The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1945. "THE GLORY THAT WAS GREECE"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 84, 10 April 1945, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1945. "THE GLORY THAT WAS GREECE"

UIRST plank in the political platform of Admiral Voulgaris, new Prime Minister of Greece, is the restoration of normal political life and stability. Little attempt has been made by General Plastiras in this direction, and his fall is chiefly due to his inaction. He is a strong Republican, a devoted follower of Yenizelos, and possibly he foresaw, in a popular vote, a result similar to that of twenty years ago, when at the first general election after the death of King Alexander Venizelos directly offered the people the choice of the King or himself, and was astonished to find that there was a large majority in favour of the King. Plastiras may not have been swayed by the possibility of a similar vote, but it is clear that he had shown no anxiety to hasten the return of democratic government in any form.

There is perhaps no country in which the legend, "to the victors the spoils," is more generally accepted, with the result that national considerations get short shrift when party politics are affected, and Plastiras was probably unwilling to act in any way which would adversely affect those with whose affiliations he was in agreement. He had to be persuaded by the Regent, Archbishop Damaskinos, to take office after the signing of the peace treaty, but, having tasted power, he was evidently in no hurry either to surrender it or to give the people the opportunity of stating their views. That attitude could not long be tolerated either by the Regent or the British representatives in Greece, and the participation of General Scobie and Sir Reginald Leeper in the events which led to the demand for the resignation of Plastiras, though silent, was evidently intimate. They were compelled to take notice of what was going on. The influence of Britain in Greece has been used with great effect ever since the development of the crisis which led to civil war. Mr. Churchill's dramatic intervention, followed by the ccnciliatory roles played by the British Resident Minister and the British Ambassador in Athens, brought about the cessation of hostilities, and secured a settlement otherwise than by force by the signing of what was prcbably the first treaty ever to end a civil war.

Under that settlement Britain became the trustee for peace and democracy in Greece. Our representatives undertook to safeguard these until the Greek election has completely liberated the country and the protective forces are able to withdraw. That position was accepted and clarified at the Yalta conference, and thus there is now no option but to exert a mandatory influence, and to exert it in such a way that the full and free expression of the wishes of the whole of the Greek people may be ascertained. The earlier that can be brought about the sooner will all the British forces there be able to withdraw. As a preliminary an effort is now being made to restore internal order by the appointment of a gendarmerie which will control the extremists on either side in the towns and villages throughout the country, where so far there has been little attempt either to enforce the law or to pacify the dissidents. Admiral Voulgaris has no easy task. He is distrusted by the Left elements who were responsible for the Greek naval mutiny, which, with the help of a circle of British guns, he succeeded in quelling. They are attempting to break him even now by demanding representation of all parties in his Government, though it is only of a stop-gap nature. Like his predecessor, however, he is an old supporter of Venizelos, and that at least puts him in the middle of the road between the extremists of the Left and of the Monarchical party. He proved himself a man of prompt action at Alexandria, and if he gets to work in similar style on the constitutional issue a prompt and lasting settlement of the divisions which have so .completely disrupted the national life ever since the reign of fear disappeared when the last of the Germans marched over the hills may be expected.