Greymouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 1944. BRITAIN AND GREECE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 December 1944, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 1944. BRITAIN AND GREECE.

N OISY minority groups in far-off New Zealand are denouncing the British Government for “intervention” in Greece, and are demanding that the Fraser Ministry should express its censure of the Churchill Cabinet, but neither Government seems much perturbed. The same objectors see nothing wrong in Russian dictatorship or demands on neighbouring countries. The British Labour Party’s resolution on the Greek situation will be approved by all fair-minded people, and it is significant that at the Party conference the vole on the subject showed that only five per cent, of the delegates were in opposition. Tf British Labour is satisfied that the best is being made of a bad situation, there is little cause for Dominion residents to get unduly excited. Few of them are. There is widespread regret that the Greek dissensions led to conflict with the British, but the latter have endeavoured to limit the casualties and destruction inevitable in such encounters. Had the British leader so desired, the ELAS guerrillas would have suffered severely through their aggression, but Lt. Gen. Scobie has tried to confine the mischief, oven when this forbearance has been to British disadvantage. The reports of the fighting have left out little, and some of the inferences have been misleading. Those eager fo denounce British “brutality” have nothing to say in admiration of British generosity in liberating Greece and in forwarding immense supplies of food and other necessities. Britain has been left to do any “dirty work” necessary in restricting Greek extremists, making her an easy target for’political critics in U.S.A, and elsewhere.

The British in Greece are not intervening so much as protecting, and when the full story is known, some of those jeering to-day may begin to cheer. The British desire is that a National Committee or Government should be formed of all Greek political parties, until it is possible to hold an election, whereat the Greek people could freely vote for whom they desired, and whether they preferred a republic to a monarchy. The ELAS. refused this collaboration, claiming they were entitled to rule straight away. That would have meant that a subsequent “free” election would have been unlikely, a dictatorship being thrust on the Greek nation. It will be noted that the Greeks, generally, are not supporting the “rebels,” to any great extent, and are probably thankful for the British action. Any blame for the troubles in Greece must be cast on Greek rivalry and not on British “Imperialism.” It is to be hoped that negotiations will bring an end to the present skirmishing in Athens and elsewhere, but should rebel obstinacy make necessary sterner action, the British should not be held responsible. The Greeks have long had “a good Press” in England and other Empire countries, and it will be a pity if events compel a more critical analysis of Greek actions. Meanwhile, it can be confidently asserted that whatever mistakes the British may have made in Greece, they have done nothing giving cause for shame, —unless to oppose Communists and others of the extreme Left comes within that category.