1941-03-17 — Page 3

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No. 32,098

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1941

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SECOND ED

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BUTTER

ITALIAN SEVEN-DAY

YUGOSLAV OFFENSIVE STAYED

REBUFF TO NAZIS

Negotiations Drag On

The Yugoslav-German negotiations are dragging on, with the Nazis still reluctant to agree to the Yugoslav proposal for a non-aggression pact bas- ed on absolute neutrality, coupled with recognition of the complete integrity of Yugoslav territory and interests.

Further evidence of the firm desire of Yugoslavia to maintain absolute neu- trality is contained in a leading article in the in- dependent Belgrade news- paper "Politika," one of Belgrade's principal dailies.

After emphasising that strict neutrality is Yugoslavia's policy, the newspaper stresses that no- body hitherto has threatened the country but that Yugoslavia would resist an attack from any quarter.

"Tricks Or Pressure"

Yugoslavs would reject all at- tempts to turn them from the path they were following to-day and would refuse to submit "to any policy of tricks or pressure which would humiliate them in their own eyes."

In the eveut of such an at- tempt being made the nation, de- spite its desire for peace, would defend its freedom and indepen- dence.

Reuter.

MINE EXPLOSION DAMAGE

Licking Wounds: Forty Per Cent. Effectives Lost

U.S. NAVAL VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND

two United States cruisers and four de- stroyers will arrive at Auckland (New Zea- land) to-day in the course of a training cruise.

Announcing this in Wellington yesterday, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr. Peter Fraser, said the leave warships will again on Thursday.- Reuter.

Greeks

Rescue

RAF Pilot

"LICKING THEIR wounds" after their unsuccessful seven-day offensive on the cen- tral battlefront in Albania, the Italians re- frained from any major attacks yesterday, said an Athens official spokesman.

NAZI

FIRE BLITZ

German raiders drop- ped many hundreds of in- cendiary bombs on a West of England town last evening but few fires re- sulted.

High explosive bombs Wers also used.

no

London had a brief alert dur-

far Incidents have been reported.

The Air Ministry announce that there is nothing to report cerning the daylight hours yea- terday. Reuter.

The Italians appear to be busy attendinging the evening but so to their wounded and, according to prisoners, are making lying attempts to mask the ex- tent of their debacle, added the spokesman.

He described the Ita-down by shell fire when they were still 500 yards from the objective. lian High Command as What enthusiasm these unfor- enraged at the failure of tunate troops had when they

started soon evaporated. their offensive despite the employment of 120,000

men.

was

The spokesman said the loss of Italian effectives engaged often as high as 40 per cent. Reuter.

Rome Admission

The first admission that anything unusual is going on at the Greek front, was made by

Rome radio yesterday.

Referring to an announcement in yesterday's Italian communi- que, that "in the course of local activity Italian troops captured arms and prisoners in the sector of the 11th Army," the announcer indicated that

"Something more than patrol activity is in progress and that the action was intended as a test

of enemy resistance on the Greek getting

hot."-Reuter,

A battle between Greeks and Italians, with a Bri-front, where things are tish airman as prize, is described in the Greek newspaper "Eleftheron" quoted on Athens radio last night.

THE NEWSPAPER SAYS THE AIRMAN BALED OUT AND LANDED SAFELY NEAR THE ITALIAN LINES. THE ITA- LIANS PREPARED TO TAKE Several houses were of GREEKS

HIM PRISONER BUT A BAND SPRANG FROM damaged, walls being THEIR POSITIONS AND EN- cracked and windows GAGED THE ENEMY. shattered; in Shap Lung

the Italiana,

A hand-to-hand battle ensued which ended with the defeat of Village, about a mile and The British, airman: was taken a half south-west of Sil-back in triumph to the Greek ver Mine Bay (Lantau Is-line, where his rescue was suit- land) last Wednesday night when a mine ex- ploded on the beach.

ably colebrated-Reuter,

Island at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

One of the mines struck rocks

There were, however, no casoff Shap Lung Village and ex- unities.

ploded.

Messages from war correspon - Albanian front state that the Ita- dents with the Greek Army on the lian forces thrown into the offen- sive launched at Mussolini's orders! seven days ago are put at 120,000 men, operating on a front of about 20 miles.

Mussolini, a message states, lost several of his closest colla- borators, including six, members of the Fascist Grand Council, of whom some, like Professor Pel- legrini, have been taken prison-- er and others, like Barbelini,

killed.

Italian losses are estimated at some 50,000 men killed, wound- ed and captured.

The debacle is attributed by

correspondents to the accuracy of Greek artillery fire, the skill and ability of machine-gunners · and the alertness of the Infantry, as well as to a lack of morale in the Italian troops.

Mown Down

Whole Italian regiments, it is According to a belated police The other mine, it is under-stated, have been flung against report, two mines drifted from stood, has been rendered useless|positions held only by smull Greek

their moorings towards Lantauby a naval patrol.

detachments, only to be ZERWA

THEIR FORMATIONS WERE

BROKEN UP AND THROWN

INTO A STATE OF CONFUSION, OFFICERS TRYING VAINLY TO RESTORE SOME SORT OF ORDER AT REVOLVER POINT.

con-

NEW BANKING HOURS IN H.K.

NEW HOURS FOR EX- BUT FEW OF THEM LIVED TO CHANGE BANKS IN RETURN TO THE STARTING THE COLONY HAVE POINT-BRITISH WIRELESS,

MISSING 'PLANE

REPORTED SAFE

BEEN ANNOUNCED.

COMMENCING JO MORROW, BANKS WILL

It is now known that an air- BE OPEN FROM 9.30. craft previously reported missing from last Saturday night's opera-A.M. TO 1 PM., AND. tions by the Bomber Command FROM

2.30 P.M. TO has landed safely

away from its base, says Reuter from London,

LONDON

13.30-P.M.

-SYDNEY

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