THREAT TO GREECE

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1946, Page 7

THREAT TO GREECE

TROOP DISPOSITIONS IN I, ALBANIA I RUSSIA’S ROLE IN BALKANS ATHENS, Sept. 15. The Athens correspondent of the New York Times says a dispatch to the New York Times from its Rome correspondent giving the dispositions of troops in Albania and Russia's role in these dispositions was featured in all the Athens newspapers except the Communist paper Rizo Pastis, which published only two inches under the heading “New York Times Lies.” ; “The information is reported to coincide with that in the possession of Greek military officials, but not previously published. Competent military <’sources report that formations- in ! countries north of Greece may well be ! merely threats, the main immediate purpose being to divert . attention while small numbers of trained men, arms, gold, and propaganda are smuggled across the frontiers unobserved with the object of sustaining Leftist guerrilla bands.” Newspapers in Athens say that the Prime Minister (Mr. Tsaldaris) has drawn the attention of leading British and American circles in Paris to the “situation in Macedonia and on the Greek frontier.” The United States Secretary of State (Mr. James Byrnes) is reported to have said that America would consider any extension of these, inci- ' dents as a question of the greatest • importance, in which she is taking a • very lively interest.