Evening star., 1941-04-07
Aid to YuqosIuviu

N'o ~ dSOSi0Vi0
Justifiably fortnight and severe
was Secretary Hull's denunciation
yesterday of the German invasion of
YugoSlavia and Greece And Amer
ica's answer to what Mr., Hull prop
erly characterized as "barbaric"
chapter in the totalitarian plan of
world conquest will be given in terms
of guns and planes and munitions
and other supplies from our arsenal
of democracy" Mr.. Hull pledged this
material aid in a public statement
issued on behalf of President Roose-
welt. Actually, this was reafflrma-
tion Of previous promises made to
Yugoslavia through diplomatic chan
nelS during the critical hours which
preceded the Balkan Kingdoms final
decision to reject the yoke. of Nazi
domination and fight, if need be, for
her independence and her national
honor.
Fortunately, the framework for a
program of rendering aid to Yugo-
slavia now exists, thanks to the
arrangements already made for eX-
tending assistance to Greece. Since
the interests of the Yugoslavs and
the Greeks parallel each other, with
both peoples defending themselves
against a common foe, 1t is necessary
only to amplify the present aid-to-
Greece plan into broad program of
prompt and effective help to allied
British, Greek and Yugoslav forces
in the new Balkan theater OF war.
If Turkey joins this allied trio, she
logically may expect full share of
the supplies.
With the danger of an imminent
invasion of England fading, due to
the opening of a second war front for
the Nazis in the East, it is likely that
some of the materiel scheduled to GO
to England will be diverted to the
Balkan front. The President dis
closed recently that quantities of
modernized French Seventy-fives are
destined for Greece These conSign-
mentS may be enlarged in view of
the new developments. Yugoslavia
has but about 500 combat planes to
oppose Nazi Balkan air fleet, several
thousand strong. American war
planes have been sent to the British
Middle East command by way of
East African ports. Some of these
may already have reached Greece.
In addition to implements of war,
America will send other supplies to
the Balkan allies. The American Red
Cross announced yesterday that hos
pital equipment and other medical
facilities will be shipped to Yugo-
slavia from an Atlantic port.
AS the Mediterranean Sea is still
fraught with perils for merchant
shipping, the Red Sea approach to
the Suez Canal seems to be the most
advantageous route of supply. The
Red Sea coast has been swept vir-
tually clear of Italian forces, as a re-
suit of the collapse of Italian East
Africa. A Neutrality Act proclama-
ton still lists the Red Sea as a for
hidden zone for American ships. This
sea could be reached either by way
of the South Atlantic, the Cape of
Good Hope and the Indian Ocean, or
by way of the Pacific and Indian
Oceans. The water distances are
about the same. There is a shortage
of merchant ships with which to
transport our supplies, but if re-
ported negotiations for acquisition of
the nearly two-score Danish ships
now in our protective custody are
successful, the immediate shipping
crisis will be measurably relieved.
Time is precious. The American peo-
pie will expect their Government to
take whatever steps are necessary to
speed the aid which the President
and his Secretary of State have
promised the courageous Yugoslavs,
Greeks and British.