STILL THE ENEMY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21606, 8 January 1945, Page 4

STILL THE ENEMY

E.L.A.S. IN GREECE LACK OF CONCILIATION ‘•ONLY ISSUE BY FORCE" (9 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 5. “There is nothing conciliatory about the attitude of General Plastiras. says The Times’ Athens correspondent, reporting an interview with the new Prime Minister of Greece. He added: “General Plastiras said that he believed it would be five days before the city of Athens was cleared. He reiterated his statement after his arrival m Greece, that the situation could be righted only by force, and denied blankly any possibility of a negotiated truce. ‘ I-Ie was not keeping any portfolios for the Leftists, and did not intend to bring into the any additional Minister of any kind. “General Plastiras not only envisaged clearing Athens by force, but hie remainder of Greece. He thought it would be possible to achieve that without great difficulty, mainly with the use of the Greek National Guard. He expressed the opinion that the bulk of the Greeks were participating in the struggle only because lorecd to do so by terrorism, and lie thought that when his forces advanced nuo the country districts, they would desei l the E.L.A.S. and join the Government troops.” , . The Times’ correspondent adds. - “There are no moves to end hostilities. The E.L.A.S. is still regarded as;Tne enemy,’.and although militarily this is understandable it had been expected that the new Government would adopt a different attitude." The Times adds that the E.L.A.S. is certainly not helping the situation, and stories ol atrocities continue to circulate. “It is said that the Greeks are not a people to bear malice, but there siiiely is such a wealth of bitterness and hatred being, stored up as will take years to wash away." it adds.