ANZACS REACH CYPRUS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21969, 22 May 1941, Page 5

ANZACS REACH CYPRUS

Strong Support For Garrisons French Threat Of Reprisals 3y Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (8.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 21. The Cairo correspondent of “The Times” says that a strong force of Anzacs has arrived at Cyprus to reinforce the existing British and local garrisons. High authorities in Vichy declare that if Britain continued to bomb French aerodromes in Syria, France would inevitably carry out reprisals. The Cairo correspondent of “Tiie Times’” reports that internal situation in Syria is becoming worse. The Beirut electric power station has broken down, putting out of action the lighting and tramway systems. Rationing, which is already severe, has been considerably tightened up. A systematic campaign of arrests has begun, roping in French officers, officials and Syrian politicians in Beirut and Damascus who are suspected of sympathising with General de Gaulle. The Government has started mass dismissals in a political purge. The “Dally Telegraph” says the Vichy Government is holding Polish gold to the value of £50,000,000 at a place 120 miles south of Dakar. Vichy also is gradually disposing of Belgian gold of much greater value. General Sikorski made a statement that the Belgian gold was being shipped to France and he expected that the Polish gold would soon follow. The Ankara correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain quotes authoritative sources as saying that Raschid All's army Is being strengthened by volunteer Soviet pilots, air technicians, tank drivers, and mechanics. The authorities added: “We are not prepared for a struggle but heln is now coming rapidly. The population of the Soviet Asiatic districts includes 25,000,000 of Moslem origin who are sympathetic to Iraq. Volunteers from Afghanistan and Iran are also arriving to aid Raschid AIL” During operations in Iraq, a naval aircraft, which had been damaged while taking part in the attack on barracks at Samawa, had to make a forced landing three miles south of the town and it was quickly surrounded by members of Raschid All’s forces, who opened Are. Another naval aircraft, which had observed the incident, promptly landed and rescued the crew without casualty in the face of armed opposition and once more took to the air.