ATHENS’ QUIET NIGHT

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 December 1944, Page 5

ATHENS’ QUIET NIGHT

MILITARY POSITION UNCHANGED

“REBELS” SEEKING PEACE

GREEK PREMIER’S DISCUSSIONS

(Recd. 10.40 a.m.) V LONDON, Dec. 14.

The military position in Athens today was practically unchanged. The British in central Athens hold a rectangle roughly 4000 by 5000 yards and the Greek Mountain Brigade continues to hold a large area of the eastern suburbs. The military to-day issued an order prohibiting civilians from using the streets except between noon and 2 p.m. The British United Press correspondent says that unconfirmed renorts state that the EAM Central Committee decided to advise General Scobie that the EAM will accept his terms and evacuate Athens provided General Scobie can guarantee a general amnesty for ELAS. Reports also state that EAM requires an assurance that a National Government will be formed including a proper propor- - - „ nf t pft Wins' representatives. Mr. Papandreou had a fiO-minute conference to-day with Sir H. MacMillan. No statement was issued at the conclusion of the discussion. General Plastiras, who was head of the Government alter the war against Turkey in 1922 conferred with Mr. Papandreou this morning, but afterwards declined to make a statement, saying he was not y et fully acquainted with the Positron. Gen. Plastiras later to-day met -ex-Pre m The S Assoclated Press correspondent says that strong rumours perthat the ELAS are attempting to come h to terms if nhasised cit joiitisn xieac* quarters, however, that the terms, for the cessation of the struggle are unalThisd morning was. the in since the-uprising began, ine againsl the centre of the city has apparently been halted. It is evident that ELAS aimed at the capture of the city in their two-pronged dl An American broadcaster in[Athens reports that after a day-long battle started in Omonia Square late this afternoon, and a few shells landed round British Headquarters at the Grand Bretagne, ELAS troops struck against Omona.and fighting was goine on there till daik. a+u The British Headquarters. in Athens reports that a quiet night followed yesterday’s operations, and there has been no major development The British troops made luither progress in Piraeus despite local rebel attacks, and the situation m Athens remained unchanged. Yesterday’s attacks by rebel troops on the centre of the city achieved temporarv local gains. The rebel loices cmployed were dressed in ca P tlire< L u lU" forms of regular Greek troops of the Mountain Brigade. There is no change in the situation elsewhere in Greece. REBELS’ PEACE PROPOSALS LONDON. December 14. The ELAS radio has what are described as the EAM S terms for ending the crisis, sa y s .J b ? respondent o" the British United Press “They are: (1) .an immediate end to intervention by LieutenantGeneral Scobie and the British Am Hossador (Mr R. W. A. Leper); (2) an end to the shelling hombjng which are massacring the peop , m the forming ol a reallj demo cratic Government; (4) punishmen of traitors and those responsible lot the civil war; (5) a purge o Fas cists from State departments without foreign intervention; and, with a lull sense oi their responsibilities, tne organisation of a people’s democrat! State as well as a national Army to safeguard the internal and external freedom of Greece.” The correspondent adds. it understood that. the Central Committee ol EAM is trying to qjiange a meeting between LieutenantGeneral Scobie and General Eaitsa tides, the EAM secretary. Ihe Central Committee has debated Lieu-tenant-General Scobie s tetrms. One report says that Socialists aie trying to persuade the Communists to agiee to the British terms. [The terms terms stated by Lie \\ te " an^ Scobie were that all ELAS ioices should leave Attica, and that all arms should be surrendered.] The Associated Press continues. “We shall fight on if it means smashino' down all Athens,” shouted members of the ELAS, last night, answering General Scobie’s statement tc Porphyhyrogenis, setting out the peace terms. It is reported authoiiratively that the object oi last nights raid on the British barracks was to release 90 ELAS officers who were taken prisoner in the recent fightingTne British and Greek Naval Headauarters, which previously were besieged, have been brought into the British perimeter on Kallopolis Peninsula, where Indian troops hold most of the main part of | “The Times’s” Athens correspon- ! dent says that desperate tactics are. now being used in the fighting. BLAS forces surrounded the house ol the Greek Chief-of-Staff and carried out bis wife to be held with hundreds of other women as hostages. On the other side the police carried out wholesale arrests, and their stations and concentration camps are almost full, mostly with the wrong persons. It is almost getting to a point where anyone with Leftist sympathies is in danger of arrest. Fortunately, British officers’ presence in the police stations prevents beatings which •were the 04'der of the day earlier. FIGHT FOR BARRACKS "LONDON, Dec. 14. “The battle which raged in the British barracks compound ended last evening with the surrender oi a small body of ELAS troops,” says the British United Press correspondent in Athens. “The British yesterday cleared the barracks after, fighting lasting several hours. The crisis point pl the battle was when 500 or 600 ELAS troops smashed into the compound and threatened to overrun the garrison. British tanks and guns went into action and drove the ELAS forces from the compound. " Fighting continued in nearby buildings, in some cases with ELAS holding the basements and the British controlling the upper storeys. Casualties were appreciable on both sides.” “General Nicholas Plastiras, who was head of the Greek Government afte*kthe disastrous war against Turkey in 1922, has returned to Athens after 11 years of exile. He is going to try to reunite the Greeks. He flew from France at the request of the Prime Minister (Mr. Papandreou) and began talks with Mr. Papandreou immediately.” Correspondents report that the water problem in Athens is now acute. The question of feeding the Greeks has assumed major proportions. Relief columns carrying food have been brought to a standstill.

| LONDON PRESS COMMENT.

I LONDON, December 14. 1 In a leading article on the mission to Greece of Field-Marshal Alexander and Mr. Harold Macmillan, 'lhe Times” says: “It is inconceivable that the British liberation armies in the event of a lasting deadlock should be asked to coerce or conquer a section of a liberated Allied people which a few weeks ago was engaged in active and gallant resistance against the Germans. The alternative of continuing and extending the present hostilities i indefinitely, with the probable consequences of uniting and consolidating 1 the extremist elements of EAM and ! ELAS and rallying many Greek pat- ' riots, whatever their politics, to new resistance, cannot be contemplated. “Considerations of British prestige must now become involved m tne military success or failure of these operations, which already threaten serii ously to harm British standing in the i alliance and in liberated Europe, where until now it has been justly I and hopefully high. The alternatives are, ultimately, peace or withdrawal. Withdrawal withput pacification would itself be a disaster lor both Greece and Britain.” BRITISH CASUALTIES RUGBY, December 14. Mr. Churchill told the Commons that as far as could be ascertained the total casualties sustained by the Navy, Air Force, and the Imperial military force in Greece, since the British landing this year, in response to the appeal from the Greek Government, were under 300 at the end of November. This figure included killed, wounded and missing and prisoner of war. About 160 additional military casualties, of whom 35 were killed, must be added to the total since the end of November. Mr. Churchill said he had no figures for additional naval air casualties, but they were not large. Eight minor naval vessels and 32 aircraft had been lost in the same period. Asked if all these casualties were suffered in fighting the Germans Mr. Churchill replied: “Yes.” , It is pointed out in London that the figures quoted by Mr. Churchill relate to operations since the landing this year only. Mr. Churchill was not referring to British casualties in 1941 which Mr. Eden on Thursday gave as over 40,000. REBEL BRUTALITY (Recd. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14. British troops captured by the ELAS are still being manhandled, says the British United Press Athens correspondent. On British sapper was trapped and made to run down a road while ELAS troops directed a hail of bullets at him. The same man saw ELAS shoot three British lorry drivers they had captured. He said that most of the ELAS members were of a low type—thieves, gunmen and pimps. They are looting wherever they can, and some of their appeals for support are even based on the loot they promise. One ELAS unit, however, which broke into military barracks last night firmly refrained from looting.® The British in Athens are constantly receiving reinforcements.

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET

(Rec. 1.40 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14. Reinforcements and supplies flown from Italy to Athens were landed at Athens airport, says the “Daily Telegraph’s” Athens correspondent. They then had to run a four-mile gauntlet in order to reach the city. Rebel sniping begins at’ the arch which ELAS erected on the road from Athens to the sea to welcome the British troops when they landed in Greece a few weeks ago. A hail of bullets now welcomes our men as they drive up to the arch. An R.A.F. observer said that although the twomile journey from the arch to the brewery is dangerous it is nothing in comparison with the last twomile street between the brewery and Constitution Square, where the British Headquarters are located. “You just drive like Hell down this bit of road, hoping for the best. These Greeks shoot to kill.” British airmen daily drop 40.000 newspapers over Athens and carry the mail to Salonika. They also drop milk and packets of food to the starving communities outside the capital. They nightly drop flares in order to show up any rebel concentrations forming up in the hills crews then take turns guarding the around Athens. The pilots and airfield. DOMINIONS’ ATTITUDE LONDON, December 14. In reply to a question in the House of Commons to-day on whether the Dominion Governments had been consulted on the British Government’s policy in Greece, Mr. Churchill said that it was not possible to consult the Dominion Governments on all developments in Greece, but they were being kept informed of the position. He added that there were no indications that the Dominion Governments dissented from the action taken. MR. BEVIN’S REVELATION SIGNED AGREEMENT REJECTED. (N Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) (Rec. 10.15) LONDON, Dec. 14. The argument by Mr. Bevin, which is reported to have had great effect on the Labour conference debating the Greek position was the account of the discussion regarding the formation of the Papandreou Cabinet in Lebanon, before it transferred to Greece. Mr. Bevin said the British Government knowing of the hatred of the Metaxas regime and the divided feeling about the monarchy, had to take one of two courses. Either to set up an organisation like AMGOT, or try to establish a government that would take charge of affairs. It was stipulated the Government must represent all parties. The Papandreou Government was established, representing six parties and Britain agreed to bear its part in helping to maintain order and distribute food. Britain agreed to assist the Government of all parties holding office, but not to go on to occupation of all the country, because it could not afford the manpower. “Before we agreed on the two foregoing points, we said that the word of a Prime Minister and the resolution of Cabinet was not good enough,” added Mr. Bevin. “We said that if we were to take on the job, we must have the signature of every party in the Government, and every body signed it. On those signatures we went into Greece. I do not think' that Labour members in any Government could take greater precaution than that. We believed in the Cabinet that the party signatures would be honoured. We did not believe ELAS or any other of the armI ed bands would go back on their signatures.” ■ , , , When the delegates shouted: “That’s what Churchill says,” Mr.

Bevin exclaimed: “I don’t care what Churchill or anybody thought. That is what I thought, but I am in the habit of honouring my signed agreements. One of the great causes of this war has been the ignoring of honest signed agreements. There is no security for our movement in office unless you stick to the principle between nations that signatures must be honoured.” Mr. Bevin had previously warned the conference: “If we win the next election you will find you cannot govern this world by emotionalism. Ha™ thinking and great decisions will be necessary.” PRESS COMMENTS

Newspaper comment generally agrees that the conference adopted wise restraint in the resolution it passed. The “Daily Mail” in a leader under the sub-title “Too Much Noise,” said: “The rank and file Socialists must learn they cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. When they approve some Government policy they claim credit for their own Ministers, but when the Government’ is in difficulties, they quickly wash their hands of responsibility.” Tricky opposition of this kind does not commend itself to the public, nor does it raise the prestige ot the party which hopes to form an alternative administration.” Cyril Falls in the London Illustrated News, says: “The essential point to bear in mind is had been a plan formed under German occupation for the seizure of power by ELAS by force of .arms. It is not therefore a question whether or not a Lett Wing Government would suit Allied interests. It is a question whether or not armed revolution by a party with no constitutional backing, possibly followed by a bloody civil war, would be consonant with Allied security, when there was still in progress a national war, in which the enemy has not yet suffered a decisive defeat There can be but one answer to that question.”

RUSSIAN ATTITUDE LONDON, Dec. 14. “British circles in Athens say that Russia is adopting a hands-on policy towards Greece and has refused a request by ELAS - for help. Russia is said to have suggested to ELAS that they cease the struggle, says the Athens correspondent of the Associated Press. BURNHAM PETITION CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 14 A petition urging the New Zealand Government to use its influence with the British Government to cease the use of arms against the Greek people, has been signed by 248 soldiers at Burnham military camps and has been forwarded to the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser). The text of the petition is as follows: “That we soldiers of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. urge the New Zealand Government to usq its influence with the British Government to cease the use of arms against the Greek people, and to secure the convening of a conference of all Greek parties with a view to setting up a representative Government. “We endorse the following statement made by Second-Lieutenant J. Denvir, D.C.M., Soviet Medal for Valour: ‘The situation is a Greek affair, not a British affair. It is a crime that British soldiers who have gone back to Greece should be ordered to shoot down people who have assisted New Zealanders to escape, even to starving themselves. I feel quite sure that -every New Zealander who fought in Greece would be behind me in this statement.’ ” GREYMOUTH - WATERSIDERS At a fully attended meeting of the Greymouth Branch of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union the following resolution was carried unanimously: “This Greymouth Branch of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, expresses to the New Zealand Government grave concern with the position in Greece, where British troops are being used to maintain in power a Government that is obviously unpopular with the democratic and anti-Fascist forces in that country. It is our opinion that this action by the British Government does not conform with the spirit of the Atlantic Charter or the Teheran Agreement. We urge our national officers and the Federation ol Labour to take this matter up with the New Zealand Government, and that the views of the trade union movement of this country be made known to the British Government.”