"It is a mistake to describe the British patrols at Tobruk and Sollum inflicted meny casualties on Italian-German men and vehicles and captured 77 officers and men, a General Headquarters military communi que said yesterday.
The British advance in Abyssinia was continuing in various areas, the communique also said, (More Talian prisoners were taken, including Genral Gragioss.
The RAP. and Australian Air Forces Thursday repeatedly bombed and machine-gunned Italian-German forces in Cyrenaica, said another "Considerable damage ws the communique said. bombs fell among a number of enemy aireraft—United Press, Tobruk Battle Described bombing of Berlin last night (Thursday) ay reprisal for the raid on London the night before. Tt was not a reprisal but part of the regular policy adopted by the R.A, under instructions of H.M. Government for bombing objectives in the two guilty countries which are likely to weaken their military and industrial capacity, This policy will be continued to the end of the war, it is hoped on fan ever increasing real Irrespective of whether any further attacks are made on the British Isles or not.
Although no previous official warn ing had been given that Rome would bbe bombed if Athens were bombed, the impression grew in people's minds that if Athens were attacked then reprisals would be carried out over Rome.
Early this week, it was stated that the Pope had addressed a formal appeal to the Yugoslav Government to ind spare Rome from bombing. A demand for bombing of Rome has been voiced in many quarters including the House of Commons. When asked whether Rome had at any time been attacked by the RAF. and whether there were any. objectives of military Importance that would justify such an attack, Sir Archibald Sinclair, Secretary of State for Air, replied that the answer to the first part of the question was ne~ native, the second part affirmative, Further asked if the close proximity fo Vatican City had any bearing on the avoidance of such attack from the Jair, he said: "I cannot be expected to discuss this question in the House.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.