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MR. CHURCHILL told the country on the radio last night that half our Expeditionary Force to Greece is made up of British troops, and half of Anzacs. He detailed why the force went to Greece, and told the inner story of the German advance in Libya. Here are his words on these and other topics: Very few people realise how small were the forces with which General Wavell (that fine commander whom we cheered in good days, and will back through bad) took the bulk of the Italian masses in Libya prisoners. In none of his successive victories could General Wavell maintain in the desert, or bring into action at one time, more than two divisions, or about 30,000 men. When we reached Benghazi and what was left of Mussolini's legions scurried back along the dusty road to Tripoli, a call was made upon us which we could not resist. Let me tell you about that call. Hitler's Plan You will remember how, in November the Italian dictator fell upon the unoffending Greeks, and without reason and without warning invaded their country, and how the Greek nation, reviving their classic faith, hurled his armies back at the double quick. Meanwhile Hitler, who had been creeping and worming his way steadily forward, poisoning and pinioning one after the other Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria, suddenly made it clear that he would come to the rescue of his fellow criminal. Lack of unity among the Balkan States had enable him to build up a mighty army in their midst. While nearly all the Greek troops were busy beating the Italians, a tremendous German military machine suddenly towered up on their other frontier. In their mortal peril the Greeks turned to us for succour. Our pledge Strained as were our resources, we could not say them nay. By solemn guarantees given before the war Great Britain had promised them her help. They declared they would fight for their native soil even if neither of their neighbours made common cause with them, and even if we left them to their fate. But we could not do that. We put the case to the Dominions of Australia and New Zealand, and their Governments (without in any way ignoring the hazards) told us that they felt the same as we did. So an important part of the mobile portions of the Army of the Nile was sent to Greece in fulfilment of our pledge. It happened that the divisions available and best suited to this task were from New Zealand and Australia, and that only half the troops who took part in this dangerous expedition came from the Mother Country. I see that German propaganda is trying to make bad blood between us and Australia by making out that we have used them to do what we would not have asked of the British Army. I shall leave it to Australia to deal with that taunt. Let us see what has happened. We knew, of course, that the forces we could send to Greece would not by themselves alone be sufficient to stem the German tide of invasion, but there was a very real hope that the neighbours of Greece would by our intervention be drawn to stand in the line together with her while time remained. How nearly that came off will be known some day. The tragedy of Jugo-Slavia has been that this brave people had a Government which hoped to purchase an ignoble immunity by submission to the Nazi will. Too Late Thus, when at last the people of Jugo-Slavia found out where they were being taken, and rose in one spontaneous surge of revolt, they saved the soul and future of their country, but it was already too late to save its territory. They had not time to mobilise their armies, but were struck down by the ruthless and highly mechanised Hun armies before they could ever bring their armies into the field. Great disasters have occurred in the Balkans. Jugo-Slavia has been beaten down. Only in the mountains can she continue her resistance. The Greeks have been overwhelmed. Their victorious Albanian army has been cut off and force to surrender and it has been left to the Anzacs and their British comrades to fight their way back to the sea, leaving their mark on all who hindered them. The Jackal I turn aside to indulge for the moment in a little light relief. I dare say you have read in the newspapers that by a special proclamation the Italian dictator has congratulated the Italian army in Albania on the glorious laurels they have gained by their victory over the Greeks. Here, surely is the world's record in the domain of the ridiculous and the contemptible. This whipped jackal Mussolini, who to save his own skin has made of Italy a vassal State of Hitler's empire, goes frisking up at the side of the German tiger with yelps not only of appetite (because that could be understood) but even of triumph. Different things strike different people in different way, but I am sure there are a great many millions in the British Empire and the United States who will find a new object in life in making sure that when we come to the final reckoning this absurd imposter shall be abandoned to public justice and universal scorn. Libya While these grievous events were taking place in the Balkan Peninsula and in Greece, our forces in Libya have sustained a vexatious and damaging defeat. The Germans advanced sooner and in greater strength than we or our generals expected. The bulk of our armoured troops, which have played such a decisive part in beating the Italians, had to be refitted, and the single armed brigade which had been judged sufficient to hold the frontier until about the middle of May was worsted, and its vehicles largely destroyed, by a somewhat stronger German force. Our infantry, which did not exceed one division, had to fall back upon the very large Imperial armies that had been assembled, and can be nourished and maintained in the fertile delta of the Nile. The fortress of Tobruk, which flanks any German advance on Egypt, we hold strongly. There we have repulsed many attacks causing the enemy immense losses, and taking many prisoners. We must now expect the war in the Mediterranean on the sea, in the desert, and, above all, in the air to become very fierce, varied and widespread. We have cleaned the Italians out of Cyrenaica, and it now lies with us to purge that province of the Germans. That will be a harder task, and we cannot expect to do it at once. The Huns No prudent and far-seeing man can doubt that the eventual and total defeat of Hitler and Mussolini is certain, in view of the respective and clear resolve of the British and American democracies. There are less than seventy million malignant Huns, some of whom are already engaged in holding back Austrians, Czechs, Poles and many other ancient races they now bully and pillage. The people of the British Empire and the United States number nearly two hundred millions in their homelands and in the British dominions alone. They possess the unchallengeable command of the oceans, and will soon obtain decisive superiority in the air. German Bombs I was asked last week whether I was aware of some uneasiness which it was said existed in the country on account of the gravity, as it was described, of the war situation. So I thought it would be a good thing to go and see for myself what this uneasiness amounted to. I went to some of our great cities and seaports which have been most heavily bombed, and to some of the places where the poorest people have got it worst. I have come back not only reassured but refreshed. It is a tonic which I should recommend to any who are suffering from fretfulness to take in strong doses when they have need of it.
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