The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-07

ever, were coming close to an area of greatest importance to the So- viets. Although Germany appeared to be attempting to circle around Turkey and thus avoid an hmmed- late showdown on the Dardanelles question, the British indicated in- cresaing fears of Nazi intervention in the Near East, possibly by way of air bases in French Syria.
 Deny Maxi Report
 Dispatches from Beirut denied that German planes had landed or flown over Syria. But there were reports of German pressure on the French government at Vichy and recent dispatches seeping through the censorship have suggested that France would not be able to offer much opposition if the Nazis moved suddenly into Syria by way of the captured Greek isles in the Eastern Mediterranean.
 On the actual fighting front in Iraq, the British reported that they were gaining the upper hand rap idly and they appeared to have suc- ceeded in getting started with for nation of a rival Arab regime 10 fight the pro-Axis government of Rashid Ali Al Gallant at Baghdad. Nrui said Pasha, former 1raqi prem fer, and Prince Abdul Illah were said in reports to Budapest to be the leaders of the new movement originating in British controlled Transjordania but moving into Iraq
 The Budapest dispatches report cd that a vain attempt had been made to aSsaSsinate Prince Abdul Illah, the former regent of Iraq, at Amman, in TranSjordania,
 Scattered Reports
 Scattered dispatches from Iraq and nearby points said that the Iraqi troops besieging and shelling the British air base at Harbaniya had been driven from their posi- tionS by R. A F. bombers and that the British generally were gaining the upper hand, having captured one military post on the important pipe line running from the Mosul fields to Palestine.
 Dispatches by way of Germany, however, reported that II British airplanes bad been destroyed in fighting yesterday in Iraq and that there was a serious engagement un- der way at Basra, where the British Imperials had been concentrated and where more transports arrived yesterday The report of fighting at BaSra, However, was in conflict with previous adV!ceS that the British were in full control in that setcor and were moving northward toward Bagdad
 Reports of developments In Iraq were meager because of disrupted communications lines and the fact that Turkey appeared to be more seriously concerned about possible German aid to the Iraqi. The Turk ish border with Iraq and Syria was reported closed and Turkish troops were reported at Budapest to be concentrated on the lraq frontier.
 African Front
 On the North African front, the Axis connnuniques reported that the British continued to make forays from the besieged Libyan port of Tobruk in counter-attackS on the Germans apd Italians. but added that these attacks had failed. The Axis forces recently drove a wedge Into the outer defenses of Tobruk and 1t was presumed that the Brit ish were attempting to push them back again.
 On the sea, the British were said reliably to have scored ne wsuc- German submarines in recent days, and In the air there was severe daylight sightig on the south coast of Britain. At least four German planes were shot down over the English channel during daylight raids and R. A. F. craft dashed over the coast of France in retaliatory raids.
 The British also reported increas- ing success In night fighter action, downing nine German bombers dur Ing the night to boost the total for May to 54 craft shot dow in dark ness, The Germans, however, strongly attacked the vital ship building area on the river Clyde, eS- pecially Glasgow, where they report ed much destruction.
 Plymouth, Liverpool and other areas also were bombed, with the Na2i pilots reporting that they had started fires and done heavy dam age to whrves, arms factories and militry establishments.
 British bomberS concentrated on the Hamburg sector during the night, unloading heavy bombs on that great and battered Nazi port, as well as other northwest German targets.
 Italy Distors Story
 New York May 7--tUP(--The Rome newspaper Giornale DItalia today gave it's readers a distored re- port of President Roosevelts indis- position. In a story under Berne, Switzerland. date-line the paper re- ported that the president had been 'placed in sanitorium" and that the news caused q great impression throughout the United States"
 Capt. Jim Arrives
 Cairo, May 7--tUP)-Capt. James Roosevelt son of the president of the United States, arrived today from Calcutta Roosevelt is an ob- server for the United States Marine Corps
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