SUFFERING IN GREECE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 17 February 1942, Page 4

SUFFERING IN GREECE

THOUSANDS DYING Ol SI AKVATION Ankara, Feb. 15. According to reports reaching authoritative quarters. 40.000 people

authoritative quarters, pcupic have died of starvation in Greece in the past lour months, mostly in the Athens region. Travellers from Greece say that now at least 500 drop dead from starvation every day. "1 saw former generals, admirals and millionaires queuing for food,” said one traveller. "Money is ol no value and the whole population suffers alike.” People arc seen m the daytime to crumple up in the gutters, where they arc left till dark, when carts pick up the bodies and dump them in trenches outside the city. A meagre bread ration is available only every other day. The sinking ol the Kurtulus, which was wrecked on 20th January, was the last straw for the Greeks. Hope again dawned with the knowledge that an 8000-ton Swedish ship chartered by the International Red Cross was loading wheat at Haifa lor Greece and also that another Swedish foodship might go from Turkey Von Paper, is reported to have told the Greeks in Turkey that the Germans guaranteed the safely of neutral food-ships of wheat to Greece, and also Hint the Rumanians would immediately provide 3000 toils of corn—if dollars could be found to buy it. Though Britain on stli February completed dispositions for the dispatch of a shipload of wheat to Greece, the ship is unable to leave because the Italians and Germans have not assured its safe conduct, savs the London "Daily Telegraph."—P.A.