MILITARY SUPPLIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 121, 24 May 1941, Page 9

MILITARY SUPPLIES

STILL GOING TO IRAK

GERMANS FLOWN ACROSS

LONDON, May 22

The Ankara correspondent of "The Times" says that French military material and ammunition is still reaching Irak by railway, and some German officers are reported to have arrived in Beirut to organise this traffc. German aircraft have been flown to Irak across Syria, their passengers consisting of German .officers and instructors.

Shipping circles in Istanbul are talking of the Germans' attempting to charter Russian steamers to convey German arms and ammunition to Turkish ports, from which it would be intended to send the cargoes to Irak by rail. In view of the Turkish feelings about the situation in the Middle East, it is difficult to imagine Turkey giving the Germans any transport facilities which she is not bound to give under convention as in the case of the railway traffic between Syria and Irak. AERODROMES AS BASES. Expectations that the Germans would not long be content with the transit facilities in Syria are speedily being realised. Already there are indications that the Germans are vising the aerodromes at Damascus, Rayak, Palmyra, and Aleppo as bases for operations against the British in Irak.

The Turks expect that this development will compel the British soon to send land forces against Syria. Turkish security is not regarded as being threatened while the Germans confine their activities to aerial hostilities with the British in Syria, but a section of opinion that is represented by the eminent_publicist M. Yaltchin strongly holds the view that a full-scale German, military occupation of Syria and Irak would mean the death of Turkey by asphyxiation. It is understood that the German garrisons in the Greek islands of Mytilene and Chios, which are close to the Turkish coast, are now 6000 and 2000 men respectively. BULGARIAN GARRISONS. It is officially announced in Sofia that Bulgarian troops have replaced the German garrisons in the Greek | islands of Samothrace and Thasos. It is reported from Beirut that French troops in Syria are on the move and the French naval squadron which was trapped there when France collapsed has begun exercises. It is stated in Berlin that the Vichy Air Minister, M. Bergeret, who recently arrived in Syria, has begun preparations to defend the French possessions in the Near East against air attack. The Ankara correspondent of the "Daily Express" says that French arms and ammunition are still pouring from Syria into Irak and trains are returning to Syria carrying oil and petro! for the German planes which are crossing Syria.

The German radio tonight claimed that Rash id Ali's air force successfully bombed British positions at Amman, capital of Transjordania. It described this raid as the "first operation by Iraki forces outside their own territory." This contradicts the earlier German reports that Iraki troops had penetrated into Palestine. AMERICAN OBSERVER,. Captain Roosevelt, the United States air observer, has arrived at Habbania by air. The appointment is announced of Mr. Gerald De Gamy as charge d'affaires with Emir Abdul Illah, Regent of Irak, pending Ihe re-estab-lishment of communications with the British Ambassador at Bagdad. Mr. De Gaury started his career as a soldier and later joined the Royal Air Force. In 1936-37 he was a political agent at Koweit, Arabia, and he has spent the last few months serving as first secretary in the British Embassy at Teheran, Iran. He is an expert on Arab affairs.—U.P.A.

Such of the cable news on this page as Is so headed has appeared in "The Times" and is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should he understood that the opinions are „ not those of "The Times"- unless expressly stated to be so.