BRITISH COMMANDER MEETS AUSTRALIANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 44, 22 February 1940, Page 5

BRITISH COMMANDER MEETS AUSTRALIANS

“GOOD HARDBITTEN LOT” I Received Feb. 21. 8.32 p.m. j LONDON, Feb. 20. j Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald i Wavell, Commander of the British I Forces in the Neart East, arrived ai Jerusalem by air from Egypt to inspect the Anzacs. The Gaza correspondent of the British United Press says that Sir Archibald Wavell told the troops: 'T see to-day a good, hardbitten lot like the Australians of the last war. You’re tine men. as indeed Australians always are. I see you mean business and am confident you will acquit vourselves well ’ Sir Archibald Wavell stayed ovet-| night and discussed with rhe com- ■ manders the standardisation of all ; troops in the Middle East, whereby ! units can be ' ea to any threatened sector and light as a single war machine, whether they are Australian, ' English, French. Nev Zealand. Indian or African. OIL PROSPECTING BRITISH ENGINEERS ARRIVE IN BAGDAD. Received Feb. 21. 10.30 p.m. ANKARA, Feb. 21. British engineers are reported t* have arrived in Baghdad tn prospect oil I in Iraq and Iran. RUSSIAN DESERTERS REMARKABLE STORY FROXTIEK ( KOSSEJ> INTO TURKEY ROME. Feb. 20. i lh? Laban news agency circulates' a remarkable story of the strange j attraction cl Turkey for Russians. A group of Russian infantrymen. is stated, cressed the Caucasus ;tontier and look »efuge in Turkish 1 erritory. Ike autnorities disarmed; th-f soldiers and i.Joimed the Soviet that their aim- wculd be put at Russia’s disposal The Soviet sent a cavalry squadron Io escort the deserters i - men reached Turkish territory they ■ also refused !o ret. n i > R- s>ia and ire sJ’i in Turkey. Confirmation has be<*n teceived 1‘ from Istanbul that a number of Rus- i sian technicians working in factories i • fused to return to the Soviet. Turny officially ignores the matter.