Labour Critic Of Greece

Northern Advocate, 15 March 1947, Page 5

Labour Critic Of Greece

(Rcc. .1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Mar. 14, The present regime in Greece made Franco's look like a Sunday school picnic, said Mr-T. G. Thomas (Lab.) who was feared missing on a visit to Greek guerilla chiefs in the mountains of Thessaly. Mr Thomas, in the debate on the supplementary estimate for aid to Greece, reported that he had discovered during his investigations in Greece that people could be arrested without charge and could be sentenced in absence without knowing that they had been tried. The islands around Greece were full of political exiles. “Members of all parlies should look with dismay and disgust on a government which seeks to wipe out the opposition by exiling its political opponents.” he said. “The Government devotes all its energies to civil war and makes no effort at reconstruction.” GOING TOO FAR He added that it was going too far if Britain spent £18.000,000 on armaments to support one side of the civil war when she had just received large sums from Australia and New Zealand to help her. Mr Eden, following Mr Thomas, said it nauseated him that Bulgaria, whose behaviour had been “utterly treacherous,” should have an army and that no word of protest should come from Labour members who protested so strongly against Greece having an army. “I have said to the chief men in the Russian state myself and I say it again, that their friends in Bulgaria are unworthy of the friendship of any country.” NO DIVISION

The House approved the estimate without division. The estimate covers £19,000,000 as a contribution to the cost of the Greek armed forces and for the gift to Greece of certain civilian goods. Mr M. Edelman (Lab.) said the amount should really be broken up to show £1,000,000 for reconstruction and £18,000,000 for military purposes.

Mr McNeill, replying to the debate, said the money was for the benefit of ordinary Greek people. The House was not asked to vote money for “foreign black and tans.” Any Greek Government, left or right, must have money to maintain order.

Pie asked the House to note that there had not been one untoward incident between British troops and the Greeks.