U.S. Asks Britain To Keep Troops In Greece For Present

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1947, Page 2

U.S. Asks Britain To Keep Troops In Greece For Present

(Rec. 11 a.m.)

WASHINGTON, September 1.

It is learned reliably that the Act-, ing Secretary of State, Mr Robert Lovett, and other American officials have asked tide British Government to defer its withdrawal of troops from Greece until the situation there is stabilised and the American mission headed by Mr Dwight Griswold has found its feet or a permanent frontier commission has been established.

No reply has been received from Britain to date, but in view of the critical situation it is expected that the British' authorities will accede to the American request. The Washington correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says: “The British Government’s decision to withdraw the remainder of its troops from Greece as soon as possible may lead to the first real rift between Britain and the United States since the end of the war. The Americans complain that the British by raising this, issue at present are ‘rocking the boat’ and adding- to the difficulties of the State Department. Foreign Troops Needed

Mr Tsaldaris, when he recently visited Washington, said emphatically that foreign troops were essential to . deter military action by Greece’s northern neighbours, and the Americans realise that if the British withdraw they will have to fill their place with their own troops. “Mr Truman has already ascertained that he has the constitutional power to do this without consulting Congress. “The Americans attach the greatestpossible importance to maintaining their present stand in Greece, and argue that if for any reason the Communists gained the ascendancy it would be the first stage in an American withdrawal from the whole of western Europe. “Although the Americans have already reluctantly decided to send their own troops if the British, withdraw, they are exercising every possible influence to persuade the British? to stay. This even extends to offers of concessions elsewhere and the use of the Greek situation as a bargaining weapon over Britain’s dollar costs in Germany. So far the British show no sigh of giving way.” London quarters are reticent, but admit that consultations are taking place, So far no date has been fixed for the British withdrawal, but it is suggested that the British Government wants the troops removed not later than the end of September. The number involved is between 5000 and 7000. .