ULTIMATUM TO E.L.A.S.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 20, 21 December 1944, Page 5

ULTIMATUM TO E.L.A.S.

FULL-SCALE ONSLAUGHT REGENCY STILL POSSIBLE (N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, iJec. 20. General Scobie, British commander in Greece, has given an ultimatum to the E.L.A.S. forces that if their guns are still firing at 9 a.m. tomorrow he will attack them with all the forces at his disposal A Press Association cable message says that leaflets . signed by General Scobie were dropped from aircraft over Athens today stating: "Civilians in Athens and Piraeus are informed that from 9 a.m. tomorrow all rebel guns firing, whether against the town or against its environs, will be hit with all the arms at my disposal—land artillery, naval guns and planes' rockets and bombs. This attack will continue until all the guns are detroyed. Civilians for their own security must immediately evacuate to a distance of 500 yards from the situation of rebel guns. No further warning will be given." The Columbia Broadcasting System's Athens correspondent says that E.L.A.S. forces yesterday captured the R.A.F. Headquarters in Athens. The sound of shelling and machine-gun fire wa-s heard in Athens early this morning but comparative quiet has now returned to the city. Planes dropping flares droned over the Athens area most of the night but there was only spasmodic machine-gun fire from the outer districts.

The Minister of the Greek Navy (Mr Kanellopoulos) said the Government might establish a Regency without the King's approval. He thought the question would be settled in a few days, but as the Greek Constitution did not provide for a Regency legal aspects were now being examined.