CHANGE-OVER

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21218, 14 September 1940, Page 8

CHANGE-OVER

SYRIA’S ATTITUDE ITALIANS MANHANDLED ‘COLONEL’S NOSE PULLED’ (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 14, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 13 A tremendous change in the Syrian sentiment in favour of General de Gaulle has occurred since the arrival of the Italian Armistice Commission, says an American press correspondent.

A French National Committee spokesman in Cairo said: “Resentment against the Italian efforts to disarm Syria is running high and an explosion may come at any moment.

“Last month Syria was emphatically following the Vichy-ites, but bitterness has been engendered by the conviction that Italy was the first to arrive for the spoils, though she had not defeated France, and never could.” He added that the British Fleet bars the Italians from landing but if Syria was disarmed air-borne troops might take control and thrust against the Mosel oilfields, thus cutting off Britain’s main Middle East oil supply. Members of the Italian mission are reported to have been man-handled. A colonel’s nose was pulled and legionaires jumped on one another.

The Arab leader, Emir Abdullah, in a speech, said that the FrancoGerman armistice was critical for Syria. The Italian Commission had displeased the Arabs because no foreign commission had the right to enter Arab mandated territory with the object of maintaining authority. Any administrative change must be to the Arabs’ advantage.

TROOPS MOVE

ITALIANS IN LIBYA GREATER ACTIVITY SEEN REINFORCING POSITIONS (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 14, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 13 “The intermittent exchanges of artillery fire between thf British and Italian outposts are reported to be increasing,” says the Cairo correspondent of the American Press. Marshal Graziani, the Italian Com-mander-in-Chief, is reported to be rushing fresh troops from Libya to Bardia to compensate for the recent heavy British attacks there. Success of Patrols A communique issued by General Headquarters in Cairo says: In Egypt the thickening up of the enemy’s defences west of the frontier is continuing. Beyond the usual raids on Mersa Matruh the air activity is slight. It is now confirmed that one enemy aircraft was brought down by antiaircraft fire on the night of September 10. On the other fronts there are no operations to report. An official communique issued at Nairobi states: Patrols were active on all parts of the front. One encountered superior enemy forces at Wal Garis, on the frontier of Italian Somaliland, and inflicted casualties. Our casualties were of the slightest.

ITALIANS’ STORY

MUCH AIR ACTIVITY SUBMARINE SUCCESSES (United Press Asn.—teiec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 14, 3.15 p.m.) ROME, Sept. 13 A communique states that an Italian submarine reached its base after sinking a 10,000-ton tanker and an 8000-ton cargo vessel in the Atlantic. Italian aviation continued night and day raids against enemy concentrations, motorised units and other military objectives on the Egyptian coast. Airmen set fire to an oil depot, damaged se'veral enemy lorries, armoured cars, tanks and other formations, and successfully attacked an encampment and barracks at Abidia, also a column of 20 lorries near Elchature in Kenya. “ Only Slight Damage ” The enemy raided Massawa four times on Thursday and damaged a building. Assab was also bombed and a hospital was destroyed as well as some buildings in the centre of the town causing six deaths and some wounded among the Italian and native populations. Other enemy air raids at Asmara and Gura caused slight damage. The bombing of aerodromes at Djimma and Chachamana inflicted slight damage and nine casualties. The Italian fighters shot down one enemy plane.

LOYALTY OF AFRICA

United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) CAPETOWN, Sept. 12

The South African Minister of the Interior, Mr H. Lawrence, endorsing the warning by the Prime Minister, General Smuts, that the Government intended to use its full powers to curb subversive activities, detailed the actions of the Ossewabrandwag organisation, which was formed as an Afrikaans cultural society.