TERRORISM IN GREECE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24986, 21 September 1946, Page 7

TERRORISM IN GREECE

Present Government Charged

Reports in u.s. press

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) <R Thk 1^ 3 /r° a J? ) LONDON, Sept. 20. Manchester Guardian” to-dav Dond^fi^ 0 ? American correTe^ ts dispatches charging the nreGovernnae r-t wifh terrorT suppression of Greek Liberais and Labour supporters The cor. lolds n of n rnen laim tO haVe Seen truck " seSt tn orS ’ w °rnen, and children the r-,? rison and have evidence that Government forcibly deprived ST a C n°t? I ™= 1 lUti< T o£ UNR RA supplies Sh d la lJ.' .equipment to pun“h them for displaying anti-Govern-reason ,?“ pathles - For the same ofS? the correspondents claim that .cotrununities were entirely disfranchised during the elections. c:of,. ese , dls P a tches, which appeared on aid Trtf, er ¥ m the “ New York Her--pubune, were immediately quoted by the Ukrainian delegate (Dr. q£.nrit Sk fo m n he debate before the o™?fj ty - C °ur*cil • which at present is = the Ukrainian charges against Greece. . Commenting on these reports in a leading article, the “Manchester Guaraian says: “We have nearly reached w uere we consider that if Mr Molotov or Mr Gromyko accuses us of some crime, that alone is sufficient reason for believing the accusation is false. This complacency can be dangerous. “In the interminable debate on Greece by the Security Council, the Russian and Ukrainian delegates made many wild and unjustifiable charges. Their motive for raising the matter is highly suspect. Yet among the usual cliches of abuse some very damaging evidence was produced against the present Greek Government. ‘‘lt would be unfortunate if the British Government assumed that these charges could be dismissed with a shrug. We cannot disclaim all responsibility while we still maintain troops in Greece. If it is true that we are, however innocently, supporting Right Wing terrorism in Greece, even if there also happens to be a Left Wing terrorism here, it is high time our policy changed.” Newspapers in Athens report that a band of 150 men who came from Albania armed with machine-guns and grenades attacked three Greek villages near the frontier, cut telephone wires, pillaged, and set fire to houses. One hundred attacked a village in the Koziani district of western Macedonia and killed the mayor. The Prime Minister (Mr Tsaldaris), who has returned from Paris, said disorders were being provoked in Macedonia so “outsiders” could enter Greece. The Greek policy regarding border infiltrations in the future would be announced befo. 3 the world. Greece’s security and integrity at present were not endangered.

Mr Tsaldaris said that during his visit to Paris he was persuaded that it was a question of a war of nerves. The whole effort being made in certain circles abroad was aimed to present Greece as a trouble maker.

Mr Tsaldaris added that the King would not return until Sentember 25 or 26. because he had to stay in Paris “until vital matters in Greece were concluded.”