Evening star., 1941-02-24

of Greece. I have driven from one
end of Greece to the other and 1t
is the most fantastic collection Of
rocks of all sizes that have ever
encountered, within the same area,
on four continents. 1t has no min
erals. 1t has very few industries.
1t has no exportable surplus Of food.
In fact, none but the hardy, canny,
frugal Greeks could ever have
existed in the land for thousands
Of years.
The Nazis will get no war sinewS
out of Greece, whereas-as con.
querors-they would be sure Of get
ting a terrific headache. OF course,
they might get the great port of
Salonika, with its strategic outlet
upon the Aegean Sea, and It may
be that Htiler's chief desire is to
possess this outlet and to keep 1t
out Of British hands.
After all, the way to Salonika
from the Bulgarian or Yugoslav
borders Is much easier than the
route across Albania. Perhaps the
Nazi dictator would only want to
grab Salonika and leave the Ital-
ians to recover what they can else
where. Even so the cost would be
far from small-and the adventure
taken at the risk Of bringing the
Turks into the war.
Cost Would Be Heavy.
II Hitler wants Salonika badly
enough, if he has nightmares over
British planes being within bomb
ing range of the Rumanian oil
fields and If he should decide to
use terrific force In an invasion of
Northern Greece-under such cir
cumstances Hitler might level Sal
onika to the ground and finally take
it. But in that event he would have
ruined port, surrounded by terri
tory which would yield Germany
nothing at all. A series of noun
tain ranges, crossed by only one
twisting and exposed road, would
still bar the way into Central
Greece.
Thermopylae, with its narrow de-
file walled by titanic granite shoul-
ders, would still block the path to
Athens. The Nazis most certainly
will have to risk paying a terrific
price for any attack on Greece,
most especially if they should un-
dertake an invasion much before
April.
For the moment, let us suppose
that the Germans, needless and
ruthless, should occupy Macedonia
(the Salonika area, or even most
Of the Greek mainland, together
with the Italians. What then?
British Would Hold Sea.
They would have deprived the
British Of only a few air fields on
the mainland, but the British would
still have the Greek islands-in-
cluding Crete-and their feet would
still rule the Aegean and the Medi-
terranean. Most of Greece would
be nothing but white elephant for
Hitler, and that acquired at very
serious cost to his striking strength
against the British Isles.
In my opinion, Greece Is bad
news for Hitler no matter what he
decides to do. If he attacks Greece
he may lose what many people
think is his only chance-if indeed
it is that-of crippling Britain. II
he lets Greece alone, he risks con-
slant exposure in the Balkans. Fol-
Hitler the Greeks are a devils choice
and Greece itself is the devils bone
yard.
Undoubtedly, Hitler hopes tc
shake down the Greeks by piling
up his divisions on the Bulgarian
frontier. He wants to force Greece
to accept a peace which will save
MuSsolini's face whats left of It.
that Isl, and the Turkish Bulgarian
non-aggression agreement may aid
the Fuehrer to this end.
Reich Plans Badly Upset.
But the Greeks can scarcely be
expected to hand back to Mussolini
on a platter everything they have
taken from him, at great cost. in
Albania. 1t must also be remem-
bered that it would be counter to
all British interests to abandon the
Greeks or let them be coerced into
capitulation, provided Britain has
anything like sufficient means to
help hold a Greek-Albanian foot
hold on the European continent.
When the Greeks resisted, under
seemingly hopeless conditions, they
rose to the supreme grandeur OF the
human spirit. They also upset, most
seriously, Hitler's plans for the war
BY making monkey out of Musso-
hni they robbed Hitler of his free
dom of action, both in Western
Europe and in the Balkans. 1t is
this fact which may one day prove
to have been turning point in
the Second World War.
Hitler Playing With Fire.
For any Nazi Intervention in Bull
garia and Greece at this time is
primarily defensive measure. II
is imposed by dangers and necessi-
ties, but taken entirely contrary
to schedule. All summer and au-
tumn Nazis have been telling us in
every Balkan capital that Hitler
above everything, wants peace ir
Southeastern Europe. War woulc
simply ruin railroad deliveries o1
vast quantities of vital minerals, oil
and foodstuffs from Rumania, Bull.
garia and Yugoslavia into Ger.
many. That alone might seriously
handicap the Nazis against Britain
Hitler, against his will, has beer
forced to play with fire in the Bal.
kans. He lost his lead when Greece
upset all calculations and now he
is trying to recover it. But playing
with fire in the Balkans is a very
risky business and it's not at al
likely to contribute to Nazi efforts
for an early conquest of the British
Isles. Perhaps the Greeks last No.
vember struck greater blow fol
European and world freedom thar
they themselves imagined at the
time. This may be true whether
Greece is invaded by Germany OF
forced into an unwilling peace OF
whether Greece and Britain fight
on together.
(Copyrisht, 1Q41. nv Chicsso Daily News