BITTER DESTITUTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 October 1941, Page 5

BITTER DESTITUTION

IMPOSED BY THE AXIS ON GREECE COUNTRY DEVASTATED. THRACE PLACED AT MERCY OF BULGARS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 27. The Axis has reduced no country except Poland to such bitter destitution as Greece, says a special correspondent of “The Times.” The invading Italians burnt many towns in the Epirus,, and theif’ air attacks greatly damaged Corfu, Cephalonia, Salonika, Piraeus, Patras, Kastoria, Volo and Larissa. The Germans wrought destruction throughout the country. The Luftwaffe destroyed or heavily damaged 23 towns. The German land operations caused equally extensive devastation, because the Germans were compelled to fight down the whole length of the country. Land communications were completely broken down, and the losses of Greek shipping were enormous. The conquerors divided the desolate land into three zones. Bulgaria took western Thrace and eastern Macedonia to Struma, including the island of Thasos and Samothrace, and the Germans retained central Macedonia, with Salonika, Elmnos, Mitylene and Chios. The Italians nominally took over the remainder, but the Germans retained control of the most important strategic points and all aerodromes, and they maintain a substantial number of troops in the Italian area. The Bulgarians are vigorously denationalising and exterminating the 1,000,000 Greeks in their area,' where no Bulgarian had lived for 20 years. The Bulgarians have called up Greeks for service in the Bulgarian army and deported many to Bulgaria for labour service. The German and Italian areas of occupation are virtually one, because the Germans have the upper hand everywhere.

The Greek population receives only what food is left over from the occupiers’ needs. Athenians often faint in the streets for lack of food. The famine is particularly severe in the islands because of the seizure of shipping and the indifference of the Axis to the fate of the communities which are thus cut off. The Greeks are carrying on systematic guerilla warfare and destruction of Axis shipping in Greek harbours is frequent.

The strength of the Greek resistance necessitates the presence of 15 Italian and three German divisions in addition to the large Bulgarian forces in the Bulgar-occupied territory.