ENTHUSIASTIC SCENE

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 22, 20 October 1944, Page 5

ENTHUSIASTIC SCENE

Athens Welcomes Prime Minister (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, October 19. Cheering people lined the streets of Athens to welcome the return of the Greek Prime Minister, M. Papandreou. He was accompanied by the commanders of the British army and naval forces operating in the liberation of Greece. The people were wildly enthusiastic whetf M. Papandreou hoisted the Greek flag on the Acropolis. Squadrons of British planes flew over in a spectacular display. . , , British troops are being tumultuously received. 6Cries of “Long Live England” are heard whenever British troops appear on the streets. M. Papandreou has announced that a plesbiscite will be held on the question of the return of the King to Greece. Mr. Churchill sent a message to the Greek Prime Minister, M. Papandreou, stating that the British people share the joy felt by the whole Greek nation at the liberation of Athens. He states that liberation of Athens city, in which democracy was boi’n. is a fitting symbol of the resurgence of security throughout oppressed Europe.

HORRIBLE VENGEANCE

Villages Massacred (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 18. The horrors of another Lidice —this time in Greece —were revealed by the Archbishop of Greece, Dr. Damascinos, in a talk to an Athens correspondent. Eighty Germans had been killed in the village of Karlavrita, he said, and the Germans decided to destroy the whole population. They gathered every man, woman and child (the population was about 1000) in the square in the centre of the village. There they told all males over the age of 14 to kneel down. All the. women 'and children were removed to a school building on the other side of the square from where they could see all that weflt on. The men and boys Were then macliinegunned where they knelt and the school 'buildings were set on fire. For about 10 minutes babies could be Been falling from the windows as' their mothers threw them out in a desperate effort to spare them from a gruesome Cate. Eventually, said the Archbishop, a German officer, who could not stand the horrible scene, rushed up and broke open the doors. It was too laic. Very few of the women escaped. Bulgarian Brutality. He. added' that the destruction carried out by the Germans in the south and the Bulgarians in the north has “almost killed Greece.” If the Bulgarians arc not punished for their crimes,” he said. “I will declare publicly that there is no justice on this earth.” In all, the Germans had destroyed more than 2000 townships, and today more than 3000 families in Athens were being cared for under his authority because the father or breadwinner had been' executed. “Fifteen days ago,” he said, “at one place, about 100 women and children were shot by the Germans and their homes burnt down because one German had been wounded. The Germans also started the custom of surrounding churches during a service and killing all the male members of congregations who were over 14.” The atrocities committed by Bulgarians in Macedonia aud Thrace were even worse. In those territories more than 50,000 Greeks had been massacred. An attempt was made to reduce the Greek population to such an extent that the Bulgarians would no longer be in a minority.