BRITISH EXTEND CONTROL IN ATHENS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 304, 23 December 1944, Page 6

BRITISH EXTEND CONTROL IN ATHENS

PIRAEUS PORT HELD

Landing Craft Cross From Southern Shore N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. 2.30 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 22. The British forces have considerably extended the area under their control in southern Athens and in the direction of Piraeus, reports Reuters correspondent in Athens. Allied tanks in the centre of Athens shelled E.L.A.S. concentrations in the neighbourhood of the Military Academy in northern Athens, which is now the main E.L.A.S. concentration area. Rocket-firing Beaufighters flattened the main block of Averoff Prison, which has been in the hands of the E.L.A.S. since Monday. British forces, in landing craft, crossed Piraeus Harbour from the south during the night and before dawn to-day occupied the northern part of the harboui-, thus placing the whole port in British hands. British tanks went ashore and penetrated several hundred yards inland before meeting stiffening opposition. Fighting is now in progress. No Reply From E.L.A.S. An earlier message stated that British aircraft were hovering over Athens yesterday ready to act on General Scobie's ultimatum if any guerilla guns opened up after nine o'clock in the morning. There were no reports of "any incidents. By last night General Scobie had received no reply from the E.L.A.S. leaders to his conditions announced six days ago. Mr. Harold Macmillan, British Minister resident in' the Mediterranean, is. back in Athens after talks with Field-Marshal Sir Harold Alexander, Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean theatre. The general strike in Athens continues at least as far as public utilities are concerned, and food is becoming scarcer, says The Times correspondent in Athens. Extortionate prices are being asked for such food as is available. Athens is growing dirtier and more scarred and infinitely desolate. It is clear as the dreary days go by that the fight has developed into a struggle between right and left, with the Government —headed by a man who was-formerly known as a left-wing liberal and containing four members of'his Social Democratic party—hardening into a group of embittered conservatives.. Regent and New Government Everyone recognises that the essential first step in bringing peace to Greece is the' appointment of a Regent and, through him, the forma-, tion of a new all-party. Government. However, the individual parties constituting, the Government are busily blocking the issue, and some of them are persuading the reluctant monarch to stand firm. There has been no contact, between M. Papandreou's Cabinet and -the . E.A.M. . - Members .of the Cabinet individually seem to be, trying" t6' persuade the British military -forces, already engaged in pulling their chestnuts from the fire, to. redouble their efforts to exterminate the E.L.A.S. Such Greeks say it would be so much better if, in the execution of that unpalatable task, death, ruination or just ordinary "misery is brought to the mass of ordinary- left-wing GreGks . Together the E.L.A.S. and the British are inflicting far greater damage in Athens than the Germans did. The British attitude, probably dictated from London, still seems to be that until British strength is sufficiently established it would be useless to negotiate a political settlement, because there would be nothing to ; guarantee . its fulfilment.' Theoretically that argument is sound, but the; majority would prefer to throw theory to the winds, and do something positive to end this horrible war in which British and Greek blood is still being spilt.