Evening star., 1941-04-02

H EuSL AT ICu. GSTULuH JOTCSS
Uere sent to African to stop Brit
iSh dduance in Libyd, uhich 1GdS
thredtning to strip Italy OF the
entire colony.
BY the Associated Press.
CAIRO, Egypt. April 2-The
British acknowledged slightly
increased pressure of axis mill
tary power in Libya today even
as their victorious forces in East
Africa pursued the Italians on
two major fronts, hopeful for
speedy knockout blows.
Imperial forces were declared to
have virtually cornered some l00,-
900 Italians IN the East African
campaign TO destroy Premier Mus
solini's empire.
The acknowledgment of Axis ac-
tivity in Libya, in North Africa, was
noted briefly in a headquarters
| communique which said British ad-
vanced elements northeast of Mer-
sa Brega were withdrawn. This
was done in the face of what Brit
lsh sources called a ''reconnaisSance
| in force" Previously the British
said the Germans had part of three
divisions to bolster the battered
Fascist army in Libya.
The communiGue also noted that
it was believed" the Eritrean Red
Sea port of Massaua, toward which
the British are driving, was still
held by the Italians. although a
communique from Khartoum, An
glo-Egyptlan Sudan, suggested a
| possibility that all of Eritrea was
/ capltulatlng under the cease fir
lng" order which ended the defense
OF Asmara, the capital.
Outpost of Advance.
Mersa Brega is about 80 miles
northeast of El Agheila, which was
/ an outpost of the British winter adj
vance westward. The British with
drew from El AgheiIa last week
shortly before Nazi troops raised
the sWastlka over the village.
The German communique to-
day said armored units of the
German Africa corps, assisted by
German and Italian air forces,
on Monday took one advanced
| position and one fortified enemy
outpost and added that British
counter-attacks were unsuccess-
full. The enemy hastily re-
treated to Agedabia. Our own
losses were small" the COM
munique saidD
The British communique noted
that the Italians who withdrew
from Asmara. Eritrean capital
which the British occupied yester-
day, had gone away to the south
and southeast. and added that the
British believe Fascist forces still
hold Massaua.
Capture of Asmara put the sur
vivorS of some 10000 FaScistS who
engaged in the recent bloody battle
of Cheren with their backs to the sea
where the British Navy blocks re-
treat.
Strike Toward Adds Ababa.
In Ethiopia. British column,
struck inland from captured Dire
dawa toward Adds Ababa, the cap
ital, on the heels of the Duke of
Aosta's retreating army.
The Dukes original forces at Ad-
dis Ababa have been estimated at
10000, and British reports said
smaller garriSonS withdrawing
toward the capital from other parts
of Ethiopia probably would increase
the total fighting strength to $4,000
men.
The fall of Diredawa put the Brit
iSh in command of the strategic
Awash River Valley and the Adds
Ababa-J -Jibuti railroad leading to the
Gulf of Alden.
This completed encirclement OF
the capital, for on the three other
sides the British already hold con-
troll, though columns driving toward
Adds Ababa from different direc-
tionS are far from the city.
There remained formidable OBJ
stacleS, however, to the advance on
Adds Ababa from Diredawa. The
capital lies $50 miles from Diredawa
| along a winding valley f1anked nv