CRETANS STILL LIVE IN RUINS OF WAR

Chronicle (Levin), 5 June 1947, Page 5

CRETANS STILL LIVE IN RUINS OF WAR

(Sperial Correspondent.)

Received Wednesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, June 4. An American correspondent who lia.been visiting Orete, says in a disput •) to the European edition of ihe Ne-. York Ilerald-Tribune that six years al'ter the (iennan invasion, a trip rounu the island shows heartbreaking results of the 'retans ' will to resist — heavt breuking liecausu their reward has been aimost coniplete indiJTerence to recon struction. The Cretans want to re build their liomes init because n« malerials are made available by the Atheus Government^ little has beei acconiplished. Unrra supplied sonn inaterials which the i.^anders stretchei to make go round but Yoday 3000 home de.-troyed by the Gennans, are still unrestored because. of lack of inaterials "The uiajoritv of Cretans are bitte: against tlie government in Athen. which they liold to be as guilty as tlu Cmmnunists in trying to bring eivw war to Orete," says the corrospon(leni "The prevalent opinion among th> Cretans is that the government is no; interested in reconstruction here. "In every community it is a conunoii sight to Jind families picking ovei rut)I>le in Ihe hope of linding somc usable building material. They liave attempted to improvise their living quarters but nobody begs for anytlring —the Cretans liave never begged foi help or niercv, but they wonder if tlu Covernnient in Athens will allocate an> of the American aid for reconstruction to Orete." The correspondeut says that at Peri volia, near Rethymo, iie saw a flowei bndecked bronze cross niarking th. spot whero the Oermans sliot 12s iiostages aimost exai'Oy six years ago Lnoking at the ruined houses of th> village, a peasant grandinother cluteh ing two small children whose pareno perished in the German reprisals, re marked: "Houses to shelter these poo ciiildren would be the best inonunien" to tliose who died."