Victory in Greece
A year ago the suggestion that this summer would see the Greek army firmly established along the frontiers of Albania and Yugo- slavia would have sounded absurdly optimistic. That this has now become a reality is due, of course, mainly to the withdrawal of Yugoslav support from the rebels, which leaves them only with the smaller and much less efficient resources of Albania to fall back upon. But equally the present reversal of fortunes is due to the decline in rebel morale which has been matched (though not to an equivalent extent) by a new energy in the Greek army. The Greek rebels are intelligent enough to be able to read the signs of the times, all of which point to their dwindling importance in the eyes of the Cominform as trouble-makers. This is not really their own fault, since on the whole they have fought with stubborn bravery, but they cannot hope for any immediate turn in Balkan events which is likely to improve their fortunes. For the time being, at any rate, they will have to reconcile the change in their status, from guerillas to emigres. But the victories of the past fortnight are very far from putting an end to the troubles of the Greek Government. For one thing, as long as Albania continues to play her present interven- tionist game, it will be necessary to keep the frontier heavily garrisoned and, almost certainly, to cope with periodical raids. Faced with this prospect it is natural for Greek patience to grow short. Albania has, since the end of the war, proved herself as anarchic in her conduct of foreign relations as in her own internal administra- tion. But the temptation to put an end to the nuisance is one which, unfortunately for themselves, the Greeks will have to resist. The conduct of their forces during the closing stages of the campaign, In which the integrity of the frontier has been scrupulously respected, shows that the necessity is appreciated.
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