April 24.
With the fall of Larissa and Trikkala in central Greece, and the consequent entry of the German forces into the plains of Thessaly it was inevitable that the British and Greek forces should fall back furttier southwards. The flat land of the plains permitted of freer use of mechanized units, and the decision of the Anglo-Greek command to take up a position along the line stretching Greek Government, and the struggle will be from Thermopylae to Mount Parnassus and thence to the coast of the Gulf of Corinth results in there being a shorter front to defend again in mountainous country. As Mr. Winston Churchill pointed out in the House of Commons the Allied forces have been executing intricate movements of a most complicated character carried out with extra~ ordinary skill, These have been rendered necessary by the peculiarities of the terrain, over which they have been fighting a rearguard action with the greatest stubbornness, and reports of the hospital trains moving northwards out of Greece, which emanate from neutral, but well informed sources, indicate that the Greeks and the British have given the Germans a most severe mauling, though weight of numbers and superiority in the amount of equipment has all along given the Germans the advantage, The probability of there having to be an evacuation from Greece is one which was realized from the very outset-of the struggle that country. That, however was no reason why the British should not have gone to the aid of their gallant Greek allies. It would have been highly dis honourable not to have done so, and, at the risk of weaken ing the British situation in northern Africa, the British command threw forees into Greece in the hope of being able to hold up the German advance. That they have not sueceeded in doing up to the present, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will be more successful along the new and shorter me on which they have carefully prepared posts. Far from the retreat being precipitate fas the German propagandists would have the world believe, this rearguard battle has been most orderly, speaking well for the moral of the troops whose display ranks well with the epic retreat from Mons in the early months of the past war.
The claim that the Germans have occupied the island of Samothrace has not been confirmed. If they have it will probably prove to be a move of prime importance as bringing German forces almost to the mouth of the Dardanelles, Imbros being the only {sland on the way to that important avenue of communication with the Black Sea. It is by no means clear that the Greeks placed much importance on the defence of Samothrace, realizing that once Thrace itself had gone the possibility of holding on to the {sland would be slim indeed. It may still be somewhat premature to hold that a total evacuation of Greece may become necessary, though the probabilities suggest that to be the wisest course in the circumstances. Much depends upon the ability of the Allied forces to defend the narrow peninsula along the line they have now taken up. But of this there can be the completest certainty: the Greeks and the British have succeeded in giving the Germans and the Italians the worst man-. handling they have endured since this war began. They have shown to the world that, given equipment anywhere near approaching that of the Germans, and it was only the comparatively small British force that was 80 fitted out, it Is possible for brave, dete:- mined men to make the enemy pay dearly for whatever advantage he may have gained.
For that reason this adventure in Greece must be reduced to its proper perspective. Tt had to be embarked upon for reasons of honour,—sueh honour which the Germans cannot' be expected to understand—and though there will be great regret if Greece has to be left, it must be remembered that it was never for one instance thought that the ultimate decision of this war would be reached in that country. This is one of the events of war which have to be expected. Doubtless the pendulum will swing backwards and forwards many times before there set- in those prospects of final victory for democracy without which this struggle will not be ended. There {s surely no ground for undue uneasiness over the present situation. Mr. Churchill has flatly denied that there was public disquiet at home where "the public are showing all those qualities of stability and phlegm when things are not going well, which have made us what we are and carried us thus far on our journey."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.