GREEK DISSENSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 December 1944, Page 5

GREEK DISSENSIONS

“BIG THREE” TO DISCUSS MR. CHURCHILL/S STATEMENT LONDON, December 28. -• Mr. Churchill, in a statement to newspaper correspondents in Athens on Wednesday night, said that the Greek situation would be discussed at a conference among himself, Mr. Roosevelt, and Mr. Stalin, which he hoped would soon occur. “We may have some kind of international trust. We cannot see this place drifting to anarchy,” said Mr. Churchill. “There would have been a great massacre if we had not intervened in Greece,” he said. He was hopeful that the Athens conference would bring about a solution. If it did not, British troops “here and en route, ’ would “make us masters of Athens and Attica.” There was no question of the King of Greece returning to Greece until after a free plebiscite had been taken. The King, would not return until he was invited by a plebiscite of the whole country and a state of tranquility was restored. “We have driven the rebels from the immediate centre of Athens,” said Mr. Churchill. “We are absolutely determined that the whole built-up area must be cleared. We shall use whatever force is necessary. “We feel that our course has been absolutely right. It has been said that Britain is endeavouring to bring back the King and impose a particular rule on Greece. All these stories are without the slightest foundation. We desire nothing but Greece’s friendship. Last August, said Mr. Churchill, he had exchanged telegrams with Mr. Roosevelt, and it was agreed that the time had come for the British to enter Greece to chase out the Germans and restore tranquility. Later, he took the matter up with Mr. Stalin, and agreement was reached. He added that the Greek Government, including members of the E.A.M., had invited the British to enter the country. The sooner ELAS saw reason, the sooner the fighting would stop. “It won’t stop until that result is achieved, by friendly negotiations or by the increasing use of military weapons,” he said. “If the British left Greece and the other side came in, those who have shown friendliness to Britain would be liable to be punished by the conquerors. We cannot leave the people like that until there are guarantees of a fair and decent , Government which will not pay off old scores either wa y-” Thirty war correspondents ana a public relations officer who attended Mr. Churchill’s Press conference were searched for arms before they entered the room. British military police armed with tommy-guns guarded the corridors and stairway inside the British Embassy. There was also a strong guard round the building and the neighbouring area.

U.S.A. PRESS TRIBUTE

NEW YORK, Dec. 27

“It is a fine stroke of statesmanship that has taken Mr. Churchill to Athens to employ his personal prestige to end the civil war in Greece,” says the “New York Times” in a leading article. “Mr. Churchill is determined that there shall be no fair basis for the criticism either that his' Government has adopted a highhanded policy which permits no compromise, or that it is attempting to coerce the Greek people into a new surrender of their hard-won liberty for some dark purpose of ‘British Imperialism.’ There are Churchill critics who believe that the right solution of the Greek problem has always been easy to find. They would have the British get out and let the Greeks run their own affairs. But Mr. Churchill has pointed out (convincingly to us) that in existing circumstances this would simply mean civil war.” SNIPER~S~~BULLET. LONDON, December 28. A British United Press correspondent says: As Mr. Churchill and Marshal Alexander were climbing into an armoured car in front of the British Embassy in Athens on Wednesday, a sniper’s bullet whistled down the street, fatally hitting a person 300 yards away. Some reports say that an ELAS sniper shot at Mr. Churchill, but this is not believed. He had been sniping along the street for some days. "He fired twice on Wednesday. The second bullet hit a building in the street. CONFERENCE AND REGENCY LONDON, December 28. “The Athens conference of Greek political leaders unanimously agreed to ask the King for a Regency immediately,” says the British United Press correspondent in Athens. “The question of a truce pending the establishment of a Regency was not discussed, which means that fighting' continues. The conference adjourned for an unspecified period after agreeing on only one point, namely, the Regency. Archbishop Damaskinos will reconvene the conference when he thinks it necessary.” FORMING NEW MINISTRY. RUGBY, December 28. The most encouraging political news from Greece is that the Archbishop of Athens, though not yet invested with the powers of Regent, began to take political soundings on Thursday morning in various political parties as to the possibilities of forming a Government. This follows Wednesday’s declaration by M. Papandreau that he was prepared to tender his resignation. It is reported that he has now telegraphed his resignation to the King, suggesting the appointment of a regency of three members. The Athens correspondent adds that the question of the appointment of a Regent, decided on Wednesday, in principle’ is expected to be settled on Thursday, and the Regent will most probably be the Archbishop. The appointment of a Regent is considered indispensable before any new Government could be formed.

CLEARING THE CAPITAL

LONDON, December 28

General Scobie, in Thursday’s communique says: The process of clearing the insurgents from and Piraeus is progressing slowly but satisfactorily. There are indications that insurgents who entered the Ath-ens-Piraeus area this month are moving out to positions astride of the road leading to Athens. The original Athens ELAS corps and supporters are offering resistance within the built-up area. This force is now concentrated in three main sectors —in Piraeus and in the south-east and the north districts of Athens. An insurgent attack against a R.A.F. landing ground in the area was repulsed. General Zervas’s forces in the Epirus continue to fall back under strong ELAS pressure. They have been forced to evacuate Igoumentiza. The situation elsewhere has not changed. Reuter’s correspondent says: Heavygunfire continued in Athens spasmodically throughout Wednesday night. An extremely heavy explosion, apnarently in the outskirts, shook buildings in the centre of the city. There was a continuous barking of machine-guns for an hour after dawn on Thursday followed by heavy gunfire.