HOPE FOR GREECE

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21688, 26 March 1942, Page 5

HOPE FOR GREECE

MR EDEN’S MESSAGE ARMY OF LIBERATION INDEPENDENCE DAY (Official Wireless) (Received March 26, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, March 25 Today, Greek Independence Day, Mr Anthony Eden broadcast a message to the Greek people. He said: “Here in England and throughout the British Empire we are thinking of you in Greece on this anniversary of the day when your struggle for independence began in 1821. That struggle must now be fought all over again and we are pledged by the agreement which I signed with M. Tsouderos on March 9 to continue the struggle until ‘the complete liberation of Greece and the re-estab-lishment of her freedom and independence’ has been achieved. “My message to you today must be one of hope, encouragement and patience to win through the dark periods of adversity. This is a sombre moment in the fortunes of all the United Nations, but there have been darker moments. In June, 1940, the British Empire stood alone. Now a mighty coalition is on our side. I know it is hard for you to be patient when you are suffering under the appalling famine to which you have been subjected by the callousness of our enemies and their cynical disregard for their most elementary duties. “All we can do to help you we shall do. Dark though your fortunes are in Greece the position of your forces of liberation in the Middle East is steadily improving. Proud Achievements “We are all proud of the achievements of the Royal Hellenic Navy, which never for a moment has paused in the fight and whose losses will soon be made up by 'the commissioning of new Greek naval units, i “The Royal Hellenic Air Force is 1 once more in the sky against the ! common enemy. I hope that the period of training and re-equipment of the Greek Army will before long be complete and that they, too, will once more take the field. The Greek merchant navy’s service to the Allied cause has been beyond all praise. “The King of the Hellenes and M. Tsouderos have, as you know, just arrived in the Middle East to be with the Greek forces of liberation and study the problem of their organisation, equipment and collaboration with the British forces. This visit is an indication of the speed and energy with which the King and the Prime Minister are prosecuting the nation’s business.” SIR STAFFORD CRIPPS CONFERENCES IN INDIA (United Pres.-: Assn.—Eiet. tci. conyrirnt) LONDON, March 24 A New Delhi message says that Sir Stafford Cripps attended another meeting of the Viceroy’s Executive Council today. Earlier he met Sir Maurice Gwyer, Chief Justice of India. The Governors of the north-west frontier«province and the united provinces and the President of the Congress Party are coming to New Delhi tomorrow. INDIA AND CEYLON SIR S. CRIPPS’ MISSION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tei. cocyrurnt) (Received March 26, 11.30 a.m.) NEW DELHI, March 25 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, President of the Congress, and Mr Jinnah, head of the Moslem League, meet Sir Stafford Cripps today. COLOMBO, March 25 A motion requesting Dominion status after the war and suggesting that Sir Stafford Cripps extend his visit to Ceylon is being submitted to the State Council today. ACTIVITY RESTRICTED DUST-STORMS IN LIBYA (Official Wireless) (Received March 26, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, March 25 Dust-storms over the whole front restricted activity yesterday, states a Cairo headquarters communique. Air Attacks Targets at Salamis and Piraeus in Greece and Heraklion and Tympaki in Crete were raided by our bombers on Monday night, says a Royal Air Force communique. In Cyrenaica objectives at Benghazi and in the Mar-tuba-Tmimi area were also attacked. Enemy aircraft were active over Malta yesterday. Two ,ME 109’s were shot down by our fighters and three bombers were destroyed by gunfire. None of our aircraft is missing. Axis Raiders Shot Down. —Five Axis raiders were shot down over