DAMASCUS TO BE OCCUPIED
Final
Warning To
Free French
Now In
Western
Suburbs
THE POSITION IN SYRIA IS CONSIDER- ED SATISFACTORY IN USUALLY WELL IN- FORMED CIRCLES IN CAIRO,
Vichy raiding thrusts round Kuneitra and Merj Ayoum have been contained and ample forces are available to drive them back. This action is, in fact, in full swing.
are
Further east the Allied forces of Syria," with his Circassian slowly making their way warriors, is in the suburbs of
down the foothills leading to the Damascus controlling the heights, while inside the city the popula-
Plain of Damascus.
tion is reported to be extremely With the Allied columns mak-nervous-International News Ser- ing headway towards the city vice. from various points of the compass the situation is, how- ever, somewhat confused.
Indian troops here, as in North Africa, are taking part and are doing a fine job of work, parti- cularly in the coastal sector.
Final Warning
A FINAL WARNING TO THE FRENCH HIGH COMMISSIONER AT DAMASCUS, GENERAL DENTZ, TO CAPITULATE, FAILING WHICH AN ALLIED ATTACK ON DAMASCUS WOULD BEGIN AT 5.30 THIS MORNING, WAS MADE BY RADIO FROM JERUSALEM BY THE BRITISH COMMANDER, GENERAL MAITLAND WILSON, YESTERDAY.
Further Progress
A Calro communique states:- Further progress has been made on the coastal sector where our ad- vanced patrols are now within 20 miles of Beirut.
South of Damascus the Allied forces have made further head- way in the face of strong opposi- tion by Vichy troops.
Gen. Dentz
TIME BOMB
EXPLODES IN
HONGKEW PARK
Mystery veils BROUGHTON STILL IN
THE BOX
Sir Delves Broughton, who is charged with the
murder of the Earl of Erroll, giving further evidence at the trial in Nairobi yesterday, did not agree that Erroll's death a satisfactory solu- tion of his (Broughton's) domestic troubles.
Was
He agreed he had previously said he would take his wife back if Erroll and she fell out of love while Broughton was in Ceylon, but he now added this would have depended on what kind of fife she led while he was away.
Replying to the judge, ac- cused said his toast at dinner on January 23 to his wife, Erroll and their future heir was ab- solutely sincere,
In the central arca heavy counter-attacks by our forces are in progress against Vichy Broughton denied being in- elements which had temporartly | volved in a scene at the Muthaige effected lodgements in Merd] Club when, soon after his arrival Ayoum and Kulnetra:
in Nairobi, it was alleged he Al Jezzine a determined coun- threatened to throw champagne ter-attack was successfully repuls-in his wife's face or break ed, leaving many Vichy infantry bottle over a man's head. and several armoured cars in our Accused said it was a complete
fairy tale.--Reuter.
General Wilson added Vichy hands.--British Wireless. would be responsible for the bloodshed.
Whether the French capitulate or not, General Wilson promised he would start the occupation of Damascus at dawn to-day.
Kiswe Successes
Free French and British troops have occupied all fortified posi- tions to the east west of Kiswe,
12 miles south of Damascus, says
a communique issued by
Frec
French Headquarters in the
"LOSING SIDE
WILL BE EXHAUSTED"
"THE GREATEST importance is attached
Middle East carried from Jerusa- to the outcome of the fighting at Sollum, os the losing side will be exhausted," says the
lem by the Independent French Agency and quoted by Reuter.
Free French At Gates Berlin correspondent
Free French troops have now
Damascus, according to a despatch
"Dagens Nyheter."
of the Stockholm
reached the western suburbs of The battle, adds the writer, is compared to the Independent French News with the hardest fighting in the whole of last
Agency from its correspondent
with the French forces in Syria. year,
The Vichy troops are still hold-
ing the village of Mezoe, some
three miles from Damascus,
Like Graziani, General JAPANESE
Rommel appeared with a
Other Free French and in- prepared offensive, and DEMAND
dian troopa are pushing for- ward along the Kiswe-Damas-
the cue road east of
moun-
General Wavell attacked
in order to break the head IN MACAO
tainous district of Janou. Atriz. of the enemy's advance. Vichy artillery..is shelling the last road, south of Kiswe in a
German military circles do not effort to delay the fall of Damas-belleve that the fighting will con- cus but Allied supply, and, troops convoys continue to through uninterruptedly,
Kuneitra Retaken
come
It was authoritatively learned in Jerusalem yesterday that the Al lles have recaptured Kuneltra, in Syria Reuter
Naval Bombardment French naval units bombarded British troops in the Sidon area on Tuesday evening, says a semis official Beirut. telegram to Vichy quoted by Beuter,
Situation “Fluid”. .
(By Kenneth Downe with the Allied Forces in Syria): Heavy fighting is proceeding in. yria, with the situation still ex tremely fluid around Erza, Merj Ayoum and Kuneitra,
Frep: French" troops defandød migrim: resid. unite
|
tinue for many days owing to dif- ficulties of supply.
The Rome, correspondent of the "Dagbladet" declares, the British, offensivs. at Bollum: has: assumed, "great; dimensions." " IT IS STATED IN ROME THAT, LAST THREE DURING THE WEEKS THE BRITISH HAVE RECEIVED EVEN GREATER
"
[SPECIAL TO. “CHINA, MAIL"]
1
THE JAPANESE AUTHORI- TIES IN MACAQ HAVE DE- ARREST OF MANDED THE THE PERSONS RESPONSIBLE- FOR THE ASSASSINATION. OF CHIU YAT-NGOK, PUPPET DISTRICT MAGISTRATE OF CHUNGSHAN.... WHO WAS FATALLY SHOT IN MACAO REINFORCEMENTS,, · ESPECIAL; ON. MONDAY,
[ị - The demand: has been formally Military circles, state the.com-presented to the Macao Govern- bined actions of General Wavell ment; who have promised that | and General Wilson at Sollum and everything would be done to trace
are the gunman.
LY OF TANKS AN
car
in Syria show "the British seeking to obtain a breathing. It may be recalled that• Chiu space for the defence of Suez. was shot by a lone gunman in Router,
the head as he alighted from a outside the offices of the Chinese newspaper, "Sal; Nam Yat Fo" (South-West Daily News), alleged "Wang Ching-wei" organ,
Our Own, Correspondent.
100,000 ABLE TO RESPOND
operate Britain's secret weapon against air raiders.
[SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL"
Federal radio officials in Wash, Ington, yesterday," "estimated that, There are 58,500 licensed ama- at least, 100,000) American Utizens teurs, and nearly 40.000 protes-
the are..., qualified to answer. Lord - sionals in radio and closely alller
least fields in the US, Inters
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") the explosion of a time bomb in Hongkew Park, in Japanese- occupied Shanghai, causing injuries to two Chinese.
The Japanese say the pair are criminals, and it is rumoured an attempt was made on the life of Japan- officers army conducting soldiers drilling in the park.
ese
-International News Service.
COMMERCIAL PRESS STRIKE
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Labour circles in Shanghai hope that the lock-out at the Commer- cial Press, now nearly two months old, will end "in the immediate future" as negotiations between the strikers and manage- ment have been resumed and are progressing satis- factorily.
The Commercial Press, whose branches formerly spread all over China and is considered one of the largest publishing houses in the Far East will not resume produc- tion in its factories until the end of the war.
It is
only reported that the maior unsettled point in the nego- tiations is the amount of com- pensation to some 600 workers- International News Service,
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