Evening star., 1940-11-03
Mediterranean Front


paw from the eastern part of Europe into
the Mediterranean. 1t has an economic
value of itself, but this value is over
shadowed now by the fact that its situa-
ton is strategic. The axis powers find
Ing England tougher nut to crack
probably than they expected have spent
six weeks in gradual preparation for the
hard business of squeezing the British
In the Mediterranean. Step number one
was the opening of the Italian drive from
Libya across Egypt toward the Suez
Canal Step number two is the opening
of the drive for the control of Greece,
lying northwesterly across the Mediter-
ranean from Egypt. Control of Egypt
and control of Greece would give the
axis partial nutcracker with which to
break the English naval grip in what
the Italians like to think of as mare
nostrum."
England took Greece under its diplo-
matte wing in April, 1899, as a part of
the "encirclement policy" pursued by
Prime Minister Chamberlain, to the
anger of Germany. The country is a
seamens paradise, land of many is
lands and many harbors, perfect as a
base of operations for modern navies.
Italy began to push the Greeks early
in September by giving them taste of
naval warfare. The Greeks remained
composed. The Italian hint" was in
effectual. The Italians took the direct
step
The ultimatum presented by Minister
Grazzi accused Greece of opening her
territorial waters coasts and
Greece ports to the British feet, of
Fiqhts helping supply Britain's air
forces and of permitting or
ganization in the Greek archipelago of
q military information service detri-
mental to Italy. 1t demanded an end
to these acts and asked permission for
the Fascist forces to occupy several
strategic points in Greek territory for
the duration of the war. King George II
and Premier John Metaxas, who, expect
ing some similar step. had been for a
long time in diplomatic communication
with London, decided to ignore the Ital-
ian manifesto and face the music of
battle.
In London both King George vi of
England and Prime Minister Churchill
at once dispatched messages to the Greek
sovereign and the Greek Minister prom
Using all possible aid in the event of at
tack.
The attack came from Albania at
dawn, almost as soon as the am zero
hour for submission to the ultimatum
had passed The Italians seized Albania
in April, 1899, and Metaxas saw then
the seizures implications for Greece
He arranged a line of defense roughly
parallel to the Greek Albanian border,
but some miles within Greece.
The attack from Albania was twofold.
Into Epirus the italian troops moved
southwark along the Kalamas River and
It's valley toward the fortified town of
Janina, about 80 miles inside Greece.
Into Macedonia Italian troops moved
westerly, first toward the village of
Phlorina. Their ultimate destination is
Salonika cosmopolitan town at the
head of magnificent harbor from which
ships can command much of the Aegean
Sea and threaten the Dardanelles. The
Dardanelles are the jugular vein of
Turkey, and Turkey is the key to the
Mosul oil fields, which supply the British
fleet in the Mediterranean. The British
fleet is the key of England's safety.
The Greek Army, commanded by Gen.
Alexander Papagos, is estimated at from
100000 to 250,000 men,
Mountain and their air strength
Warfare erds with 125 planes. The
Grecian campaign may
be long, however, because OF the terrain
in which the fighting is taking place.
Epirus and Macedonia are ridged high
and intricately by the Balkan Alps. In
them no blitzkrieg is possible. To I'M
prove the Greeks advantage in terrain,
the opening of the Italian assault was
the signal for heaven to let 90 its rains.
The first 48 hours of the campaign were
fought in relentless showers that turned
the topsoil of the mountainsides into
bogs, impeding progress.
The Italian military pride has suffered
before in mountain Campaigns. The
World War humiliation of Caporetto was
battle in the mountains. The Ethiopian
mountains once baffled the Italian as