FURTHER ORDERLY WITHDRAWAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 97, 26 April 1941, Page 9

FURTHER ORDERLY WITHDRAWAL

LONDON, April 25.

There is little fresh news of the fighting on the Greek mainland. Reports reaching Cairo tonight say that the Imperial forces are still maintaining an unbroken line and keeping contact with the Greeks. Earlier communiques told of severe losses inflicted on the enemy in the course of a further orderly withdrawal by the Empire forces. The Germans claim that their forces have occupied the Pass of Thermopylae, about 10 miles south of Lamia.

The determination of the Greeks to fight on was expressed by the Greek Vice-Premier in a message to the youth of Greece. "We are not beaten," he said..."ln the la^t six months we crushed a colossal empire, and only retreated when another empire of 100,000,000 came to stab us in the back." Their retreat, he added, was provisional. They constituted only the advance guard of a frmidable empire, at whose side they were continuing- the conflict.

A statement on the Balkans situation was made today by Mr. Amery, Secretary of State for India. He said that by being forced into a major campaign in the Balkans Germany had had her military machine disorganised. She had been forced to make an effort which for months to come would disorganise her supply system. and military arrange-

ments. "We have indeed thrown a , most substantial spanner into the German works," said Mr. Amery.

He described the present situation as serious, but said there was t every reason for steadfast and sober con-

The situation in the Balkans was.also referred to in a speech by Mr. Arthur Greenwood, Minister without porfolio. He declared: "Let us admit we have taken hard blows, but let us not forget that amid the ebb and flow of this great struggle we have inflicted grave injuries on the enemy."

Mr. R. G. Menzies, the Australian Prime Minister, speaking at an Anzac Day luncheon in London, paid a tribute to the magnificent stand made by the Greeks, and declared that no one could regret having answered their call for help.

Mr. Spender, the Australian Minister of War, said in an Anzac Day message: "Let the commemoration of our sacred day be a sign to our allies that we are with them to the end; let it be a sign to our enemies that we have scarcely started to fight."