WAR DEBATE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1941, Page 6

WAR DEBATE

OPENED IN COMMONS BY MR EDEN EVENTS IN MIDDLE EAST REVIEWED. ATTEMPT TO ASSIST GREECE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.33 p.m.) RUGBY. May G. Opening the House of Commons debate on the war situation, Mr Anthony Eden (Foreign Secretary) reviewed the events of the last few months in particular relation to the Middle East hostilities.

For this survey, Mr Eden took as his starting point the time, early in February, when it became clear that the Germans, having overrun Rumania, intended to establish themselves in Bulgaria. to encircle Yugoslavia, to subject Greece to pressure and to immobilise Turkey, and from thsjt position, attained without firing a single shot, to deliver their main blow from secure bases and attack our positions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

A subsidiary purpose was to help Italy, with whom things were not going any too well in Albania. Hitler had described how well the Italians did. He had congratulated them on “weakening the Greeks." —45 millions weakening seven millions. “I do not suppose that a more insulting tribute has ever been paid to any ally.” said Mr Eden. On February 8 our forces entered Benghazi. In view of the need for resting men and refitting and refuelling vehicles, there was not a possibility of prolonging the advance to Tripoli. The previous plan had been to halt after Tobruk and to make the western flank there, but it was rightly decided to seek the further brilliant advance to Benghazi. On the same day, February 8, a Note from the Greek Government reached Britain confirming her determination to resist German aggression. It told us that Greece had united her fate with ours and would fight until final victory. It asked us to consider what help we could give, and the conditions in which we could give it. It was not a cry for help. It was a statement of the Greek position and a request that we should state ours. In face of these conditions, the Government decided to maintain its decision previously arrived at —to hold the Desert advance at Benghazi and prepare a force to go to the help of Greece,” Mr Eden continued. “This involved diplomatic and military problems and Sir John Dill and I set out as envoys.”

SERIOUS DANGERS FACED. Mr Eden recalled that, with the collapse of French resistance, the British were left in a position of the utmost difficulty and gravity in the Middle East, where the three main armies were the French—in Syria, Tunis and Jibuti. ;“Our forces,” said Mr Eden, “were relatively small, with a serious shortage of equipment, and in the late summer the Government was deeply exercised by the situation. After General Wavell had come home for a consultation, the Government took the decision to take great risks to reinforce that army and there were sent cut armoured units, men, material and aircraft and it was that equipment and those weapons which enabled Generals Wilson and Connor, in their Desert advance, to secure such brilliant success." COMPLETE AGREEMENT. On his arrival in Cairo, Mr Eden and Sir John Dill found the three Com-manders-in-Chief in complete agreement with the policy of supplementing the help already sent to Greece in the autumn by the despatch of land formations. leaving in Cyrenaica forces sufficient to meet anything expected there. With the exception of Admiral Cunningham, who had one of his occasional appointments with the elusive enemy,, all the participants in these conversations visited Athens and on their arrival, “I received a message that the King and Prime Minister wished first to see. me alone. They once more made it abundantly clear that Greece was determined to resist Germany, as she had Italian aggression. The Premier added that whatever the hopes of repulsing the enemy, Greece would defend her national territory, even if she could count only upon her own forces. We were deeply impressed by the courage and loyalty shown by the Greek leaders," Mr Eden stated.

He added that a decision to establish the British and Greek forces on the short Aliakmon Line, which afforded a reasonable chance of holding the German advance, was speedily reached, in complete agreement between the military experts. One of the considerations weighing against other alternatives was uncertainty about Greece’s northern neighbours. "In this war," said Mr Eden, “we are fighting, not for gain, but for causes, and Greece's is the embodiment of these causes. I believe that had we not gone to he)' help, we could not have raised our heads again. We had the advantage of consulting in Cairo that most wise statesman and tried warrior, General Smuts. He too was in complete agreement with the decision arrived at."