Evening star., 1940-08-08
Rome
Continued From First Page)

FASCIST authority indicated today.
British sources in London to-
day said Britain might give Italy
a cheap victory" in British
Somaliland by withdrawing her
forces from desert wastes con-
sidered not worth defending0
The capture of zeila, near the
frontier between British and French
Somaliland, was described officially
as of great strategic Importance.
Capture of the port was announced
in today's high command communi-
que, which said Zeila had been taken
after three-day march from Ethi-
opia, which is SO miles from zeila
at the nearest point. .,
Led by Duke of Aosta.
An authoritative Fascist source
announced occupation of Zeila had
been carried out by italian native
troops from Ethiopia under COM
mand of the Duke of Aosta, viceroy
of Ethiopia.
Capture of this port, just south of
Jibuti, port in French Somaliland,
was declared by Italians here to be
the first step in Incorporating French
and British Somaliland into Italian
East Africa.
Attainment of this goal would give
italy solid block of territory with
2,500-mile continuous coastline on
the Red Sea, the Gulf of Alden and
the Indian Ocean.
1t also would provide potential
naval bases at Jibuti, Zeila and
Berbera, facing Britain's strategic
base at Alden, less than 200 miles
across the Gulf of Alden.
(The British announced loss Of
Zeila yesterday
Zeila and Berbera, capital of Brit
ish Somaliland and largest port in
the protectorate, are the natural
outlets to the Gulf of Aden-a sort
of window on the Indian Ocean
Italians said.
Eden's Recognition Cited.
They said these ports were much
better for their new empire in Ethi-
opia than Jibuti in French Somali-
land. They said this was recognized
by Anthony Eden when he came to
Rome in 1885 as British Foreign
Minister to seek a settlement of the
dispute over Ethiopia before Italy
conquered that country.
Mr.. Eden proposed to give Ethiopia
an outlet through British Somah-
land to zeila, the Italians said, with
Italy to receive concessions else
where.
Italy rejected the plan. Fascists
said, and the French later were
annoyed when they learned Mr..
Eden had made such an offer, which
would have been detrimental to
Jibuti and it's railroad traffic if
accepted, without letting the French
know about it.
The Italian conmunique today
said their armored columns, &C
companied by bombing planes, were
we'll advanced on the way to Ber-
bera, having occupied Oadweina on
Tuesday, as well as Hargeisa.
Both are about 80 miles inside
the arid country, but a difficult
march of 100 miles through rough
terrain remains from Hargeisa, the
nearest point, to Berbera.
Form Coastal Fringe.
Running roughly from north to
south, French, British and Italian
Somaliland form coastal fringe
around the horn of Africa" sepa-
rating Italy's Ethiopian empire from
the Gulf of Alden and the Indian
Ocean. Occupation of all three
would give italy command of vital
outlets to those strategic waters.
The italian communique said
nothing of land operations near
Bardia, where the British yesterday
said the Italians were concentrat-
ing for an apparent offensive against
Egypt along the Mediterranean
| coast.
"a British communique from
Cairo today said the shipping
harbor and store buildings were
bombed at Bardia)
Destruction of four British planes
three bombed on the ground at
Wajir, Kenya Colony, and the other
shot down in an air fght-also was
reported.
The Italians said two steamers
out of a convoy Of five being escorted
by British warship in the Eastern
Mediterranean were damaged seri-
| ouSly by aerial bombardment.