MUST BE FOLLOWED UP

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 129, 27 November 1940, Page 7

MUST BE FOLLOWED UP

THE GREEK SUCCESS

OPPORTUNITY TO HAMMER

THE ITALIANS

(Britlsn Official Wireless.»

RUGBY, November 25.

Discussing the causes and possible consequences of the defeat inflicted by the Greek forces which culminated in the capture of Koritza, "The Times" says: "The Italian soldier in general is emotional and easily becomes a prey to despondency. If all had gone well he would doubtless have overrun Greece and been pleased to picture himself a conqueror, but the shock of unexpected resistance was too much for him because it was not necessary to store enthusiasm and nerve himself to meet it. That is why it will pay us well to hammer Italy and the Italian forces with all the means in our power before the lessons learnt on the battlefields of Macedonia, Epirus, Taranto, and the Thames Estuary are forgotten. "While Hitler may not be sorry that -Mussolini has been taught his place and made to realise how helpless he is without Germany's assistance, it is improbable that he will allow his partner in the Axis to be too seriously humilitated without intervening. But intervention by means of ground forces can only be carried out either by viola-; tion of the territory of Yugoslavia or | by inducing Bulgaria to admit his forces, perhaps to attack'either Greece or Yugoslavia herself.

"A campaign against Yugoslavia is never one to be lightly undertaken. There is no certainty that Bulgaria will lend herself to such ignominyback the wrong horse for the third time in succession—but we have seen elsewhere what an unscrupulous minor ity, backed by Nazi .influence from outside, is capable of. The season is unpropitious and Hitler will doubtless prefer to await the spring if the Italian need is not too pressing.

"Our own difficulties are still very great, but as the position stands, however it may develop, we have already derived benefit from the courage of our ally and our own preparedness to take advantage of the opportunity afforded us. We must not rest on these laurels, because there is much to be done, and there may not be much time to do it in equally favourable circumstances.'*