EGYPT WAVERING?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24411, 24 September 1940, Page 7

EGYPT WAVERING?

THE ITALIAN INVASION NOT REGARDED A 3 ATTACK MINISTERS REPLACED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 22. The Cairo correspondent of The Times says the Saadist Party withdrew its Cabinet representatives on the ground that the Government had failed to carry out its undertaking to declare war if Italy invaded Egypt. The Premier refused to allow the incident to lead to a Cabinet crisis, and obtained the King's consent to replace the resigned Ministers by combining some of the portfolios and drawing on the Ministers without portfolio. The Cabinet supports the Premier's contention that Italian occupation of 60 miles of waterless desert is unimportant and does not represent an attack. Should the threat to Egypt increase, the Government's resolution to defend the country will be fulfilled. The Government now depends on Wafdists for support. Aircraft Raid on Alexandria On Saturday morning Alexandria was bombed by enemy aircraft causing negligible damage and very few casualties. Enemy aircraft again raided Haifa on Saturday afternoon. Bombs were dropped on various quarters of the town, causing a certain amount of damage, the buildings affected being a mosque and a Moslem cemetery Thirty-two persons were killed and 18 injured. All were Arabs. It is believed that at least two enemy aeroplanes were hit by anti-aircraft fire. On the other fronts there is nothing to report. A Royal Air Force Cairo communique states that a series of reconnaissance flights were carried out by the Royal Air Force on Saturday over enemy territory in the Western Desert and valuable information obtained.

At Sidi- Barram our bombers raided an aerodrome and troop positions. Bombs burst among the aerodrome buildings close to a group of three enemy fighters. Direct hits were registered on a supply dump. All jur aircraft returned safely. In East Africa the South African Air Force aircraft attacked Birkao. Buildings were bombed and several fires started. A small factory was damaged and 70 per cent, of the buildings was gutted. MOSLEM WORLD ROUSED CALL FOR HOLY WAR PESHAWAR, Sept. 23. (Received Sept. 24, at 0.30 a.m.) A call for a holy war was made during special prayers in all the city's mosques for the security and orospenty of Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. A particular intercession was offered to " ward off Italy and other aggressors boundaries of Islamic countries." Thousands crowding the largest mosque heard a speaker call Italy the meanest nation on earth. He appealed to the unity of Moslems throughout the world to fight Mussolini. A message from Nicosia states that Cyprus was raided for the first time yesterday morning, when enemy nlanes bombed and machine-gunned Morphon. There were no casualties and no material damage.