THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 14, 1941
FREE FRENCH SYRIA STATEMENT
"We Do Not Seek A Big Military Victory".
BRITAIN SECURE ON
THE FOOD FRONT
Broadcasting
last
night the Food Con- troller, Lord Woolton, declared that despite the Battle of the Atlantic, Britain's food situation was sound.
Stocks of food were such that the coun- try was as well off after 21 months' of was after
wor as it
nine months in regard
to all essential foods.
-Reuter.
"PRODUCE THE BODY"
Tremendous
Repercussion Of Invasion
THE BRITISH AND Free French Forces in Syria are opposed by 45,000 Vichy troops, of which 30,000 are natives, according to an estimate given by General de Gaulle's Chief of Staff, General Petinin, in an interview in London yesterday.
The Vichy forces are commanded by General Vedillac, who with other generals was released from a German prison camp on pro- mising not to take a further active part against Germany.
be
Emphasising the fact that the tremendous repercussion among Allied penetration of Syria is to the people in France and French expel the Gerinans and prevent, North Africa. further arrivals of Germans, Petinin declared: "We General are only fighting against the Ger- mans and shall continue to fight them wherever and whenever we can until the day of final victory. "We do not seek a big military French in Syria. Free
The apparent contradiction of victory our story of the rat which set soldiers in Syria have been order- on fire with kerosene ran afrenzy ed never to shoot first. in a Temple Street house and caused a small fire calls for some explanation.
"Already many French sol. diers in Syria have joined us, In one It is simple enough.
holding When our
the Tricolour hand reporter arrived at the scene of
and a white flag in the the fire, he found
other, but many have been shot a European
from behind by native troops police sergeant and a Chinese de. tective searching for the rat. The under Vedillac's orders." reason for believing that a ral was connected with the fire was to be found in statements made by the inmates to the police, But the body could not be found, and nothing definite could be proved. In the meantime, we had gone to
press.
Effects Already
Visible
General Petinin was of opinion that the arrival of the British and Free French in Syria will have a
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can already "The results seen from the recent speech of Admiral Darlan, which disclosed and realises he he is worried
carry out his cannot
original! policy of uniting Vichy with Ger- many to fight Britain,
on
"It is not expected that Gen. eral Weygand will do anything that goes beyond the Armistice
terms.
"Darlan knows he cannot count French the support
of the
than 60 per fleet, because more
from crews come cent, of the
national feeling Brittany, where is strongest and hatred of Ger- many deepest.
Richelieu Crew's
Action
"If Darlan gave the order for a fleet attack, many French ships would come to Britain.
"Darlan ordered the battleship from Dakar Richelieu to return to Brest but the crew refused, and that is why the Richelieu remains at Dakar. Reuter.
CANADIAN
TROOPS READY
are
Canadian troops ready to be used in any field of action by the High Command, declared the Prime Minister, Mr. Mackenzie King, in Otta- wa yesterday.
Referring to sea warfare, he said that having regard to the compar- ative resources of tonnage targets and striking power available, "the balance of the effect of destruc- tion is not tilted as heavily might appear on the side of Ger- many and Italy."
as
Every month, he continued, more Canadian · men and wea. pons were added to Britain's de- moro fences. This year two divisions, one of which is arm- oured, would go to Britain,
The number of men in the Roy- al Canadian Air Force is increas- ing daily. Over 1,000 radio tech- nicans have been sent to Britain' where they are invaluable "in the| defence of the midnight skies," and more would follow.
Canada was sending a growing volume of war, machines to Bri- talni
Mr King said that Canadian soldiers enlisted for active service anywhere and there have been no restrictions on their use or move- ment Reuter.
STOP
PRESS
The Robin Line, owners of the Robin Moor, assured the press at a conference in New -York yesterday that the ves- sel carried neither munitions nor war materials.
The Line allowed the press to examine the ship's mani- fest and a preliminary exam- ination showed the only 'fre- arms aboard were one case of 22 calibre rifles without am- munition and 10 cases of low- gauge shot-gun shells consign- ed to a sporting goods shop in Johannesburg.
An official of the Line said there were some chemicals of an unidentified type aboard and they were attempting to discover for what they were used. Germany considers chemicals as a class of con- traband.--Reuter,
An Increase in the pressure of British and Gaullist troops in all sectors in Syria during the last 24 hours is. reported in a Vichy communique which, however, declares that no important results. have been achieved.
2
The communique admits, however, that in the coastal region, with the support of a British naval force, which. had been still further increas- ed, British troops succeeded late on Thursday. In advane- ing several kilometres to the outskirts of Sidon where, it says, Vichy units are stili resisting despite a very, vio- lent bombardment.
The communique continués that in Merja Ayoüm one Vichy defence post was occu~ pied, but claims that the at- tackers, "Canadian troops," were held everywhere else. It claims the dispersal of the Allied armoured units east of Hermon and to have repulsed an infantry attack at Kiswe and adds that оп Friday morning British troops direct- ed their efforts farther east, where fighting is proceeding.
During the night of June 12/13, the communique goes. on, the Royal Air Force again: bombed the port at Beirut several times, while the Vichy air force continued offensive action against Allled troops. despite very heavy anti-air- craft fire.
Vichy bombers "successful- ly attacked concentrations of motorised units in South
Sidon."-Reuter.
The prefix "special" to telegra, dod
used by the "Bunday: Hecaid! :and-
| "China: Mail??,'ia-indicate news,
is strictly copyright under, the previ alons of the Telsaommunication dinanço, 1938, and may not be repr ed under any circumstances, wholly or in part, without prior [rangement,
- Printed and Published
the
detors, The
Ltd. by GORDON
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