London, June 2, While there is no disposition to} minimize the ferocity of the struggle which "has taken place in Crete, British reaction to. events in this battle has differed considerably from what the Germans doubtless expected, Both the strategical importance of [crete and the ruthlessness of the German effort have been fully realized bby the British public as a whole, but the realization of these two factors does not by a long way tell the 'When over a week ago it was realized that the position of the Imperial and Greek' forces in Crete had. been rendered perilous by the fact that they were fighting almost deprived of aerial protection, most people in Britain, with memories of the rapid invasion of Holland and other past Nazi successes, prepared themselves for the worst and ex-ceted overnight news that the Breat battle was over.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.