ATHENS CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 December 1944, Page 5

ATHENS CONFERENCE

churChill-eden decision

LEFTISTS TO ATTEND

LONDON, December 26. The ’following communique was issued in Athens last night: “Mr Churchill and the Foreign Secretary (Mr Eden) arrived in Athens on Monday. After consultations with Field-Marshal Alexander, the British Resident Minister (Mr Harold Macmillan) and the British Ambassador to Athens (Mr Leeper), they inter viewd the Greek Prime Minister (Mr Papandreou). They told him that they proposed to convene a conference representative as far as possible of Greek political opinion. The conference is to put an end to the fratricidal strife in Greece and enable her to resume her place, among the United Nations. The Central Committee of ELAS is being invited to send delegates to participate in the conference. The necessary safeguards will be given to these delegates. The Archbishop of Athens (Archbishop Damaskinos) has consented to preside.” . , X • A XL. Reuter s correspondent in Athens says that an invitation from Lieu-tenant-General Scobie to ELAS delegates to join in the conference was issued at the same time. LieutenantGeneral Scobie’s comunique says: “The ELAS Central Committee is invited to send three or four delegates for a meeting at 4 p..m. on Tuesday. They will be granted safe conduct.” “Leftist sources in Athens say that ELAS called an emergency meeting last night to choose delegates for today’s conference,” reports the British United Press correspondent m Athens. “ELAS is also reported to be trying to make contact with Greek Government leaders before the conference opens. If the move succeeds it will be the first direct contact between the Left and the Government since the fighting began.” “Fling away your arms and tear up the funeral shroud of Greece which your bloody conflict is weaving ” said Archbishop Damaskinos. “Instead of rebuilding your national life you have been carried away into a revolutionary upheaval. Instead of learning the lessons taught by the discord caused by the German invaders of Greece, you are walking in their footsteps and imitating their methods.” POPULAR DEMONSTRATION RUGBY, December 26. A British armoured car carrying a white flag left the Greek Headquarters at the Hotel Grande Bretange to bring members of the ELAS ror a conference with Mr Churchill, cables an Athens correspondent. Participating in the conference will be Archbishop Demaskinos, Mr Papandreou, together with Mr Souphohs Leader of the Liberals, Mr Canfandaris, of the Progressives, Mr Tinos Taldaris of the Royalists, and Mr Maximos of the Popular Party, who is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs. The names of the ELAS representatives are not yet known. At the time the car left a demonstration was staged in the streets surrounding the hotel. British and American flags were carried and slogans such as “No Amnesty' (lor LLAb troops) were shouted. Everyone is waiting impatiently for the result of the afternon’s meeting. . c .„„ +rtC ELAS delegates are Goigos Siantos, Secretary-General of the Greek Communist Party, and a member of ELAS Central Committee, Partsahdes, Sec-retary-General EAM Central Comittee and Major-General Mandaxas, member of ELAS Central Committee, and commander of the First ELAS Corps - LATER.

The conference between the British and Greek Governments and ELAS leaders began at 4 p.m. today in a secret strongly defended building in the cordoned off area m the centre of Athens, states Reuter s Athens correspondent. The conference room is dimly lit with hurricane lamps, placed in front of each delegate.

RUSSIAN - U.S.A. OBSERVERS

PRO-CHURCHILL SCENE

(Rec. 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 26. ] Lincoln McVeagh, United States Ambasador, has been invited to attend as official observer, and a Russian military observer, Colonel Popaff, is also attending. The British delegates, alter the opening speeches, left,'while those remaining continued discussions. “The Times's” Athens correspondent points out that the British delegates left the meeting, to indicate that the problems are essentially Greek, and that Britain does not want to impose her will or interfere m Greece’s internal affairs The arrival of Mr Churchill and Mr Eden brought the Greeks fresn hopes, says Reuter’s Athens correspondent. Thousands of men, women and children carrying British and American flags, before the conference started, marched to the British Embassy in joyous demonstration. Thousands of citizens left their homes for the first time in three weeks as news of the developments spread. Greek flags were hoisted outside the windows and from housetops. News of the arrival of Mr Churchill and Mr Eden was repeated all day from loudspeakers, which the Greek Government placed on the roofs. The population eagerly listened to the broadcasts above the clatter of machineguns and crash of guns from British tanks ring on positions north oi Omonia Square. Mr Churchill had a three-hour talk with Archbishop Damaskinos, woo agreed to preside at the conference. They are reported to have “got on “famously.” Mr Churchill drove to the conference in an armoured vehicle. The streets had been cleared of pedestrians. Armoured cars guarded every corner. Greek civilians crowded the balconies of neighbouring houses when Mr Churchill left ' for the conference and gave him a | great cheer as he stepped into the car. I He replied by twirling his hat on a cane. ~x . . ' The “Daily Mail,” in an editorial, Isays: There will be some measure ol dismay in Britain at the fact the I Premier thought it necessary to risk the undoubted perils of a visit to Greece. The visit is a typical Churchillian gesture. It will be*, remembered in future that Mr Churchill was the first Premier of any country who recognised the value of modern rapid air transport in the settlement of crises as they can best be settled —on the ’spot. We frankly think Britain has been left with too much responsibility fqr Greece. The Russian and American Governments, doubtless will be fully informed parties to any settlement, but a little more active support in the negotiations would not be unwelcome. There has, however, been a complete lack of. embarrassing comment from Russia. DYNAMITE PLOT HEADQUARTERS DISCLOSURE RUGBY, December 26. The Hotel Grande Bretagne was saved from disaster through the discovery of three-quarter of a ton of dynamite under the building on Monday night. It was in an underground passage which gives access to electric cables beneath the hotel, states an Athens correspondent. The -dynamite was found after midnight by British guards in sewers and the boiler house. There .is every indication that the work was done by persons highly skilled and specialised in demolition. The dynamite was in containers of 50 kilos each, and instructions were found in the boiler house. At the entrance to tfie sewers was a barbed wire barricade., which must have been

cut. The work seemed left unfinished, as about 30 pounds of dynamite was found abandoned. It was thought at first that the explosives had been left by the retreating Germans, as it was believed to be of Gernian origin, but investigations show this is not the case, as it was apparently placed m position after the announcement on Monday that Mr. Churchill and Mr. Eden had arrived in Greece. The hotel as well as being the headquarters of General Scobie, is also the residence of members of the Greek Government. FURTHER PARTICULARS. (Rec. 11.0) LONDON, Dec. 26. A British patrol discovered and foiled the plot to blow up General Scobie’s headquarters, says Reuter’s Athens correspondent. Three-quart-ers of a ton of penthrite (German type of dynamite) was found) in a sewer six yards from the front of the hotel, and is believed to have been placed there by ELAS forces. British patrols make regular inspection of the sewer which runs from eight to eleven feet under the street, and is about seven feet high and three to four feet wide. Patrols reported the sewer clear last night. The explosive was placed between then and this morning. A sack containing 30 pounds of explosive was found some distance from the main charge, indicating the men who placed it had been disturbed. To plant the explosive the men must have crawled through knee-deep freezing water and filth from the stadium and Arditos Hill about 1000 yards from the hotel. The explosive had been packed with great skill and fused. The British patrol removed the cache and followed detonating wires for a considerable distance. One ELAS officer recently told British officers that ELAS had sent 100 tons of dynamite into Athens in one night. FURTHER AREA CLEARED. LONDON, December 26. Lieutenant-General Scobie’s latest communique on the fighting says: “British forces have cleared a further area north of the PhaleronPiraeus road. Stiff oppostion continues on the north side of the harbour. “Recruiting of the National Guard is progressing well. Approximately 10,000 men are under arms. “General Zervas’s forces (the EDES) in Epirus, in face of an increasing number of opponents, have made further withdrawals towards the coast. The situation elsewhere is unchanged.” elas"hostages

(Rec. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 26. ELAS forces in the Athens area alone in the past 21 days 'have taken at least 8000 hostages, including hundreds of women and children, and men over sixty, says Reuter’s Athens correspondent. Several thousanu have been marched to the ELAS stronghold-at Thebes, 30 miles north of Athens. Thousands more are concentrated in a part of Athens which ELAS holds and which is under constant danger of being strafed by the R.A.F. All these hostages are reported to be without food and dying in hundreds. Archbishop Damaskinos to-day sent a stern warning to ELAS to release all women, children ana old men. ' j 4 The correspondent adds that rocket-firing Beaufighters yesterday wrecked a group'of factory buildings on the outskirts of Athens, where ELAS forces are grouping to counterattack the British troops.