Evening star., 1941-03-14
Help Greece Now!

lend act is to safeguard Britain
against German attack, because the
Fall of Britain would be a catas-
trophe transcending all else. Yet the
acts broader objective Is to aid the
opponents of totalitarian aggression
| everywhere. And surely none is more
deserving Of quick and generous as
SiStance than is heroic Greece-a
fact specifically recognized by the
President when he announced Tues
day that Greece would share in the
first shipment of materiel to leave
this country after passage of the
act.
Greek Minister Diamantopoulos
declared yesterday that Greece will
hold firm against AL aggression"
None can doubt Greece's determina-
tion to do this. The exploits of the
Hellenic soldiers in Albania are as
amazing as were those of the Firms in
their dogged resistance to the Russian
colossus; and, thanks to British aid,
Greek resistance has been more en-
duringly successful. The punish
ment inflicted upon the Italians
has been noteworthy, both in men
and materials. The Greek military
authorities estimate that at least
10000 Italian soldiers have been
killed or captured on the Albanian
front since the Greco-Italian war
started last October, and. fresh losses
pile up rapidly with every passing
day. The Albanian venture has be-
come a chronic ulcer, eating away
steadily at Italy'S waning strength.
But the military aspect is far
outweighed by the diplomatic and
psychological services which Greece
has rendered to the fight against
the totalitarian powers. To estimate
the value of these "imponderables,"
it is only necessary to cast the
minds eye back to last autumn and
consider how different the situation
might have been if John Metaxas
had yielded to Mussolinis ulti-
matum.
Up to that time, Germany had gone
from victory to victory, while Italy
had confidently stepped in on what
looked like the winning side. A big
Italian Army had crossed the
Egyptian frontier from Libya, while
another large army in Italian East
Africa threatened to take Britain's
Egyptian base and the vital Suez
Canal in the rear. Almost two
decades of boaStful preparation had
given Fascist Italy considerable pres
tige. At least, cautious critics were
willing to give it the benefit of the
doubt.
The miserable showing made by
the Italians in their invasion of
Greece pricked the bubble of Fascist
prestige. 1t may have been largely
on the basis of that poor showing,
as we'll as on the requirement of
Greek bases in Crete and elsewhere,
that General Wavell determined to
risk what looked like gamble in his
Libyan campaign.
The diplomatic and strategic re-
percusSions of the Italian fiasco upon
German plans were likewise i'm
portant. If Greece had tamely sur
rendered and had been occupied
by the axis, the whole Balkan
peninsula might well have followed
suit, and perhaps Turkey as well.
There is good reason to believe that
the axis general staffs were then
ton against Egypt and the Near
East. The progressive collapse of
Italian military and naval power
sent that bold idea into the discard.
Even today, for all the Reich's mill
tary advances and diplomatic sue
cesses in the Balkans, Germany is
there Strategically on the defensive,
seeking to keep the Balkans at
peace and prevent the formation of
a Balkan War-front. Greece's timely
resistance alone made this possible.
Perhaps most important of all has
been the electrifying effect of Greek
heroiSm in the realm of the spirit.
Everywhere, men have been taught
the lesson that patriotic devotion in
defense of high ideals goes far to
outweigh handicaps in numbers and
equipment; that this is not simply a
war of machines but of dauntless
souls as well. That is Hellas' supreme
contribution to the cause which
most Americans hold dear. 1t is
time that Greece received from us
prompt and generous support in her
hour of dire need.