THE MIDDLE EAST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 May 1941, Page 6

THE MIDDLE EAST

ITALIAN LOSSES IN AFRICA TOTAL OF 380,CC0 MEN. GENERAL WAVELL’S FORCES TAKE 200,000 PRISONERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May G. In the House of Lords, ord Moyne said that in the last five months. General Wavell’s forces had taken 200,000 prisoners and inflicted total losses of 380,000 on the Italians. He pointed out that the enemy advance into Egypt would be more difficult than was suggested by looking at the map, and that Tobruk had already proved expensive to the Nazi flank. He declared that it was certain that the Iraq intriguers must be condemned by the overwhelming majority of the people in Iraq, who knew that Italy made no secret of wishing to dominate the Arab countries. With the help of the United States it was hoped to send increasing support to the battle of the Middle East, on which the Axis Powers seemed to be staking so much. Viscount Galway, former GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, said: “I can inform the House that rumours of lack of consenting opinion regarding the Greek expedition between the New Zealand and British Governments are entirely without foundation." A motion of confidence in the Government was carried unanimously.