SAVAGELY AT ODDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1943, Page 3

SAVAGELY AT ODDS

RIVAL GUERILLA BANDS IN GREECE NEW & TERRIBLE TRAGEDY “SMALL-SCALE CIVIL WAR" (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) NEW YORK, October 18. Internecine fighting between rival Greek guerilla bands of such intensity that the situation can be described only as small-scale civil war has broken out in Greece, says the “New York Times” correspondent in Cairo. Thus this unhappy land, which has undergone battle, famine, disease and brutal occupation, has still another misfortune to add to the terrible list of tragedies. . Active warfare among small bands is raging across central Greece. One is inclined to suspect that the situation is encouraged and abetted by the Germans, just as they provoked the differences between the Yugoslav Partisans and General Mikhailovitch’s forces. The Middle East headquarters are at present doing their utmost to halt the situation, but it would be foolish to be optimistic about any immediate cessation of the hostilities. This tragic development comes as a sudden shock to most of the world, but those acquainted with the more recent Greek affairs have been increasingly worried about the trend of events. Greek patriots have been joining three gradually-growing guerilla organisations almost since the first days of the Axis occupation, and the British liaison officers in the Middle East sought to treat all fairly and have given them support and as much arms as possible. The organisations soon began squabbling. They agreed upon a truce in July, but now a savage, bloodthirsty struggle has broken out between two of the organisations. The third so far has not been involved.