SUPPORT OF AUTHORITY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 137, 7 December 1944, Page 7

SUPPORT OF AUTHORITY

BRITISH & GREEK REGULARS

IN ACTION

LONDON, December 6.

A communique issued by LieutenantGeneral Scobie states: "In defiance of all orders of both the Greek Government and myself, ELAS troops have continued to advance towards the centre of Athens, overwhelming police posts and even firing on British troops on guard duty. British and Greek regular forces "have now come into action to support the civil power." Greek troops yesterday evening surrounded and occupied the headquarters of the ELAS First Army Corps in the centre of Athens, says Reuters Athens correspondent. Fif |/ members of the ELAS were arrested.

British planes are dropping leaflets in the city advising the guerrillas of what their action may lead to. During the fighting between ELAS and EDES forces near the main railway station yesterday, British Honey tanks opened fire, says Reuters Athens correspondent. British troops finally entered the headquarters of the EDES Party in the vicinity of the main railway station, whereupon ELAS members who had been attacking the building withdrew.

Another correspondent says it was only a matter of minutes before the British troops who entered the building had disarmed the EDES members, but crowds yelled angrily that' some were escaping across the roofs. The EDES leader, who was in the uniform of a colonel of the Greek regular army, said: "I surrender to the British, but would not surrender to the Communists." .

Greek mountain brigades have been used to help quell and disarm the ELAS bands, who disobeyed General Scobie's orders to remain in their districts. The employment of Greek soldiers suggests that determined measures are being taken, as it was stated earlier that Greeks would not be used against Greeks till it was necessary. The operations of the British tanks and paratroops which went into action against the ELAS forces were directed from an attack headquarters in a truck. From ELAS machine-gun nests on roofs home-made bombs were dropped.

One British officer was killed and one other rank seriously wounded on the road to Piraeus. The fighting was resumed after a British platoon had been fired at on the way to Piraeus, and. the firing rapidly flared up over a wide area. The fighting is continuing principally in the neighbourhood of Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. The ELAS are now opposed by Greek regular troops, British forces, police, and gendarmerie. The British armoured cars and tanks so far have used only machine-guns. The Associated Press correspondent in Athens says that fighting has passed from the stage of desultory sniping, and mortars and heavier weapons are being used. British and Greek patrols are closing in against a big ELAS concentration in the public gardens near the centre of the city.