Evening star., 1941-01-05
Greek Army Chief
Appeals 10 u. 5.
oSpeed Planes
Need Ships Immediately,
Popoeos Says; Number
OF Pilots Sufficient

BY the Associated Press.
SOMEWHERE ON THE SOUTH
ERN ALBANIA BATTLEFRONT,
Jan. 4-Gen. Alexander Papagos,
commander in chief of the Greek
Army, voicing an appeal for speed
in delivery of war materials ordered
from the United States, declared
tonight, If Greece had 300 good
airplanes perhaps the war would
have been won before today"
In an interview the scholarly,
gray-haired strategist, now ST,
whose forces have thrown Italian
invaders out of Greece and them
selves invaded Albania, declared:
Il can say the military situation
generally is very good.
Morale Never Higher.
notwithstanding difficulties, of
which bad weather is one of the
most important, the morale of our
troops never has been higher and
l am sure We will go on with sue
cess as in the past two months"
Above ALL said the Greek COM
mander, Eve need quick transports
of material we already have ordered
"Airplanes are vitally important
to us. We have enough pilots to fly
them and are training more.
We need those airplaneS."
Faced with the obstacle of an Ital-
ian air force enormously" outnum-
bering Greeces. Gen. Papagos
pointed out that the forward move
ment of our army nevertheless has
not yet been stopped
Expresses Greek Gratitude.
The general talked in his small
field Office, furnished only with a
desk, chairs and war maps on the
walls.
Slowly and emphatically he eX-
pressed Greek gratitude to "the
American people who follow with
sympathy our battle for liberty and
independence against the Italians" :"
I'VE deeply appreciate the help
and facilities given by the President
and Government OF the United
States for supply materials which
dSSlSI Jul UdGl1S- Ilt Sdlu.
When the interview was ending,
Gen. Papagos shook hands vigorous
ly and said. There are so many fac
tors that we cannot know exactly
what will happen but our
greatest hope is that the war will
finish soon in Greek victory.
Began as Cavalry Officer.
The general. who began his mill
tary career as a cavalry officer. has
the sober, studious air of a profess
Sor and wears horn-rimmed glasses
at his desk.
He is regarded by his officers as
one of the shrewdest military lead
ers in Greek history and, with Pre-
mier Gen. John Metaxas, shares the
unlimited confidence of King
George II.
His wife. pleasant, middle-aged
woman, now works IL to 16 hours
day as chief nurse in an army emer-
gency hospital, converted from a red
brick school several hundred miles
from Gen. Papagos headquarters.
Several hundred wounded soldiers
are under her care.
Son of the Greek Gen. Leonidas
Papagos, Greece's commander in
chief fought as cavalry officer in
three wars before leading her forces
in this one.
He entered the Greek Army as a
cavalry lieutenant in 1906, became a
captain during the war against the
Turks in 1912, fought against the
Bulgarians and Germans in the
first World War and was made a
general after serving against the
Turks in Asia Minor in 1920.
Besides active service, he has held
high army administrative positions
in peacetime and has written for
military publications. Yugoslavia
and Sweden, as we'll as his own
country, have decorated him.
Part of his training was provided
by the nation he now is fighting
Born in Athens in 1883, he attended
military schools there, studied in the
Brussels Military School and Ypres
Cavalry School and spent several
years at the Tor di Quinto Cavalry
School near Rome.