Reuter's military commentator say's that although the fall of Bardia was fully expected, the magnitude of the victory and its rapidity, the number of prisoners captured and the small ross of the casualties suffered could not be foreseen. Italy's hold on Libya hag been shaken 0 its foundations and her hold on Abyssinia as well.
'The poor Aghting qualities shown by the Mahan army emphatically proved that the hearts of her soldiers were not In this war. So large a proportion surrounded that it was im-Possible not to believe that this lack of spirit' was not merely local, Tt must be widespyend throughout the whole army in Libya and perhaps Prevalent throughout the whole Htallan. army.
There is now nothing to prevent General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in the Middle East, from moving for~ ward at once to Tobruk, except sup: piles and that has been greatly eased, Knighthood Bestowed
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.