The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-06-17
War

ed by the rescue of the IS re-
naming survivors.
RESISTANCE STIFFENS
In the middle east, Britain
faced . rising tide of French
resistance.
French military dispatches
said French troops had counter
attacked and driven the British
out Of the strategic town of
Merdjayoun. only six miles from
the Palestine frontier.
British columns storming to-
ward Damascus, the ancient cap
ital of Syria, claimed q 4-mile
advance, but it was acknowledge
ed that the fighting was be-
coming heavier on all fronts in
the 10-day-old Allied invasion.
The British communique said
Allied forces were making
steady progress on the Medi-
terranean coastal sector in q
drive toward Beirut, capital of
Lebanon, but admitted that the
French were putting up a bitter
fight at Merdjayoun and Kuneit-
ra, 40 miles southwest of DAM
aScuS.
In North Africa, the British
reported that Imperial troops
penetrated across the Egyptian
frontier into Libya as far as
Fort Capuzzo and then beat
back determined Axis counter
attacks despite Axis reinforce
ments rushed to the scene from
the Tobruk area, 80 miles in
side Libya.
The British war bulletin said
severe losses were inflicted on
German and Italian troops in
what appeared to be the open
ing of a major battle.
While the London press clam
ored for a swift cleanup of the
campaign, British dispatches said
Imperial troops we're attacking
the town of Aatourz, six miles
south of Damascus, after yester-
days capture of Madam, 10 miles
south Of the capital.
CONFLICTING REPORTS
The French under Gen. Henri
Dentz, commander -in-chief of
the Levant states. reported they
were continuing to take the Of
fensive in the Kissoue sector,
10 miles south of the city. The
British said that main bastion
of Damascus has already fallen.
The British acknowledged,
however, that French resistance
was stiffening, reinforced by
troops moved from northern
Syria.
President Roosevelt's order
padlocking all German consul
ates in the United States and de-
handing the custer of various
Nazi agents created a distinctly
tense atmosphere in Berlin.
A German spokesman, asked
whether Germany still took the
attitude she would not be pro-
voked by anything America did,
replied:
"That cannot be confirmed to-
day."
BERL-.H SILENT
The spokesman declined to
state whether there had been 4
fundamental change in German
American relations as . result
of the consulate order and the
freezing" of Axis credits in the
United States.
In Rome, Italy's fire-brand Ed
itor Virginia Gayda, who often
speaks for Premier Mussolini,
declared that President Roose-
velt's economic and financial
structures against the Axis con-
stituted IAN open declaration OF
economic war against the Axis
powers" which may lead to &C
tual war.
Csyda's threit recalled II
Duce's assertion last week that
the United States was at war
with the Axis in fact If not for
mally.
On the north African front,
where the British opened a coun-
ter.offen i've on Sunday, the
Germans asserted that 100 Brit
ish armored units had been de-
stroyed in violent clashes in tho
desert around the Egyptian from
tier post Uf Salunl
FAVORABLE ACTION
DNB, official German news
agency, sid the situation was
developing favorably to Axis
forces.
Premier MuSsolinis hlgn COM
mand declared the conflict had
resulted in considerable losses te
the British in men and tanks.
British reports pictured tho
fisht rs continuing with unabat'
ed fury, with British mechanical
u.,its striking at Axis communi
cation lines in swift thanking
thrusts. These reports said thu
lishtuini British drive which
knitted 20 miles into Libya wa!
localized "fc- the moment" bu
that operations were developing
Meanwhile. . British exchang'
TELEGRAPH dispatch from Hell