GREEKS STAND TO ARMS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 284, 26 August 1940, Page 8

GREEKS STAND TO ARMS

Ready For Italians SINISTER CAMPAIGN BY ROME

i British Official Wireless and Press Assn.)

Received August 25, 7.5 p.m. LONDON, August 24. The Vodena correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says, that half a million men stand to arms within a radius of a hundred miles of this town, awaiting an Italian attack.. Long lines of lorries tilled with troops in full war kit aie on the move to Kastoria. . ... This is a hot, wild and waterless country with mountains rising to 7500 feet to bar the Italians’ way along most of the Albanian frontier. _ . North-west Greece is almost impassable for motorized units or tanks. The only practical route would be via Monastic, in .Yugoslavia. The Greek 'troops are very keen and very pro-British. Their morale has been enormously strengthened by the renewed assurances of Turkish and British support.

An Alliens message states that General Metaxas held conferences with the defence chiefs which resulted in a great increase in Greek preparedness. Wardens are watching the whole coast. Italian and British warships are both reported to lie cruising off Crete at night. The Minister of the Interior has received a report from the Island of Cerigotto that. Italian planes bombed British warships for two hours. All Greek steamers in the interisland services remained in harbour last, night. It is stated that sailings wore cancelled to avoid the danger of being mistaken for enemy vessels. The Greek Government requisitioned 2500 tons of petrol, some of which was sent, to the Albanian frontier. Italian Hostility. It is reported from Rome that Italians and Albanians arc whipping up an anti-Greek campaign. The Rome radio alleges that the Greeks are continuing to arm the Gendarmerie and other frontier inhabitants. The Albanian anti-Greek newspaper “Tomori” declares that Greece is planning the dissolution of her Albanian minorities. It says that the Greek authorities have hired robber bands to wipe out the populations of Albanian villages and alleges that the Greeks have virtually closed the frontier, thereby preventing food reaching the Albanian border districts, where the crops have failed, and are also isolating Albanians from their properties and businesses in Greece. The publicist Signor Gayda reiterates that revision of the frontier between Greece'and Albania cannot be long delayed. Italy's claim on behalf of Albania is expected to be ollicially announced soon in the Albanian Parliament. Sinister Aspect. The situation created by the campaign iu the Italian Press and wireless and the Italian-controlled Press in Albania which has been taken the world over as foreshadowing or reflecting Italian demands upon Greece continues to claim the attention of diplomatic circles in London. There is, however, no knowledge in official quarters here of any demands by the Italian Government in Athens and the most sinister aspect of the present tension, apart from unconfirmed reports of Italian troop concentrations, is the main character of the Press and wireless campaign let loose by the Italian Government. With its specious championship of Albanian rights, this campaign belongs to the familiar routine of totalitarian aggression. The Greek Government appears to be conducting itself with exemplary restraint and, apart from providing for the essential defence of Greek territory. nothing which might appear provocative has been done. So far as Britain is concerned there is sympathy with Greece in the crisis which she had no part in making. It has been made clear already that the British Government stands by its guarantee to afford Greece whatever assistance it can in the event, of a threat to its independence which the Grepk Government decided must be resisted. Ultimatum Denied. LONDON, August 23. An Associated Press message from Rome says that authoritative Fascist sources deny reports that Italy has delivered an ultimatum to Greece calling on her to renounce the British guarantee. This denial is supported by agency messages from Greece. Reports that the British have occupied Crete and Corfu are untrue, and are described as Italian propaganda. A message from Athens states that special categories of searchlight, machine-gun, and mechanized units were called up today for a month’s training. Columns of Italian mountain troops are reported to be occupying strategicpasses on the Albania-Greek border. The Rome radio stated that the Greek authorities have committed another murder in Albania. The Albanian newspaper “Tomori” reveals that a man was found hanged on a tree. His death was described as suicide, but a further investigation disclosed information which changed the picture. It is reported from Rome that a high Fascist official said that Italy would invade Greece if the British occupy any Greek islands. In a reference to Egypt, he said that Italy was fighting the British and not the Egyptians. In denying that an ultimatum had been sent to Greece, the Stefani news agency said: “It is pointed out that the authors of this fantastic piece of ’news lose sight of the fact that the British guarantee is no longer of any value and therefore cannot be made the object, of an ultimatum."