Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-11
Australian, French
Artillery Due|s on
Palestine Frontier
British Cavalry Sweeps
Northword; PotroIs Are
Welcomed by Natives
BY EDWARD KENNEDY,
Associated Press War Correspondent.

WITH THE BRITISH FORCES
IN SYRIA. June 10 Delayed
Long artillery duels are thunder
ing between Australian and French
batteries north of Metulla. on the
Palestine-Lebanon frontier, where
resistance to the British advance
into French-mandated territory has
been fierceSt.
Elsewhere British and Free
French forces moving north from
Palestine and TranS-Jordan into
Syria and Lebanon have met with
opposition, crumbling in some places
and not appearing at all in others.
oReuters. British news agency,
reported today that the British
had taken KHAN Fort. which
with Klia. another mountain
top stronghold. blocked the ad-
vance northWard The dispatch
said the French still held posi-
lions in the sector, however,
Fought to Clear Honor.
Some French officers who capit-
ulated expressed sympathy with the
British cause and hatred of Ger
many. Asked why. then, they
fought the Allied forces, they re-
piled:
we have to do our duty and
clear our honor before coming over. +"
Captured Lebanese, Algerian, Tu-
nissan and Sengalese troops told
the British. I'VE had to do what
our officers told us
To the east and west the British
swept northward with cavalry out
front. as in the old days of warfare
this Near Eastern land has known
for thousands of years.
The entire region of Lebanon
south of the river Litani-eXcept
for isolated cores of French re-
sistance-was in British hands.
Farther east Free French. Indian
and British columns were pushing
steadily closer to the Syrian capital
of Damascus.
Part of this drive was through
mountainous Jebel Ed Druz. where
in some places British cavalry pa
trolls were welcomed by the natives
One patrol encountered a company
of lancers clad smartlY in khaki
and with Arab headdresses. The
British cavalry halted and sent en-
voys ahead. The warlike Druses
sent back word they would not sur
render. but would join the British
if permitted to retain their weapons
They were escorted back to Pales-
tine.
Cavalry Charge Unrestricted.
The cavalry operations produced
one laundering old-fashioned horse
charge-but it ended without fight.
A mounted troop descending onto
a plain encountered a Lebanese
cavalry unit drawn up in formation
The British famed out in a charge
and the LebaneSe. waiting for few
moments. wheeled and galloped off
Some cavalry units swept as far
as 40 miles north of the Palestine
and Trans-Jordan frontiers, meet
ing scant opposition.
To the west. Australian infantry
moved up coastal road through
ancient Tyre. They were delayed
In one place where defense forces
dynamited a section of the road.
AT Metulla. at the tip of the
finger of Palestine which sticks 20
miles north into Syria, Australians
encountered sterner opposition. Two
mountaln-top forts, Klia and KHAN,
garrlsoned with Algerians and led
by French officers. still were hold
ing out after Sc hours of Smelling
covering the barren slopes to their
strongholds with machine-gun fire
Despite the firing the surround
ing community seemed peaceful.
Lie went on little disturbed at
Metulla, although its citizens
mostly Hebrew-voted to send