May 31.
Atter about ten days' heavy Aghting the Brilish have been obliged to withdraw cat of Suda Bay in Crete, and itis believed that result the town of Canea is now in German hands. The enemy claims tht the Aistiet of Hrakdlon hes also been occupied, Wile the Tallans allege that they landed troops on' the eastern end of the fsiand, "tthe nat two. stories are true then the situation in Cree. iv indeed terious, for the British and Greek defenders will have. Been caught. between. two res Making continued defence at the island di Cult Indsed. What has been happening aluco the Germans started their onslaught on the Isinnd is that they have: been. pouting pat= chute troops into action witha compete recklessness and disregard for life which is habit with them. tie reported that many a8 tietysthousand Germans have been landed in Crete by glider or parachute, while itis known that the Britsh and their Alles have teen" infiting Reavy casualles Upon the invaders.
The eaplure of Crete has now come for Hitler {0 be regarded 3s 1 question of per sonal prestige, and in order to maintain it thousands of German men are being thrown away with complete abandon. It is further tobe expected that thousands after thousands men wil li be saerifced in this manner, the enemy's plan being apparently to wear flown the defenders who stand comparative ile chance of being reinforce. Con quently, even though it might silat the time of wilting seem possible fo continue the tefenee of the Island the possibility of its falling to the enemy must not be overlooked.
"The question aries was Crete worth defend tug." Tt undoubtedly was. is Joss will not prove decisive in tne eastern Mediterranean, Though the take of te Belsh fet in that area willie mage all the. more. diffe, hough there ino reason to" suppose that oval have to leave Alexandria and the heighbourhoed." It te aneipated that after Grete Cyprus" will "be. next. That sang hearer the mainland of Asia Minor will pro-Dably. not be_defended so determinedly wens the ease of Crete. Cyprus i larger, and foes not present the same natural advantages for a successful resistance, and itis possible thatthe British command will decide not waste men or mot eral in the defence beyond what may already' be on the spot Tre to be noted that in Crete the Germans fre" behaving with hele typical. brutality, Thre principal towns of Canea, Heraklion and Relhymo have. been systematically. bombed from the air uni it is sated. that not a Single stone has been left standing. Some thing of the sort was expected when the German propaganda machine started putting tout the story that German parachutsis had teen tortured by the Brilsh. Nothing could Possibly be mare absured; the British troops have been much too busy fighting to have wasted their time on such a foolish pro-ceding, even if they were Inclined to such evil practices which is, it may be noted, more in keeping with the Nazi character.
It may safely be assumed that when the Nazis contemplate something particularly Slthy they always get in their atrocity stories fret and this particular tale will undoubtedly be trotted out as a defence for the ghastly treatment which has been meted out to the old men, women and children unfortunate enough fo live on Crete. Whatever is the fate of Crete its defence will have served at least one important purpose. It has demonstrated the parachutist methods of the Germans, and has shown. that even with improvised defences it is possible to take a terrible toll of the invaders. Had the British been able to secure and maintain control of the air it is doubtful whether the Germ: would have succeeded to the extent they have, and judging by all that has happened it would seem that, so long as the British maintain mastery in the air over their own Islands, invasion will be well nigh impossible, or at the very least only possible of execution at a cost infinitely greater than that which has been inflicted in Grete.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.