GREECE BLAMED FOR STRIFE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25240, 19 July 1947, Page 9

GREECE BLAMED FOR STRIFE

Polish, Jugoslav, And Russian Views UNO DEBATE ON BALKANS (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 17. Dr. Lange (Poland) resumed the debate on the Balkans in the United Nations Security Council to-day. He joined Russia in vigorously attacking Greece. Dr. Lange attacked the majority report of the United Nations Balkans Investigating Commission, which blamed Albania, Bulgaria, and Jugoslavia for the Greek border disturbances. He said the commission’s conclusions sounded as if they had been drafted for political purposes. Greece was wholly to blame for the present disorders, said Dr. Lange. He demanded the formation of a new coalition Government in Greece, new elections, and the immediate withdrawal of foreign military personnel. He said the Security Council should insist that Greece end its seven-year-old state of war with Albania, as that was one of the causes of the current strife.

Dr. Jose Vilfan (Jugoslavia) supported Russia and Poland in condemning Greece. Dr. Vilfan said that the border patrol plan proposed by the United States would violate the United Nations Charter and would be practically futile. He declared that realisation of the United States resolution would mean weakening the United Nations. The American proposal for an exchange of the Albanian and Macedonian minorities in the Balkans was particularly unacceptable to Jugoslavia. Mr Gromyko (Russia) attacked the United States plan for a frontier commission to patrol the troubled Balkan frontiers. He said Russia could not agree to such a commission, which would be a sharp breach of the United Nations Charter. None of the Balkan nations would be bound to comply with the orders of the commission, even if one were established by the council. Mr Herschel Johnson (United States) urged that the general debate be closed so that the council might reach a decision. Mr Lange, who is chairman of the council, ruled that the debate would be closed only if there were no speakers when the council reassembled tomorrow morning.