THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 21, 1940.
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
MARATHON AND THERMOPYLAE
We cannot know, yet, what the modern Hero- dotus will write about the Italo-Greek war. Military experts appear to agree that the magnificent abi- lity the Greeks
have shown not only to resist, but take a smashing of- fensive is an all-around surprise. And the Greek soldiers are being likened to the heroes of Marathon and Thermopylae.
a
The comparison is not only interesting but salu- tary. Marathon was Greek victory over the in- vading Persians, Thermo- pylae was a defeat for the Greeks at the hands of the Persians. Both be- came proud landmarks in Greek history because of the heroism of the Greek forces that took part.
This was no less marked at Thermopylae than at Marathon. But at Ther- mopylae there was the an- cient counterpart of a "fifth column. A traitor
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showed the Persians а
HORDER REPORT
MALCOL
Carbolic
DEFENCE OF LONDON
Germans
Chatillon sur Indre, the guide-
mountain path by which book Says, is a curious little they got behind the town of 3416 inhabitants with two
hotels, an eleventh century church dup- a thirteenth century
It was the Grst town we struck
Greeks holding the moun- and tain pass
"a little above geon. and a little below Ther- in unoccupied France. But there mopylae." And there was nothing curious about It Fresh as I was from seeing the German troops in Brittany and Touraine. Chatillon was for me a depressing and tragic spectacle.
the allies
were among that made up the Greek front some groups that were partisans of Persia.
An endless column of broken French soldiers without leaders, without officers, shuffled disinally along the roads apparently to nowhere. All were in rags. Some wore rough bandages on their arms and around their heads. Every
At Marathon the Greeks mustered some 11,000 men to bolt the second ex pedition launched against them by Darius in the The summer of 490 B.C. first expedition had met
And in and around them were disaster in a storm off
a horde of civilian refugees who Mt. Athos, in which atalled the streets of the town, least 20,000. Persian sol- queued in front of the shops, be-
Some walked on sticks. now and then a group would fall out by the wayside to rest glum- ly in the ditch. No one took any interest in anything.
EPIDEMIC
Strip France Bare
car.
And the amazing thing is that like many other bridges in France, not until I got to Toulouse was 1 had been blown up. It was no
then razor, and
use trying to get a
There able to find a only one which cost 200 francs were hundreds of motorcars
and twenty-five shillings. As for my lorries lying by the roadside aban- case, I had to be satisfied with 1 doned by their owners.There was cardboard box which had once no petrol to be had. contained a doll.
The petrol situation never im-
it, like everything else.
sat there telling each other stor- ies of how they had no artillery How or air force to help them. they had been completely bewild- ered by what was happening around them.
"It was not our fault," they said.
As the train bumped its way into Limoges at last we met an- other train coming out in the other direction. It was going north, loaded with guns and tanks and other agar material and muni- tions which France was handing
There were only two restaur- | proved. The Germans had takenpaper to Germany. ants open in the town. And be fore you went to either you had to queue at the baker's shop for
By Lieut. Litynski
In Perpignan, just before crossed into Spain, people were paying 5000 francs: (£31.58)) for a mule and selling brand new cars of the best model for 2000 francs and less if they could find
bread. Then you had to stand a buyer. To convert a car for in a long queue for the restaur- the use of Woodgas.cost 10,000 ant which served a watery soup, francs. a tiny piece of stewed meat, and some fruit,
They gave us plenty of fruit, vest It was the only thing in unoccu- disorderly mass, and camped any-pied France of which there was where they could find a little no lack.
ing or what they were going to do next.
So, like everyopo«elser, we set out to walk, marching along in the stream of soldiers and refu- gees, through ruins of villages and across bombed crossroads.
At Chateauroux we were for- That night I found a shakedown tunate enough to find a train. It for myself and my comrades in was already, so crowded that
prople were standing on the but camp of Alsatian refugees. They were terrifically anti-Ger- | fers. But somehow we pushed man and patriotic, these Alsa- inside, and it took us as far as tians. They said they would another broken bridge. never
to go back
Strasbourg There we had to get out agair while it remained in the hands of and walk once more until we the Germans. They would prefer came to a little wayside halt where to lose everything.
a goods train stood with some empty cattle trucks,
I told one of the local inhabi- tants of Chatillon about these Six hours we waited in one of Alsatians and their fine spirit. the trucks until the train finally. "Well," he said, "when the Ger. clanked off in the direction of mans entered the town those Al-Limoges. satians made us all sick.
of
Limoges was jammed full people, like the rest of occupied France. Crowds were fighting to get into the shops. They were
buying up everything they could get in order to convert into..goods the their francs now pegged to valueless-mark.
I found lodging in the Dragoon barracks, where: a: domitory/ had been specially reserved for. 01- ficers passing through the town.
Limoges was the first town where there was a semblance of military organisation.
Some of the officers in the dormitory were in civilian clothes, some in uniform.
As we sat around or lay on our beds before getting undressed a medical service captain, began to speak about the English.
the last Frenchman, he said. The British soldiers ran away. They had not the first idea of fighting and were not trained soldiers,
The British wanted to fight to
diers had perished. Now singed the town hall in a with a force, much great- er the Persians came space.
The soldiers were mostly men again and landed on the
whom the Germans had demo- The billsed and sent over from Loches plain of Marathon. Greeks descended on the across the border. Some of them were trying to get home, but most invaders, who in their of them were just adrift without overwhelming numbers. any idea of where they were go- regarded the Greeks as "madmen." When the fight was over, say the
This was too much for a young estimates of Herodotus,
French Tank Corps lieutenant I found others like them, hun- the Greeks had lost 192
whose bed was next to mine. He Theu The whole of France seemed to dreds of thousands of them, loung-lined the streets and shouted 'Heil be in that 6
sat up and angrily ordered the men, the routed Persians, ing about all the towns. I passed Hiller"?"
horses or 40 men
6.400.
truck, I counted 58: people and captain to be silent. through. They were making no
"Where did you 'fight?" he de- That surprised me a lot. Be- their luggage, most of them, sold-
manded. attempt to get work. I could not
"In Limoges perhaps, At Thermopylae nei-blame them. There was no work
cause these Alsations I was with fers, but old men and women, and eh? I'll tell you about the En- ther a
more complete for them to get. The factories certainly helped us all they could. a few young ones, and children glish, my friend. I was through
They dried our clothes for us. One as well. are unable to get the necessary of the women mended my socks.
the whole of the Flanders cam- mobilisation of Greek al- raw materials. THE GERMANS They cooked for us during the Only a girl who
They were gloomy and passive.paign. And everywhere. I saw the looked like a British they were fighting with a lies nor a strategically HAVE REMOVED EVERYTHING three days we spent with them. Paris factory worker showed a superb contempt for death. strong position saved the AVLACHOSLOVAK MANY There was never the slightest sug-little energy. She abused the
"They were the only ones who Greeks from defeat. If The Government pay these men with the Germans.
geston from them of compromise soldiers.
never retired without being or- "Look at you," she said; "caltdered to. I am sorry to say that Mussolini was thinking of 10 francs, a day. (19. 3d. in En- The chief of the camp had a yourselves soldiers, and you was not the case with all of our
even glish money). It is terribly lit wireless set in his bungalow. And] haven't history when he launched when you thinks that out of in the evenings the entire camp- Aren't you ashamed to go home got your rifles!
fellows.
"Shall I tell you why we were his attack on Greece, it that they must pay for their food men, women and children-would like this? I know why you were must have been Thermo- and lodging. I prophesy that be- gather round and listen to the beaten. Because you wouldn't defeated? Imagine for a moment that you were a fighting man, pylae and not Marathon wife winter is out the world B.B.C. news broadcasts. Not the fight.
will hear more of them:
that you were a subaltern with ones in French, but the German "Neither you, nor your generals, a sector to hold. Now you knew that held his attention. The shops of Chatillon were as broadcasts.
nor your officers. If the women that to your right and your left good as empty. The Germans For all accounts of the had done a thorough job while splendid folk. But maybe it was would have been different!"
I thought the Alsatians were had fought instead of you things there were officers holding the
neighbouring sectors whom early fighting agree on they were there.. I tried to buy the same with them as with the She cursed the Petain Govern- knew well, You knew, too, that the slightness of Ita-myself a razor and a small case rest of France. For I always ment, she cursed Leon Blum. She they would retire without orders to put my things in. Impossible. found that the poorest people and cursed the generals. With her at the first moment, things got a lian forces first sent
the landed aristocracy, were full were two old people, a man and hit tricky. against the Greeks, as if resistance to contact the of spirit.
a woman. They looked down, at "What would you do, туд Greece had been expected man-of-Thermopylae, but France has to face is the break-ashered by their daughters And that's what happened, all
One of the toughest problems the ground as thepugh they were friend! You would beat it too. to crumble within.
so far nobody has shown down of her transport system, vehemence. But the soldiers did along our fronts." Apparently Il Duce is the Italian forces a moun There were no trains from Chatil 10 bar speaks.
We had to face it right away, not argue with her. They just After that no one said anything more. We undressed and went still trying by a desperate tain path to easy vict lon... The bridge across the Indre, And when she, waq silent, they | to sleep.
AND
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