London, Feb, 27.
Snowstorms and heavy rains continue to impede operations on a wide scale in Albania, according to despatches from {he front quoted by the Athens radio.
The Greeks, however, are maintaining the initiative In minor engagements and patrol activity, and some prisoners belonging to Alpine units have been captured, The Ita-lions have taken no initiative either on land or sea, British and Greek aircraft have been very active in the battle zone, It is stated that captured Italian officers have confirmed that Black-shirt troops systematically fire on their own advanced infantry in order to prevent their retreating. The Athens radio also stated that an order of the day of the general in command of the Italian lith Army contained the fallowing passage: "We must attack and not merely counter-attack,"—Reuter, Booty Captured Athens, Feb. 27, Material captured from the Italians to date includes 130 field guns, more than 100 heavy guns, 1,500 mortars, and a very large quantity of cartridges and hand-grenades, This is announced by the official news agency, which adds that much of this material is now being used against the Italians, It has already been announced that Italian prisoners number more than 20,000,—Reuter. agency, Sir Stafford is accompanied by Mr. John Russell, of the London, Feb. 27.
The fact that Sir Stafford Cripps has gone to Ankara is a very logical result of the presence of the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, in such comparative close neighbourhood: to Russia, says Reuter's diplomatic correspondent.
The attitude of Russia is a very important factor in all Balkan developments and Sir Stafford wilh be able to enlighten Mr, Eden in regard to the background of political feeling in Moscow.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.