Evening star., 1941-01-02
tangible U. 5. Help
As Slow in Reaching
Greece as Finland
No American Bombers
Or Pursuit Planes
In Albania Yet
Rv LELAND STOWE.

ATHENS. Jan. l delayed Al
though President RooseveltS speech
has been received with enthusiasm,
gratitude and hope by Greek leaders
II is still true that tangible American
aid has been as slow in reaching
Greece as it was in reaching Finland,
and that American residents - this
besieged country can find little cause
to congratulate themselves over
American speed in Transforming in
spirational words into positive ac-
tons.
An American observer here feels
compelled to offer certain facts for
the record as it now stands. After
two months of Italian aggression
against Greece. there is still not a
single Amerlcan-buil bomber or
pursuit plane in action on the Al
banian front, not an American am
hulance has vet arrived here, and it
Is sheer guesSWOrk as to how manv
more weeks or months may pass be-
fore any such ambulanceS do arrive.
AS urgently AS doctors and nurses
ere needed here. We have not heard
of any American hospital units. al
ready formed and en- route to
Greece. AS vital to victory as avia-
tors are. we have not yet heard
about any American volunteer pilots,
or any marathon" squadron on the
way to fight here. The Greeks have
spoken to US with deep appreciation
about the funds and supplies al
lotted for use here by the American
Red Cross. but Americans living here
are still waiting to see some visible
form of important American aid on
Greek soil.
Delay Serious Handicap.
In the opinion of competent mill
tarv observers. the delay in the arri-
val of American-bui planes had
imposed severe handiCaps upon the
Greek forces. even though the
Greeks themselves do not discuss
this point. If 80 American bombers
and fighters had been rushed here
and could have been put into action
three weeks ago, it seems unQues-
tionable that the difference in mill
tarv results already obtained would
have shaken the foundations Of the
Fascist regime in italy
During the past three weeks so
or 80 American warplanes would
have been sufficient to paralyze COM
pletely italian air activities over the
Southern Albanian front They
would have ruptured the FascistS'
aerial support of their hard-pressed
troops near Chimara, Tepeleni and
Kllsura and, indisputably, they
would have prevented scores of
costly raids upon towns and villages
behind the lines. Had three or four
squadrons of AmeriCan-built planes
been in action here since December
II. in all probability the Greek Army
would be IN Valona today and the
fate of the rest of Albania would
be sealed for the Italians.
These are measured statements,
based upon personal observations on
the front and upon the opinion of
qualified authorities. Whether 1t
was physically impossible for Amer
lean planes to have been transported
here in six weeks time from this
end appears most doubtful providing
action had been taken with great
dispatch in American when this war
first began. In any case, such trans
port would seem entirely possible
in an interim of two months by
routes which this correspondent
knows are open.
visited one Greek hospital.
which was sWarming with 700 pa
tients, with others constantly arriv-
ing from the front This hospital
had only ID doctors and less than
20 registered nurses-or 35 patients
to each nurse. Doctors and nurses
alike were terrifcally overworked
even though the large number OF
frostbite cases made their task con-
siderably easier.
Many Civilians Killed.
I have seen women and old men
living dead in the streets of bombed
towns. killed because there simply
were not enough Anglo-Greek fight
er suuadrons available to protect
towns as we'll as troops along the
front. In these recent weeks there
have been scores, perhaps hundreds,
of civilians wounded, who never
would have been blasted, by bombs
If only 60 or 80 American war planes
had been rushed here early in the
war.
Aid to Greece, in whatever form,
will be warmly welcomed whenever
1t gets here. Nevertheless, the most
effective and essentially the most
humanitarian aid to Greece is that
kind which will hasten victory and
prevent a long war. 1t is also the
kind of aid which will prevent hos
pitals being filled up with bombed
civilians This is why American
warplanes are more urgently needed
than anything else-and aerial aid
can be flown good part of the
way.
The Greek troops have achieved
near-miracleS in the Albanian
mountains, but winter weather and
italian numerical superiority in the
air are still great dangers. which
combined may yet impose long
weeks of costly struggle-a struggle
which American aerial aid can cer-
tainly prevent.
Will such American aid come
swiftly and in time to turn the
scales decisively? Will it be handled
with a maximum of efficiency and
speed? These are things which
American residents here, as we'll as
the Greek people, would like to
know.
tCopyright, 1910, Chicago Daily News, IncD
II