ACTION IN CRISIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 April 1941, Page 5

ACTION IN CRISIS

TAKEN BY GREEK KING AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT’S STORY. FIGHT AGAINST TERRIBLE ODDS. \ (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) NEW YORK, April 22. A “New York Times” correspondent has gone to Turkey, whence he has cabled a description of the fighting in Greece. “I am amazed that the fighting continues,” he states, “because the position appeared to be hopeless last Friday when the Government prepared to evacuate Athens and actually sent to the newspapers an announcement to that effect, which was withdrawn before publication. “A coup-d’etat was feared in Athens on that day, when armed Britons and Greeks patrolled the streets, but King George seized power and threatened to execute the first man seeking an armistice. “The streets of Athens were then filled with soldiers who had returned from the front, but small numbers of British reinforcements were still arriving. “The Government even at April 15 considered it impossible that the British and Imperial forces could successfully retire from the line which hinged on Mount Olympus. This withdrawal succeeded, due to immeasurable bravery. “The Royal Air Force is fighting gallantly, but is gradually being worn down. I spoke to one pilot who said he had fought without sleep for 120 hours and strafed endless lines of Germans till he had exhausted his ammunition. He added that the Germans were destroying the British airfields.”