While German infiitratio tute Syria goos steadily forward by land, sea and air, Herr Otto Abetz, German envoy to Paris, has returned to Parly Yrom Berlin" with still more proposals for Franco-German cooperation.
'A Vichy report says that Admiral Darian, Vice-Premier, is expected buck in Paris soda to expedite a formal agreement, In spite of denials by Berlin and Vichy, there are persistent rumours from reliable sources. that Germans have been landed from the sea Latakia from commandeered shipping, An Ankara report even ssu gests ihat the personnel landed at Latakia have proved to be members of an aviation engineering corps, with {ull equipment and anti-aircraft guns.
This Ankara. despatch. if true, it pointed out, shows that Syria rapidly becoming a major base for operations by. the German air force, and perhaps the German army.
Meanwhile, despatches from the United States provide evidence that if Britain Is forced to take steps. Syria she will have the complete approval of United States opinion. says if Bri-0 accept the risk of French action in order to prevent the Gering an important, and_persive, advantage in Syrta, Col. Knox revealed that Britain recently had requested the United Stales to make available additional merchant ships but said the Government had not received requests for riy. additional transfer of destroyers.
Navy Secretary said he hoped the new 36,000-ton battleship South Dakota can. be commissioned by January, 1042, which would be about three months earlier than the normal time between launching and commissioning of a battleship. The new warship will be launched this Saturday, five months ahead of schedule.
Col. Knox declared that the recently, commissioned North Carolina and "Washington, both 35.000-1on battleships, were far superior to the Bismarck, crack unit of the German Fleet which was sunk a week ago by, the British navy.
"Our warships are armoured bet for and our guns are larger," ho declared.—United Press, Frenchmen have only their own gov-
Reuter, ernment to blame for that strategy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.