WAITING FOR NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24594, 30 April 1941, Page 6

WAITING FOR NEWS

The official reticence'concerning the tragic march of events in Greece continues. Yesterday we were told that the last independent messages from Athens indicated that most of the British troops in that area left it five days ago.. Mr Churchill, in his broadcast speech of Sunday night, had nothing to say about the evacuation that was known, or at least then presumed, to be in progress except that units of the ImperiaTforces were making a fighting withdrawal to the sea, “ leaving their mark on all who hindered them.” A few days before he had confessed to a lack of precise information about “ the difficult and intricate movements of the Britisn forces,” and apparently we are to assume that the 'actual conditions of the withdrawal are still not clearly known in London. If news of the progress of the'evacuation is in the possession of the Imperial authorities, it ought to be passed on to the public which is so anxiously awaiting it. Why, it may be wondered, did the official announcement that evacuation is proceeding originate in Australia? From London the statement made by Mi- Spender in Sydney has been repeated, but it has not been amplified. If the Commonwealth Government knows that the evacuation has been successful “ so far as it has progressed,” it is reasonable to suppose that the British Government is -certainly as well, if not better, informed. There can surely be no question here of withholding information useful to the enemy, for it is not to be imagined that the Axis command in Greece did not correctly foresee the intention of the British withdrawal, as a necessary consequence of the collapse of Greek resistance, and has not been doing its best to impede it.' The people of Australia and New Zealand can have no illusions as to the nature of the task of escape that has been confronting the Anzacs, with their comrades of the Imperial army. They are prepared for sombre tidings. Nor will personal sorrow overshadow their deep and welling pride in the men who have been bearing themselves so magnificently in a right cause. If, however, there is hard news of the retreat to the sea on the battle-scarred Greek peninsula the blow caused by ,the receipt of it will not be softened by delay in telling it.