The Vichy communique on the capture of Palmyra stated that a new British motorized column entered. Syria from Iraq on Thursday morning and. is attempting to advance along the Mosul railway. Tt added: "The British have increased their efforts in the Syrian desert and continued to bomb the town of Beirut, Alter subjecting our positions to violent fire by reinforced artillery, the British occupied Palmyra July 3 as the result of a powerful lace carried out by armoured vehi~ cles.
"This post fell after its heroic defenders had for 13 days put up admirable resistance against enemy forees which had a crushing superior-both in numbers and material.
"south-east of Deir-es-Zor, on the right bank of the Euphrates, our troops are opposing the advance of motorized column from Abu Kemal.
"Farther north, a new motorized column from Iraq. this morning erossed, the Syrian frontier at Tell Kotehek and is trying to advance Jalong the Mosul railway. In the mountainous sector in southern Lelia ron, there is patro} activity and artil-ery gunfire. by both sides. On the coast the British Fleet bombarded our positions at Damour. Our air force continued to bomb enemy troops In Palmyra and Abu Kemal sectors.
"On July 2 our fighters shot down Hurrieane and a Blenheim and seriously damaged another aircraft.
"The town of Beirut was bombed by the RAP. with increased viol ence during Wednesday night. Several districts where there are no military objectives were seriously damaged by incendiary and high-explosive bombs. There were casual ties among the civilian population."
Mission Failed Ankara, July M. Benois Mechin, the Vichy Gov-jemment's special envoy to Turker, has been categorically refused permission to send arms across Turkey fo Syria, it Is stated In well-inform-
"Thus "failure" seems the best description of the visit of M. Mechin.
Apparently M. Mechin did not raise the question of evacuation of troops through Turkey. Some Turkish eir~ cles point out that permission to {transport troops across Turkey would jereate a precedent which might become very: embarrassing for Turkey. Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.