resistance generally seems to have been poor. Of the 45,000 French troops in Syria, only about one-third are white, and many of these, though they have responded to the call of duty, can have little faith in the cause fox - which they are asked to fight against their fellow-country-men and former allies. Reports from Vichy claim that the fighting has been severe and that the defenders have suffered heavy losses. It should be remembered, however, that these reports are inspired by Nazi propagandists, who will be anxious to represent the invasion in its worst light in the hope of influencing the French people towards an open breach with Britain. As long as the Germans can be kept out —and there is at present no sign that they are giving the French any substantial assistance —resistance in Syria seems unlikely to be determined or prolonged.