Jan. 8.
If the Italian forces in Libya amounted, iL was reported some weeks ago they did, to approximately 400,000 men, their losses in prisoners and casualties must' be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 100,000 men, with material reported to be about half of the quantity with which Marshal Graziani commenced operations. It is consequently expected that he will make no attempt to offer resistance 10 the Allied forces apart from some sort of rearguard action covering his retreat to Tobruk, where it is believed he may decide to make a stand. Be that as it may, he faces the fact that, deprived of quarter of his effectives and half his armaments and supplies, and being without much hope of substantial replenishment under either head, his situation is indeed serious. There is a report to the effect that the Ger-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.