London, June 8. Move rapidly to forestall further German infiltration into Syria, Free "French troops, supported by Imperial forces, entered Syria and Lebanon at 2 am. today.
An official communique issued in Cairo said that operations were "proceeding according to plan," while, according to reports received in Vichy, fighting was in progress, and General Dentz, Vichy High Commis~ sioner in Syria, had been placed in charge of operations.
'The Allied move was made to en-cure the liberty and Independence of oth Syria and Lebanon, as well as to prevent the Germans' from using Syrian bases for operations against the British.
The Allied force 's commanded by General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson,
tine, Brith Commander-in-Chief in Poles-
At dawn British planes dropped Jeaflets urging the French and Syrian authorities to collaborate with Britain and Free France in driving out the Germans. Prior to this a proclamation issued by Free French authori. les and supported by the British Government guaranteed the liberty und the independence of Syria and Lebanon, Vichy Reaction The frst oficial reaction by the Vichy authorities to the Allied move came in a broadcast from Lyons. It described the Allied action"as a'"new and unjustifiable act of aggression against the French Empire" and re~ behale of General de Gaulle guaranteeing the liberty and independence lof Syria and Lebanon and undertaking negotiate a treaty to ensure these objects. His Majesty's Government support and aésoeiate themselves with this promise of independence.
The proclamation issued by General Catroux. in which he appealed to Syrians and Lebanese to recognize that free Frenea forces and British troops had entered Syria and Leanon to free their country, declared:— inhabitants of Syria and Lebanon, at the moment when forces of Free France, united to forces of the British' Empire, her ally, are enter ing your territory I deciare that I assume the powers, responsibilities and duties of the representative of 'La France an Levant'
do this in the name of Free France, which identics herself with the traditional and real France and in name of her chief, General de Gaulle, In this capacity I come to Dut an end to the mandatory regime "This treaty will be negotiated as soon as possible between your repre-'Sentotives and myself, Pending its conclusion our mutual position will be one of close unity in. the pursuit of a common idea and common alms, To Ensure Liberty "You will see from this. declara~ tion that, If free French. and, Beit= {ah foreed cross your frontier, it is not to take away your liberty, "but fo ensure it, Tt i to drive out of Syria the forces of Hitler, It is to prevent the Levant from" becoming enemy base directed against the British and against yourselves, "We who are fighting for the liberty of the people, cannot allow the enemy to submerge'your country step by step and obtain control of your pet~ sons and your belongings and turn You Into slaves, We cannot allow the Population, which France has promised to defend. to be thrown into the hands of the most wanton and Pitiess master history, has known, We cannot. allow the age-long. in-{erests of France in the Levant to be hended over tothe enemy.
"Rally to Us"
"Inhabitants of Syria and Lebanon, in answer to our appeal, you rally fo us, you should know' that the British Government in an agreement with Free France has" promised to grant you all the advantages enjoyed by the free countries who.are: asso-lated' with them, "Thus the blockade will be lifted and you will enter into immediate Felations with the sterling bloc, which will open up the widest pos-peated yet-again that there were no German troops in Syria and that the only German aircraft, there were damaged. transports. 'The broadcast declared that Vichy would defend Its empire to the last mai Before the news of the Free French action, reports had been coming in showing that the etlsis in Syria was rapidly' coming to a head. German aircraft on their way to Syria had erossed Turkish territory or territorial ters, Another had been shot down by: anti-aircraft batteries near the entrance to the Dardanelles—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.