DECISION TO LEAVE GREECE

Southland Times, Issue 24423, 1 May 1941, Page 7

DECISION TO LEAVE GREECE

FULL COLLABORATION WITH ALLY GREEKS EXHAUSTED AFTER LONG STRUGGLE (United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, April 30. The first official statement on the evacuation of British troops from Greece was made today by the Foreign Secretary, Mr Anthony Eden, in answer to a question in the House of Commons. The statement showed that on April 21 the Greek Government, although it had decided that further resistance was futile, had signified its willingness to protect the British flank to enable the British troops to get away from Greece.

Mr Eden said that on April 21 the Greek Government had handed to the British Minister in Athens, Sir Michael Palairet, a Note stating that while Greece was grateful to Britain for its aid it found that after conducting a gallant struggle against superior forces for six months the army was now exhausted and its resources were short. This made it impossible to continue the struggle successfully or to lend aid to Greece’s valiant Allies. In these circumstances a continuation of the struggle would have had no other effect than the collapse of the Greek army and useless bloodshed. Further resistance by the British would be in vain, but the Greeks would carry on and cover their evacuation.

Mr Eden said it would be seen from this document that the British decision to evacuate Greece was made in conformity with, and with the knowledge of, the Greek Government.

According to The New York Times military correspondent the last of the valiant Anzacs were evacuated from Greece on Tuesday. He adds that the British and Greek forces have fortified Crete as a base for offensive operations.

British newspapers state that the British and Greeks are still resisting in the Peloponnesus and that the two ports used for taking off troops are still in our hands. The evacuation from Greece has been the most difficult Empire military operation of the war, says The Daily Express. It has been harder than the evacuation of Norway and has lacked the air support which was given at Dunkirk.

Semi-official reports received in London say that the evacuation has been much more successful than was expected. The Australian Associated Press understands that German claims to have inflicted heavy casualties on the troops embarking from Greece are greatly exaggerated. The Ankara correspondent of The Times says that German armoured divisions have returned to Bulgaria and Rumania from Greece for refitting. One division which arrived at Giurgui had lost 65 per cent, of its effectives.

The Budapest correspondent of the British United Press reports that the Greek radio announced that the Greek commander in the Epirus, General Kollakoglu, had formed a Government at Athens. The general later issued a proclamation stating that the Royal family, by its cowardly flight, had denied King George’s right to represent the nation. He appealed to Greek soldiers, to cease opposing the Germans.

GERMAN CLAIMS According to a Berlin message German troops are claimed to be approaching the last harbours in the extreme southern and south-western areas of Greece. It is claimed that these harbours are the only ones available to the fleeing British and Greek troops. The German newspaper Frankfurter Zeitung says the unavoidable war in the Balkans caused economic damage, not only to Yugoslavia and Greece, but also to Bulgaria and Hungary because of the many calls of the army. Damage was also caused by considerable destruction of the railway and other traffic systems. The Danube bridge at Belgrade and the railway bridge at Neusatz were blown up. Parts of the bridge which fell in the Danube will block river traffic for a considerable period. Sabotage also slowed down Yugoslav production. Yugoslav prisoners would be forced to repair the damage and work in industry and agriculture.

It is now revealed that the Greek forces lacked the transport necessary to enable them to maintain a prolonged resistance. Much of their materials were carried in carts drawn by oxen which could travel at only three miles an hour. Moreover, when the Germans broke through the Monastir Gap the Greeks were without the artillery under the protection of which they could have withdrawn. After the cutting of the railway by this German thrust, their transport system was dislocated and they had no chance of survival. When the Australians saw the equipment with which the Greeks were fighting they were lost in admiration of their courage and their ability as soldiers.

REPORT ABOUT BRITISH MINISTER (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) ROME, April 29. The Belgrade correspondent of. Il Messagero reported that the British Minister at Belgrade, Mr Ronald Campbell, also Colonel S. G. Clark, military attache, and Ray Brock, The New York Times’ correspondent, were taken aboard an Italian torpedo-boat while attempting to embark on a steamer on the Dalmatian coast for Crete.