BRITISH ADVANCE

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21363, 6 March 1941, Page 8

BRITISH ADVANCE

RAILWAY CAPTURED THE FIGHT FOR KEREN I STRONG ENEMY FORCE (Official Wireless) (Received March 6. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, March 5 In Italian Somaliland the British Imperial Forces continue to advance, ' and with the capture of Bunoburti | the whole railway running from Mogadiscio is now in British hands. Some 200 further prisoners were taken in this place. Elsewhere in East Africa the position remains largely unchanged. Military commentators again point out that the fall of Keren should not !be expected yet. The Italian garrison | at this important place is strong, conj sisting probably of two or three divij sions, comprising approximately 30,000 men, of whom probably about one-third are Italians and the remainder Africans. The Keren area is very strong in i natural defences, and communications with Asmara are still open. Further, this is the Italians’ oldest colony and almost the only place in their empire where Italians can count on the loyalty of the natives. BRITISH BLOCKADE NO CHANGE IN POLICY SUPPLY OF FOODSTUFFS (L'nitecJ Press Assn.--Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 4 Replying to a question in Parliament, the Minister of Economic Warfare, Mr Hugh Dalton, stated there was no change in the policy of the Government in regard to allowing ships from the United States to pass the blockade carrying food for enemy-occupied countries. This question, Mr Dalton added, : like other questions of common interest, had been discussed by the Ambassador to Washington with the | United States authorities from time to ; time. The Minister stated that Germany had several times announced her ability to supply all necessary foodstuffs to the population of countries I occupied by her troops. | i SUBMARINE AMBUSH BRITISH FREIGHTERS SUNK LANDING OF SURVIVORS 'United rress As>sn. —E'jpc. To* Copyright) LONDON, March 5 Advice received from a port on the east coast of Canada says that 50 survivors of a German submarine ami bush somewhere in the Atlantic have j landed there. ! A seaman said that at least four I submarines attacked two British | freighters. One vessel was struck j amidships and sank in less than five j minutes. The second ship was torpedoed and sank after two hours, j The captains of both ships and 29 1 members of the crews are feared to i have been lost. Many survivors were picked up from a third freighter after several hours’ immersion in the icy Atlantic. INDUSTRY IN BRITAIN MANUFACTURE OF MUNITIONS GREAT TURNOVER ANNOUNCED WARTIME ECONOMIC POLICY (Official Wireless) (Received March 6. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, March 5 It is estimated that men and women now engaged in over fifty essential industries will be affected by a further great turnover of industrial power to the manufacture of munitions, which was announced in the House of Commons yesterday by the President of the Board of Trade, who said:— “The aim of the Government’s wartime economic policy is to facilitate to the fullest extent the transfer of resources to war production, which demands a severe cutting down of civil consumption and the release of labour materials and factory space for more essential purposes.”