FRENCH MEDITERRANEAN FLEET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 April 1939, Page 7

FRENCH MEDITERRANEAN FLEET

SAILS FROM TOULON Destination Not Disclosed STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN GREECE By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright. ; . LONDON. April 12. Military and naval precautions continue to be taken by the Powers, and messages from Europe's capitals report the calling up of further reservists. The Marseilles correspondent of the British United Press says that the French Mediterranean Fleet sailed from Toulon late last night. The destination was not disclosed. King George of Greece is reported to have signed a decree, which has not yet been published, declaring a state of emergency. The calling up of 10 classes of reservists will be proclaimed in the the event of an emergency. The Belgrade correspondent of “The Times” says that 14 Soviet warships passed through Bosphorus yesterday in the direction of Greece.

Two thousand five hundred British troops left Palestine for Egypt today to re-establish the normal garrison there. The War Office says ' that the men are returning normally to their overseas station. A message from Warsaw states that a number of reservists of six classes from the 1912 to the 1917 class, who are unfit for normal service, have been called up for auxiliary work. Usually they are not called up till the autumn. Rumours of German troop movements toward Poland are officially denied in Berlin. Several classes of reservists in Yugo-j slavia have been called up on the Albanian frontier, mainly at Sarajevo and Skolpje. The Belgian Cabinet is maintaining military precautions on the frontier and has approved of defence measures in the Belgian Congo. A message from Athens states that the Italian guarantee to preserve the integrity of Greece has been received. A semi-official version published in Athens is as follows:—“Italy confirms her intention to respect absolutely Greece’s territorial integrity and wishes to maintain and to develop further the cordial friendship binding Italy and Greece. She is willing to give concrete proof of this desire.” ACTION BY ITALY MAKING THE ADRIATIC .IMPREGNABLE. DODECANESE ISLANDS GARRISONED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, April 11. The representative of the Brittish United Press at Athens says that Italy is reported to be endeavouring to make the Adriatic impregnable, having sent 300 technicians to Valona to build new fortifications, besides unloading 250 Krupp guns. Italy is also reported to be fortifying the Italian side of the straits-of Otranto, and establishing garrisons in the Dodecanese Islands.