OPERATIONS IN GREECE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25346, 20 November 1947, Page 7

OPERATIONS IN GREECE

AMERICAN OFFICERS TO GIVE ADVICE

(Rec. 7 p.m.) ATHENS, November 18. The Greek Foreign Minister (Mr Tsaldaris) has announced that the United States Government has agreed to the formation of a joint Greek and American staff for operations against the Greek guerrillas. United States officers would join Greek operational units, but none would serve in a command capacity. American officers, under the joint staff plan, would “inevitably but in-

cidentally” enter the combat areas during the fighting, said Major-Gen-eral W. G. Livesay, commanding the military /section of the American aid mission. Mr Dwight Griswold, head of the American aid mission, said that 80 or 90 American officers would be attached to the Greek Army to observe and report to the American planning staff and advise the Greek commanders. The scheme did not affect British troops in Greece, whose continued presence was an important factor. Both Mr Griswold and Major-Gen-eral Livesay said that the Americans would assume no training responsibilities concerning the Greek Army; which would continue to be a British undertaking. Mr Griswold added that he did not believe the change in American policy had anything to do with discussions on the possible withdrawal of British troops. Whatever the Americans did would be with the close co-operation of the British mission.

In London, a British Foreign Office spokesman said that the British military mission was remaining in Greece for training purposes only, and would not participate in operations against the guerrillas. He added that America had not informed or consulted Britain in advance about the formation of the joint military staff. Reuters says that the British Government rigidly excludes British troops in Greece from combat areas. It was stated in the House of Commons that the British Military mission in Greece had cost £2,000.000 since it started in April, 1945. and the police mission had cost £138,000.