ALLIED INTEREST

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21581, 7 December 1944, Page 5

ALLIED INTEREST

NO RULE OF FACTION HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY LONDON, Dec. 5. After Mr. Churchill’s statement on Greece in the House of Commons, Mr. Pethiek Lawrence (Labour) urged the Prime Minister to take care the Government “watched its step,’’ so that its action in suppressing disorder should not take the form of support for any one faction. He asked for an assurance that if the armed forces of Britain and her Allies were to be used in support of the Greek Government, the British Government would impress upon the Greek Government the need for a conciliatory policy, and that they should not assume that because they had the .support of British forces they could take such action as they liked. Mr Churchill replied: “1 quite agree that we take a great responsibility in intervening to preserve law and order. It would be very much easier to sail away and allow everything to degenerate, as it would, into anarchy or a Communist dictatorship. But we do not feel that, having taken the position we have, and having entered Athens and brought food and made great efforts .to restore the currency, and doing oiir utmost to give those conditions of peace and tranquility which would enable the Greek people as a whole to vote upon their future, we should look back or take our hand from the plough. We shall certainly not be able to do so.” Mr. Churchill gave an assurance that the Greek people would have .the fullest opportunity of a free election, and that the Allied armies would not be used to fasten any rule of faction upon them. , . , The Press Association’s political lobbyist says that members of the House of Commons are drawing up an amendment to the Address-in-fteply, drawing attention to the. situation in Greece anu Belgium, with the object of ensuring a debate during the next day or two. Another amendment may broach the question whether it would not be better for Britisn forces to take charge in Greece.