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CHINA MAIL
FIRST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST. ESTABLISHED 1845.
No. 32,164
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1941
Price: 10 cta
LATE FINAL
NIGHT
INSIST ON
Daisy Brand
Australia's Choicest
BUTTER
SYRIA MOVING TO CLIMAX
Showdown With Vichy Apparently Inevitable SAPPERS' BRITISH TROOPS INCIDENT HEROISM MOVED TO SYRIA IN HANKOW
IN AFRICA
Working up to their necks in rising Abyssinian rivers, with currents run- ning more than six miles an hour, engineers of the Imperal Army "combatted floods in Southern Abys- sinia and defeated the efforts of the Italians to stay the Imperial ad- vances by bridge demoli- tions.
A Nairobi message states that bridges were rebuilt, although in many cases the piles were burn- ed down to below the surface of the water which rose with great rapidity after every downpour.
tre putting up Engineers landing stage at a ferry in South- Abyssinia when the river A laconic telegram was sent to headquarters: "Compell- stage ed to discontinue work as
ern
rose.
is 20 feet below water."
A
The ferry cable broke when a vehicle laden with stores was being transported across a river. the Sappers were thrown in water. One who could not swim was rescued by comrades.
was
Eventually a new bridge launched but at midnight there was a torrential downpour.
Flood debris was hurled against the bridge. The water went over it and the suspension cable part- ed.
The bridge went off down stream leaving eight men maroon- ed on the side.
When daylight came the storm ended and an officer navigated
a frall flat-bottomed bout across the swollen river to rescue his nien. - British Wireless.
TURKEY HIGHLY CONCERNED
The Turks continue to be highly concerned over
Syria.
+
The Deputy Sadak, writing in
FRONTIERS
(SPECIAL TO THE "CHINA MAIL")
CLUB
The Japanese Consul- General at Hankow has protested to the British Consul-General over a WITH THE FRENCH AUTHORITIES IN MANDATED SYRIA "very regrettable inci- FEVERISHLY PREPAR NG FOR ALL EVENTUALITIES, AND THE dent" involving a boy of DEMAND IN BRITAIN FOR ACTION AGAINST THAT TERRI- the Hankow Club who is TORY GROWING HOURLY, THE SITUAtion in the MIDDLE stated to be a member of Chungking's Blueshirt or- EAST FOLLOWING THE FALL OF CRETE IS RAPIDLY MOVING ganisation, revealed the TO A CLIMAX, WITH A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN BRITAIN Japanese Army spokes-
AND VICHY APPARENTLY INEVITABLE. Several London newspapers yesterday reported on reliable authority that German motorised shock troops have landed in Syria, the "Daily Express" asserting that panzer units disembarked from German transports jat Latakia after sailing at night through the Italian Dodecanese Islands and along the Turkish coast in order to escape British naval patrols.
R.A.F. FIGHTERS
STRAFE NAZI
TROOP COLUMN
A column of enemy troops and an armed trawler were attacked
by R.A.F. fighters operating over Nor- thern France and the Channel yesterday.
Our aircraft return- ed safely, says last night's Air Ministry communique. Reu-
ter.
Govt.
House
Pillars
Collapse
The London "Daily Sketch" yesterday demanded an immediate British invasion of Syria, to forestall German occupation of the country and a subsequent push against Bri- tish possessions in the Middle East.
1
FRENCH
man at yesterday's. press conference in Shanghai.
He said that the Chinese boy, named Liu, 36, who had been in
the Club's service for 10 years, Blueshirts.
was found to be a member of the
On the night of May 19, the
police arrested Liu who confess-
ed that arms were concealed within the compound of the Club. Gen- darmerie conducted a search on presence of the British Consul, the Chairman and Japanese Consul
that
Thereupon, the Japanese
May 28 in the
The spokesman declared
two revolvers, five hand-grenades and wa bombs were found under
the floor behind the bar-counter, as well as revolver bullets, and revealed that the arms belonged to terroristic agents of Chung- king.
spokesman,
According to the Liu was acting as liaison officer REPORTS Reliable reports reaching Lon-
NOW of the Hupeh Information Bureau under HOWEVER, THAT which was stated to be don show that General Dentz, the ADMIT, French High Commissioner in FRENCH REGIMENTS IN SYRIA Chungking's Military Council,
Reuter. Syria, is pushing preparations for (Continued on Page 16) an emergency, but Vichy, on the other hand, is carefully denyin all reports both of the landing of German mechanised troops in Syria and that anything unusual Is taking place in the country.
However, General Weygand's his sudden arrival in Vichy and subsequent conferences with Mar- shal Petain and Darlan (which were followed by a lengthy Cab- Inet meeting) is obviously con- nected with the framing of plans for military action, either offen- sive or defensive, in France's overseas territory.
an
The meeting of the Cabinet was ordered by Marshal Petain as
and is emergency measure, ported to have considered "de- velopments threatening to convert
re-
Damage to Government syria or other French colonies the "Aksam," which is close House caused by tunnel-into the next theatres of war."
the Foreign Office,
that states
"ance has no claim to Adana ling went a step further Germans Taking
r Syria, "The Turks only gave it up
last night when, at about
on the condition that the country 8.15 p.m., one of the was granted independence,
defeated pillars in the centre, of
"It is lunacy for a
Over
General Dentz has formally den-
try with equipment disembarked at the Syrian nort of Latakia last
France to talk about -claims to the ground floor veran-led the report that German infan- Aduna. What connection has dah, facing the harbour, this with the Franco-German rappochement?"...
collapsed.
Thursday.
FROM THE POLITICAL AND About fifteen minutes later the. MILITARY VIEWPOINTS IT IS corresponding one on the other IMPERATIVE THAT BRITAIN side of the entrance came down peated to fall, despite constant TAKES OVER SYRIA. ESPE bringing with it the massive gran attention from the workman. The CIALLY AS MILITARY EX-ite crossplece."
prodas verandah above has had other PERTS NOW HOLD THAT THE Fortunately no one was near the supports added to it, as the result GERMANS WILL TRY TO collapse and there were no casual- of the alarming cracks which have appeared within the past six ESTABLISH THEMSELVES INtles. TEX LAYERE SYRIA PRIOR TO ATTACKING Two other pillars, on each side weeks, and these are likely to NCYPRUSIS. REUTERIUS on aid of the, entrance.ccan also be ex-/ prove adequate, en
HAVE AN H. B.-
HR
AND THEN TRY!