INNER HISTORY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 88, 12 March 1935, Page 8

INNER HISTORY

OF GREEK REVOLT. LEADERS AT VARIANCE. (United Press Association—]3v Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received March 11, 12.55 p.m. LONDON, March 10. Sir Percival Phillips, telegraphing to the Daily Telegraph from Athens, says the inner history of the revolt shows that it was prepared by M. Venizelos and General Plastiras, who agreed to act jointly for the overthrow of the Government. General Plastiras wanted an earlier coup and went to the Bulgarian frontier, but M. Venizelos sent a liaison officer to say that the time was not ripe. General Plastiras was furious and decided independently to organise a rising on March 25, the anniversary of Greek independence. He formed a plan that, while the members of Cabinet and the principal officers were in church, he would surround the building and kidnap the chief Ministers as they left, at the same time persuading the troops participating in the annual parade to join the rising. Meanwhile, there was to be a simultaneous rising in Macedonia, Epirus and Thrace. Warships were to bo seized and General Plastiras was to go to the northern frontier ready to take over the operations at Salonika. All this came to the' ’ears of M. Venizelos, who recognised that he would fill s. secondary role under a Plastiras dictatorship.