GREEK KING’S STAND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21580, 6 December 1944, Page 3

GREEK KING’S STAND

PREMIER’S DILEMMA (10.30 a.m.) LON DOE, Dec. a. While pitched battms are raging in Athens between the armed iorce* 0.l the two main political parties, ana the danget.'that the whole of Greece vvill be plunged into civil war grows, King Geofge of the Hellenes has refused to accept M. Papandrc-ou’s resignation, 'says tiie Lritisli United mess Athens correspondent. M. Emmanuel . Sofoulis, Lioerai Party reader, has* reiused to participate in the Greek Government, and ha: ordered ,ail the Liberal Ministers to Ciiise portfolios.

A pitched battle is raging around the Metropolis ITotel, between the E.L.A.S. and the E.D.E.S. Clashes have broken out throughout the city. The E.D.E.S. troops, using the Metropolis Hotel as their headquarters, opened tire with revolvers against E.L.A.S. demonstrators in the street below. The E.L.A.S. counter-attacked, and tour arc known to have been killed so far.

The E.L.A.S. are using mortars in an attack against a police barracks in the centre of Athens. Another battle has’-flared up for a police station which the E.L.A.S. attempted to occupy. When the fight began the demonstrators were besieging police headquarters, shouting pro-Roosevelt slogans and hailing the United Slates as "our only ally." Huge columns of E.A.M. demonstrators from different sections of Athens converged 'on the centre of the city this morning, and paraded in Constitution Square carrying placards demanding a National Government and a dembcratic front.

It is officially stated in Athens that the British .authorities would try to avoid bloodshed, but were prepared if necessary to take a very firm line. Greek troefps would be used only as a last resort. It would be “repugnant in the extreme" to use Greek troops against the'E.L.A.S. units. The statement added: “If there were not British troops in Greece, the attempt to achieve “a forceful solution of the political question would be forced to Us issue." • .