AID GIVEN TO GREECE

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 278, 23 August 1945, Page 5

AID GIVEN TO GREECE

500,000 Tons Of Stores In Six Months From October, 301-1, to March, 1Q45, 500,000 tons of stores were taken to Greece and distributed, said Brigadier 1. J. King, speaking at a recent luncheon of the English-Speaking Union, about the aid given to Greece after its liberation. Brigadier King was in charge of the supply and relief branch of the British Land Forces (Greece). . . Its task, he said, covered the provision and distribution of food and clothing, drugs aud hospital equipment, farm machinery, implements, seeds, fertilizers, and insecticides, the reorganization ot public health, hospital, agricultural and veterinary services, and the rehabilitation of the more important secondary industries and the sea-fishing industry. Besides this, homes had to be repaired and shelter provided for some half a million refugees. Before these works could be done, docks had to be repaired and public ulilities and transport, services made operative. The railways were out ot action. All this entailed vast preliminary planning and the training of staffs. The utmost use was made of sea transport, and for this boats had to be built or bought. Greece was divided into 10 regions, each with a major port for direct overseas shipments. The United States supplied over 50 per cent, of the commodities needed, and assigned 29 officers to the staff. Priorities bad to be considered aud the first shipments were of engineer stores to right the docks, coal and fuel oil for the power stations, and equipment to set up depots. , ... . Whenever possible the Swedish-Swiss relief organization was used to distribute food and clothing. The food ration was on a 2000 calory basis. Lack of native foodstuffs helped to inflate the currency. ELAS troops prevented supplies from reaching Athens, and kept prices impossibly high. But by November, witn Government ceilings and subsidies, the inflation was conquered. Eventually tlie Greeks were clothed and fed, and their industries and agriculture were producing, when fighting broke out iu Athens. The relief organization had to evacuate five ports and recall shipping from Pireaus. W hue fighting continued they dealt with committees of EAM officials. Their policy was that relief must go on. Soup kitchens were started in Athens, and when the fighting died down shipping was recalled. and the work began all over again. By the end of March two-thirds of the target, of 750.000 tons had been landed by the organization, and the balance was taken by UNRRA.