Evening star., 1948-01-25
Repairs First
In Greek Aid
Transportation Destroyed
by Enemy Has Priority
on Funds
By Arthur Dobson

Director, Reconstruction Division, American
Missisen for Aid 10 Greece.
What would happen If the trans
portation system in the United
States were suddenly destroyed?
Within a few days people in our
largest cities would be suffering
from starvation; patients +, in hos
pitals would die fer want OF medi-
cine; chaos would prevail through
out the land. 's
When the American Mission for
Aid to Greece arrived In that eoun-
try it found a transportation sys-
tenn almost totally destroyed by the
Italian and German armies. The
Germans had expected the Allies
to make an invasion through the
Balkans. For this reason they
Systematically destroyed railroads,
tunnels, bridges and highways.
Most Roads Impossible
Plans are being made to repair
the damaged railroad between
Athens and Salonika, land dis
tance of 1876 miles. This road is
owned and operated by the govern
ment. The Brallos tunnel, 5000
feet long, is in bad condition and is
being repaired by the mission.
We have ,allocated 100000 to
purchase rolling stock for railroads
The UNRRA organization supplied
a number of engines and cars be-
fore the mission arrived.
AS a result Of heavy military
traffic without maintenance and
the terrible destruction of armies
only about per cent of the roads
in Greece are in what may be
termed good condition. Most OF
them are impossible, even for jeeps.
The mission has undertaken to
put the national highway system in
good condition. This represents
about three thousand miles of pri-
mary roads. No money will be
spent on secondary roads. Some
small bridges will be built and a
larger one constructed over the Co.
rinth Canal. This canal was con-
structed so years ago across the
4-mile strip of land that connect:
the Peloponessus Peninsula with the
mainland.
Canal Being Repaired
The Germans sank a ship at the
east entrance to the canal. In ad-
dition, they piled great quantities Of
material-jeeps, cars, discarded
army equipment and supplies-on
the bridge and blew it up.
A contract has been let to repair
the Corinth Canal. It is expected
to be completed and in good shape
by the end of February. This work
will cost in the neighborhood of two
million dollars.
It is claimed there is no place in
Greece that is more than 10 miles
from the sea. In the old days the
business of the nation was largely
built up by trading of merchant
ships between this country ano
nearby nations.
During the war the Germans
sank all of the boats they could
reach. In many instances they
sank large vessels In harbors,
The port of Piraeus which serves
Athens, the port Of Salonika the
second largest city, and other ports
we're greatly damaged by bombing
and by blocking them with sunken
ships. The ports have been cleared
so that ships may enter and unload
by lighters, but this is expensive and
inefficient.
The officials of the mission feel
that one of the most valuable serv-
ices that can be rendered Greece is
to put the transportation systems
In order. For this reason we have
given priority to reconstruction Of
the railroads, highways and shin-
ping facilities of this battered la1d.