Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1941. RISKS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 May 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1941. RISKS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

T\ great part Air Eden covered familiar ground in his survey, in the House of Commons, of recent war developments in the Middle' East. The dehate that followed seems to have served its principal purpose in showing how little there is to he said, with point and effect, in criticism of the risks that admittedly were taken in sending a British Expeditionary Force to Greece. Everyone will agree with the former Secretary for War. Air llore-Belisha, to lhe extent that it would he vastly heifer that “we should meet the Germans only when we could do so on equal terms —not with ill-prepared plans or an inadequate expedil ion. ’’ We are concerned meantime, however, not with the conditions in which we would like our forces to meet -the Germans, hut with the admittedly less desirable conditions in which the aggresors must either ho met or allowed to work their will unhindered.

No one presumably knows better than Air llore-Belisha that the deficiencies and shortcomings in war preparation still tn bo overtaken and made good are accounted for by past neglect and that against that neglect no one protested in more emphatic, terms, over a period ol critical years, than the present British Prime .Minister (Air Churchill). In the conditions that exist, a demand that the Germans should be fought only where they can be met on even terms can only be classed as an absurdity. AVhat the delay in preparation has meant in the past, and also the progress that is being-made in building! up British armaments, are alike indicated impressively in Afr Churchill’s statement that Britain now is producing, as many tank's every month as were possessed by her whole Army when Afr TforeBelisha was at the War Office (up to January. 19-10) and that before long the present output of tanks will be doubled.

So far as the expedition to Greece is concerned, it will weigh heavily with impartial people that the venture and the risks.it involved ■were approved by the British land, sea and air commanders-in-chief in the Afiddle East —all ol them leaders who have been tested in severe conditions and not found wanting and in whom the nation may reasonably repose faith. The weight of expert opinion was that the allied forces had a fighting chance of holding the shortened AJiakmon line, in Northern Greece. Tn the event, the hope thus entertained was not realised, but in taking fair account of all the facts it may he expected that an overwhelming weight of opinion in Britain and in the other Empire countries concerned, not least New Zealand, will concur in Air Eden’s statement:—

In this war we are fighting ’ not for gain, but for causes and Greece is the embodiment of these causes. I believe that had we not gone to her help we could not have raised our heads again.

Afnch as the total Empire losses in Greece of 11,5'00 men, of whom a large proportion were cut off from, re-embarkation and are now prisoners of war, must be deplored, there is a good deal to be set down on the other side of the account. Some uncertainty may exist as to the actual figure of German losses in Greece, but all reports seem to .justify the statement made by Lord Afoyne, in the House of Lords, that the German losses in killed and wounded were far heavier than those suffered by the Imperial forces.

Time and events must test Afr Attlee’s contention that, in spite of Hitler’s successes, the British position in the Afiddle East is far stronger than it was six months ago. It is already plain that the campaign in Greece was one section only of a complex, continuing struggle which is developing in adjacent or related areas in the Eastern Mediterranean. Indeed, with Crete held strongly by Greek and British forces under the command of Major-General Ereyberg, even the Greek campaign is far from having been carried to a conclusion. The forces.garrisoning this famous island apparently include part at least of the New Zealand Division. There should be good grounds for the proud confidence expressed by the Greek' Primo Minister that Crete will be an impregnable bulwark of Greece. The manner in which the British Imperial forces, and not least the New Zealand Bivision, boro themselves in Greece, ami the disproportionate losses they inflicted upon the attacking enemy masses, certainly are of good promise as they bear upon the future of the war in the Eastern Alediterranean and elsewhere.

MURDER BY ORDER.

JNSEPAI?ABLY as outrages and abominations have come to be associated with the name of the Nazis, the whole civilised world will be shocked and sickened by the'Story of the murderous bombing by the Luftwaffe of Greek towns and villages and its deliberate sinking of all five of’Greeee’s hospital ships. Once again it has been demonstrated that in the estimation of 'the Nazis, the destruction of peaceful homes and the mar-hine-giinning of women and children is good sport, or something of that kind. It is obvious, too, that hospital ships are specially favoured as targets by the Nazis, presumably because they are held sacred and immune from attack by tlic forces of all civilised nations and of course possess no means of defence. No viler crime is recorded iu history than the sinking by the Nazis of Greek hospital ships and the machinegunning of survivors struggling in tin l water. If possibly might be-of salutary effect if Britain and her fillies announced formally that the men ultimately responsible I'or these and other crimes in violation of Hie laws of civilised warfare—Hitler, Goering and the rest—would be held personally to account and brought to trial al the first opportunity. It can hardly be supposed that the Luftwaffe is deliberately ninrdering civilians, without distinction of age or sex. and sinking hospital ships, without having received instructions from the Fuehrer and his associates to pursue that course of infamy. Even if it be judged not worth while to take this action at the present juncture, when the Nazi war organisation has yet to be broken, a time it may lie hoped is not too far distant when the grip of the Nazi gangsters on their subject masses, even in Germany, will be progressively strained and weakened . At that stage, Hie course that would meet the ends of justice where the viler excesses of Nazi criminality ;| fe coiieerned might al Ihe same lime help to shorten the war.