HOLDING OUT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24419, 3 October 1940, Page 9

HOLDING OUT

SYRIA’S ATTITUDE THE ITALIAN DEMANDS EVADED OR REFUSED NEW DELEGATES SENT ■ (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph -Copyright) LONDON, Oct. 2. (Received Oct. 2, at 11.30 p.m.) Information has leaked out that five Italian generals who went to Syria to negotiate the surrender of the French mandate, have been recalled in disgrace to Rome and been replaced by new delegates. Nearly all their demands met with evasion or a blank refusal. The Italians demanded the handing over of 500 planes, to which the High Commissioner, M. Puaux, replied that some of the planes had left for an unknown destination and others had been sold to the Government at Lebanon. M/ Puaux also informed the Italians that the air bases demanded by them were Lebanese property and could not be touched without the consent of the League of Nations.

The Italians pressed for a reduction of the armv to the pre-war size of 40,000, but were told that this would leave Svria defenceless. The latest development is that the Italian Commission has begun fo spread Fascist and Nazi influence in Syria. It is also making new demands. which include permission to return to Syria for all Italians and Germans who have been expelled or departed since the outbreak of war, indemnities for all Italians and Germans arrested in Syria, permission to publish an Italian newspaper in Beirut, and that Italian and German vouth organisations be permitted to resume their activities in Syria and Lebanon.

As far as is known the French authorities have not agreed to any of the foregoing demands.