Show 1 t TAKE SO CAPITAL t r MILE PUSH i WINS SEAPORT CAPTIVES r Leaders in Drive CI Claim aim B Bulk u Ik s i Of Foe Trapped r NAIROBI Y NAIROBI Kenya Colony V Feb 26 AP British AP-British British empire forces pounding fascist defenders defend- defend t. t ers rs of Italian by byland t land land sea and arid air have captured Jj the colony's capital capital cap- cap ft- ft ital on the sea coast and f have plunged 60 miles up the river in the interior an official n nee c e m men e n t said Wednesday South and East African forces cooperating with Gold Coast regiments regiments regiments regi regi- ments beating up the river where strong defenses have collapsed were declared to have trapped the main body of ot fascists by cutting their last road of ot escape A issued here said that b by a conservative estimate f prisoners had been captured in the interior In addition to many j other Italians who had escaped lo to lothe I the bush country and were n v q w. w declared to be returning and stir sur surrendering rendering voluntarily 3 the capture of ot the empire forces have penetrated f miles since launching their offensive into the East African colony a month ago go British military quarter quarten in Cairo Egypt said the t oP would effectively v ly bring tiring all of ot Italian ar area area a. a square miles mile under under British British Brit Brit- ish control since the region north i of is regarded as of ot little importance The capture of ot the port would also achieve the main object of the campaign campaign to to to seal the Indian ocean side of Mussolini's Mussolini's Mussolini's Mus Mus- east African empire these sources said The next British move was not immediately apparent Whether they would strike inland from Mo Mo- toward Addis Ababa was problematical The country is bad and the rains begin in March Immediately after the British took Indian ocean port at the mouth of ot the Gluba river they began using it as a port to supply troops in thus cutting off oft a long difficult land haul over several hundred miles over difficult country Is the first fascist colonial capital seized by the BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish who have occupied eastern Libya in North Africa and are thrusting at Asmara and Addis Ababa capitals respectively of ot Eritrea and Ethiopia in East Africa The announcement that East and t t West African troops entered the capital Tuesday followed followed fol fol- ii lowed by 24 hours upon the re reported reported re- re J ported fall of Brava ancient In- In Continued d on Page Pa P ce Two To i Column Seven I BRITISH SEIZE AFRICAN PORT Continued from Pare Page One dian ocean port miles to the southwest Whether the British forces occupied oc OC- OC the intervening territory between and nd Brava and the territory between captured and th the latter port was not disclosed In the tha Nairobi com com- A later said South Sout African forces who vho crossed the Gluba r river ver near its mouth In the vicinity of and captured had struck out up the stream for a mile 60 advance This drive northward apparently was coordinated with the one to which Is to the north north- north north- i east The said It Is officially announced that thata a South African formation captured captured cap after having crossed the river near the mouth and carried out an exceedingly vigorous vigor vigor- ous and rapid march for 60 miles up the river clearing enemy opposition opposition all the way Here East African formations having crossed the bridgehead seized by Gold Coast regiments carried carried car car- ried led out a night march through the desert and cut the only road communication communication com com- between and Brava thus preventing the escape of the main body The drive across Eritrea has been held up at Cheren 42 miles from Eritrea's capital but meanwhile meanwhile meanwhile mean mean- while other British forces are mayIng moving may may- ing along the coast southward for fora a pincer movement against resistIng resisting resist resist- ing Italians British reports Wednesday said the advance in Eritrea was being delayed by Italian land mines laid to wreck tanks of the mechanized British forces The British said the fall of ot marked an Important step in the conquest of Italian So So- since the city is railhead for two railroads and the junction of a coastal highway with the principal principal prin prin- cipal highway from the Interior has a normal po population population ula- ula tion of about mostly natives na na- na lives tives but during the Italian pian piari war early in 1936 it boomed until it its its' population reached n nearly arly I for a time y |