New York, June 23, "High United States "Government circles hope that the German attack on Russia may lead Japan not only to break her Axis ties in the near future, but also to face about and "ppose Germany," states the Washington correspondent of the "New York Times,"
"While this appears fantastic," he adds, "it is being expressed ' persistently in the same circles that a week ago predicted that Hitler wanted war with Russia. The reason given is that many influential Japan-tse are convinced that Germany seeks world domination due to the manner in which Germany has taken over Italy and attacked the Soviet with which she had a non-aggression pact.—Reuter, control access from the north, said official despatches, The French explained that Damas-Cus was evacuated for two reasons; firstly, political, because Damascus is a Moslem holy city and the repercussion from French and British fighting might provoke Arab disorders; secondly, military, because the city exceedingly difficult to defend, surrounded as it is by a maze of canals and water courses, The canals are four to five feet wid and border every garden and orchard, They prevent use of motorized equipment, The British also had brought up important reinforcements and could have destroyed Damascus in a few days if the French had not converted it into an open city by notifying Gen. Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, Commander-in-Chief of British forces in Palestine, that they would evacuate.
French troops also were physically worn out <fter 14 days of continuous fighting without a single break for rest.
Meanwhile, along the coast the Austrelians were still reported about 11 to 12 miles from Beirut, Their spearhead at noon yesterday was at the Wadi el Deini river, about eight miles north of Saida, They had made no progress in the preceding 24 hours, it was said—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.