BRITISH LEAVE GREECE

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1941, Page 7

BRITISH LEAVE GREECE

SUCCESSFUL BEGINNING

MR. SPENDER’S STATEMENT

[by cable.—press assn—copyright.] LONDON, April 28. The evacuation of Greece by the Forces of the Empire has begun. This wqs announced in Sydney today, by Mr. Spender, the Minister for the Army, who said: “The evacuation of our troops from Greece has begun. So far as it has proceeded, it has been successful.” Mr Spender would neither confirm nor deny United States reports that the majority of the Anzacs had been safely evacuated with their weapons. The last independent messages from Athens say that' most of the British troops left the Athens district on April 25, amid moving scenes. Cheering crowds shouted “Au revoir.”

REASON FOR SILENCE

(Recd. April 29,1.35 p.m.). LONDON, April 28.

No official statement is likely yet about the evacuation from Greece, but there is every prospect that a substantial proportion of the force has reached safety, says the “Evening Standard.” . Transports cannot use wireless without giving away their position to the enemy, and consequently the numbers aboard cannot be radioed, therefore no definite news can be expected until the whole operation is complete. GERMANS IN ATHENS.

LONDON, April 28. German troops are reported to be streaming into Athens.

It is reported that the Luftwaffe ringed Athens with bombs, and ma-chine-gunned people in the roads round the city. It can be claimed that the British threat to bomb Rome if Athens was attacked from the air, has probably saved the majority of the Greek capital’s historic and prominent buildings from destruction. ITALIANS AT CORFU. (Recd. April 29, 1 p.m.). LONDON. April 28. An Italian communique states that members of the Air Force and Blackshirts occupied Corfu. MENACE TO TURKEY. LONDON, April 28. An Ankara message says it is reliably reported that the Germans have occupied the Aegean islands of Mytilene and Chios, presumably by using planes and parachute troops. Chios has been a landing place for British and foreign refugees in all sorts of craft from Greece. Turkish newspapers to-day for the first time are openly discussing the German menace, especially the threat inherent in the. occupation of the Aegean islands. “Ikdam” says: “The British used Lemnos in the last war to cut off the Dardanelles and threaten Turkey. There is a great resemblance in the German occupation. The Germans will use torpedo-boats, cutting off Britain and Turkey.” “Vatan,” discussing , prospective German demands, says: “There will be no compromise and no yielding, but resistance to all demands. Our Government is prepared to accept even the smallest demands as a declaration of war.” RIOTS IN SYRIA. LONDON, April 28. The Jerusalem correspondent of the Independent French News Agency reports further disorders m Syria.* At Hama, demonstrators raided wheat mills and afterwards tried to free those arrested. Police fired on the rescuers, four being killed and 15 wounded. French armoured cars are patrolling the streets of Aleppo after similar incidents. A strike of milkmen was broken at Beirut after a revision of taxes on dairy products.

GREEK COWARDICE DENTED

LONDON. April 26

A. Greek General who was svith the Greek Armv during the last’ hours before the capitulation, has given facts, and has ca+egorically denied the charges of cowardice levelled at the gallant, outnumbered Greek forces. He said: “I am in a position to assure the Greek people that the officers and men carried out their duties with an utter disregard for self, and wrote fresh pages in the glorious military history of our country. The unhappy issue of events was in no way at all due to cowardice or to any other cause, save that the Greek Army, after fighting hard and victoriously for six months 01 the Albanian front, suddenly found itself, when the Jugoslav Front collapsed, forced to meet another army with more modern equipment, with more highly mechanised forces, and with a stronger air force. In these circumstances, it had to withdraw some 150 kilometres—being continuously pounded by the enemy air force, from which it had no protection. This operation was made far strategic reasons. It was carried out without a single soldier Jailing into the hands of the enemy, and it wi 1 ! excite the admiration of the whole world when the precise conditions in which it was performed can be disclosed. Finally finding communications severed and supplies cut off, owing to the ceaseless bombing and machine-gunning, and seeing Greek towns destroyed, one after another; and under intense pressure from the north and the east, it was forced to lay down arms when a continuation of the struggle was utterly impossible.”

JUGOSLAV FIFTH COLUMNISTS.

NEW YORK, April 26.

The “New York Times” correspondent in the Middle East, Mr Sulzberger, cabling on Tuesday last, declared that the invasion of Jugoslavia was greatly aided by Fifth Columnists. Within 36 hours of the invasion, traitors cut almost every important communication in South Serbia. Jugoslav armies were unable to get in touch with each other. The Jugoslavs actually evacuated the Monastir Gap before the Germans were anywhere near, thus enabling the speedy German advance to be made, which outflanked the British line. Jugoslavs had planned to at-

tack Italians in Albania, where Greeks were ready for an offensive, but inefficient troop concentrations spoiled the plan. An offensive toward Albania never actually began. Greeks were forced to withdraw from part of Albania in order to co-operate in a new Allied defence line, which was based on an assumption that the Monastir Gap would remain closed. Finally,"the majority of the Greek Generals favoured capitulation, they feeling that Greece already had done her part honourably. Nevertheless, they kept on fighting, the Greeks dying in thousands, in order to give the British a fighting chance to make their escape. U.S.A. FREEZES CREDITS WASHINGTON, April 28. Mr. Roosevelt, to-day, froze Greek credits and cash holdings in the United States.

NEED FOR ENDURANCE.

MORE SETBACKS POSSIBLE.

RUGBY, April 27.

An interesting article on the situation in the Middle East, published in the “Economist,” begins by writing off the Greek mainland and noting that in the occupation of Greek islands the Germans have begun the investing of the Turkish citadel. _ It says that the pause in North Africa is unlikely to be prolonged and passes to the western Mediterranean, where at any time the German thrust may swing. . “It was known that the Spring of 1941 would see a many-pointed offensive designed to do to Britain what was done to France last year,” it says. “It is known, too, that Germany still possessed the largest and most powerful army in the world and the strongest air force operating on interior lines between the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Hitler was bound to attack and his attack was bound to be menacing. “There was never any ground for belief that the Royal Air Force could now rule the air in every region. That time is still to come, and it was with full knowledge of these facts that Mr Churchill and his advisers had to make their dispositions where the Germans moved. His stern assessment of the odds against which the British efforts must be made this year does not lead to any doubt as to the final outcome and also that, no miracles can be expected in the immediate future.

“The uncomfortable fact must be swallowed that there had been setbacks and that there will be more setbacks, not because the higher strategy of the Cabinet and the Services has on the balance been wrong, but because the forces at their disposal are still too weak. The reason for this goes back; to the fall of France and more years still to the ineptitude of the economic preparations made for fighting. There has not been time yet since Norway and Dunkirk to catch up the enemy’s long start. The flood of American aid has still to come, and it is a stark fact that it mav take years to gather strength enough to stand victorious in the field. “Until then, it will be guerrilla warfare except in the defence of Britain and the Atlantic defences, and in spite of the grievous course of events, the campaign in Greece has been a guerrilla operation of no small importance.”