ALLIES CLOSE BORDER

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23976, 17 June 1943, Page 5

ALLIES CLOSE BORDER

SYRIA AND TURKEY CHECKING LEAKAGE OF INFORMATION (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 15. The Allied authorities closed the frontier between Syria and Turkey at 6 p.m. to-day. The British Military Attache at Ankara (General A. C. Arnold) officially informed the Turkish Government of the Allies’ decision. The Turkish authorities say they do not know why the frontier was dosed nor how long it will be closed. The Ankara correspondent of the British United Press says it is understood that the closing of the frontier is

designed to prevent the leakage of information from Syria and Palestine to Turkey, where it could be passed on to German agents. The British 9th and 10th Armies are stationed in Palestine and Syria. The Berlin radio, referring to the closing of the frontier, declared: “Britain is massing troops in Syria and exerting pressure on Turkey. The British naval and military leaders at present visiting Turkey went there at Britain’s request.” The Berlin radio added that British consulates in Turkey had been instructed not to issue visas for Syria until further notice. Yesterday the newly-appointed Com-mander-in-Chief in the Levant (Admiral Sir John Cunningham) had talks with the President of Turkey (General Inonu), the Minister of War, and other Ministers. He is reported to be leaving Ankara to-day. ENEMY SHIPS DAMAGED AIR ATTACKS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, June 10. To-day’s Middle East communique says that Royal Air Force long-range fighters, without loss, attacked two sailing ships in the Aegean Sea yesterday. Both were damaged by cannon fire. Malta-based fighters in an offensive sweep over Sicily and the toe of Italy destroyed a Messerschmitt 109. Malta’s Mosquitoes were also over Sicily and the toe of Italy on Monday night, bombing and strafing over a wide area. In Sicily railway stations and sidings were attacked by cannon and machine-gun fire. Road transport was also machine-gunned. In southern Italy there was a direct bomb hit on a factory and another on a power station. A fire was started at a railway station. When Messina was bombed on Saturday night Wellingtons used two-ton “block-buster” bombs and incendiaries on shipping and the ferry terminus. A further study of the damage caused in the raid on Spezia on June 5 shows that a Littorio class battleship received a direct hit on the forward deck, where plates wore buckled, and it is likely that the forward gun turret suffered damage. LEND-LEASE AID TO RUSSIA NEW AGREEMENT TO BE MADE NEW YORK. June 15. A new lend-lease protocol substantially increasing American shipments ot munitions, foodstuffs, and other war materials has been handed to the Soviet Government. It will replace the agreement expiring on June 30, which was valued at 3,000,000,000 dollars, but under which actual shipments for the nine months ended March 31 totalled only 1,316,000.000 dollars, states the Washington correspondent of the ‘‘New York Times.” Restricting factors were lack of ship, ping and the distances to be covered. However, it is expected that the reopening of the Mediterranean will shorten the route to the Persian Gulf, saving 25 per cent, of shipping ton- j nage. . . i The United States Leand-Lease Ad- . ministrator (Mr Edward Stettinius) in ■ a statement on assistance to Russia ] for the 19 months ended April 30, said ‘ that the most important single lendlease item had been weapons, the second raw materials, and the third food. ! He added that the food shipments were | small compared with the critical Rus- ‘ sian needs. Russia was making heroic ' efforts to replant the liberated areas, and to assist in this America had shipped 10,000 tons of seeds. |

New Zealand Pension Policy Praised. —The organising secretary of the Welsh section of the British Legion has sent a telegram to the High Commissioner for New Zealand (Mr W. J. Jordan) stating: ‘“On behalf of 320 branches we cordially congratulate the New Zealand Government upon its progressive sense of responsibility to its fighting men by its recent increase of the disability pension to £3.”— London, June 15.