NEWS OF THE WEEK
'II HE news of the successful withdrawal of at least four- .1l fifths of the British forces in Greece supplies the last touch that was needed to mark that campaign as one of the most splendid failures in British military history. Failure it was bound to be once the collapse of Yugoslavia destroyed the last hope of combined resistance on a line running across the peninsula. But to refuse the help for which Greece appealed would have involved us in eternal shame, and destroyed all Turkey's confidence that we should live up to our understand- ings with her if need arose. We went to Greece at Greece's request, and we left Greece, as Mr. Eden disclosed in the House of Commons on Wednesday, at Greece's instance. We sent 6o,oao troops there ; we sustained 3,000 casualties—a minor fraction of those we inflicted on the Germans ; and we have so far brought 48,00o away. We have brought them away, as at Dunkirk, mainly from open beaches, for the only Greek ports available were under constant and murderous bombard- ment from the air, and the whole operation was carried out in the face of overwhelming enemy air-superiority. Whether the 48,00o is the full total saved is not clear yet ; it is noteworthy that the Germans only claim 5,000 prisoners, no doubt part of a gallant rearguard, whose sacrifice for the salvation of thdir fellows was inevitable. It does not follow that all the 48,000 are back in Egypt ; the Germans speak of some as having landed in Palestine, and it may well be so. But before long the whole contingent, who are spoken of emphatically as stimu- lated rather than depressed by their experiences, will be ready for new service under General Wavell. The loss of their heavy equipment is a misfortune, but heavy equipment can be replaced faster today than it could after Dunkirk.
