ATHENS QUIETER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25084, 23 December 1944, Page 7

ATHENS QUIETER

NEW AREAS CLEARED FOOD DISTRIBUTED SPORADIC FIGHTING (Reed. 6.10 p.m.), LONDON, Dec. 22 British aircraft were hovering over Athens yesterday ready to act on General Scobie's ultimatum if any guerilla guns opened up after nine o'clock in the morning. There were no reports of any incidents. By last night, General Scobie had received no reply from the E.L.A.S. leaders to his conditions announced six days ago. E.L.A.S. forces in some parts of Athens are reported to be using hand microphones calling on their supporters to continue resistance for a little longer as a solution is being reached. This report suggests that the E.L.A.S. is tiring of the struggle. One-third of Capital Cleared Renter's Athens correspondent says it is authoritatively stated that the British have cleared approximately onethird of Athens. The majority of the Ii.L.A.S. in Athens are now holding the northern sector of the city. Their strength in t he whole of the Athens and Piraeus area, i.s estimated to total 20,000, and 5000 are believed to be casualties or prisoners. Yesterday morning there were battles in the districts of Pangrati and Petrolona, says an Athens message quoted by the British official wireless. In the Nepolis district, which seems to be partly cleared of E.L.A.S. troops, there is resistance by snipers from a number of houses. Panic-stricken inhabitants fled with what they could take with them. Rocket-firing Beaufighters blasted E.L.A.S. positions at Averoff political prison. Paratroopers and tanks attacked an E.L.A.S. 75 m.m. gun beyond Omonia Square. Fighting otherwise has died down, the situation being quieter than since the opening of the clash, says the British United Press correspondent in Athens. E.L.A.S. Guns Silenced The correspondent reports in an earlier message that the British cleared new areas in central and* south-west Athens, thus allowing the distribution of relief food to go on at full pressure for the first time since hostilities began. British 25-pounders yesterday silenced a battery of E.L.A.S. guns which were holding up the unloading of ships at Piraeus. A British correspondent, driving through the centre of Athens and newlycleared districts yesterday afternoon, watched the distribution of soup to queues of men, women and children. Meanwhile, 6500 Greeks have now joined the National Guard in Athens. The British are clothing and feeding them. A message from Nicosia. Cyprus, says that, owing to the situation in Greece, the Cyprus Greek Relief Committee has decided to suspend the despatch of money, foodstuffs and clothing to Greece until law and order are restored. BRITAIN'S INTERESTS PREVENTING ANARCHY HOUSE OF LORDS DEBAIF LONDON, Dec. 21 The British Government was not against a Regency in Greece, but wanted to make certain that it was a practicable proposition, said the Leader of the House of Lords, Viscount Cranborne, replying for the Government in a debate initiated by Lord Farington, who moved a resolution regretting "the policy of the Government in Greece which has had the shameful result of military action against our Greek allies." Lord Cranborne, in reply, characterised the motion as "ill-judged, ill-timed and ill-drafted." Lord Farington criticised the action of the King of Greece in regard to the Regency, and suggested that a solution of the problem was the recognition of the resistance movement as effective and definite by General Scobie. He expressed the hope that General Scobie should be instructed to withdraw his terms to the resistance forces. Lord Cranborne said: "We are interested to see that the country is put on an even keel so that relief can be carried through, and we are also interested that the solution should not be imposed by force of arms supplied by us. It is no concern of ours whether the Greek people have a Government of the Right or Left. That i.s for the Greek people themselves to decide. "I am glad it has not been suggested that British troops should clear out of Greece at once. We are very ready that our troops should leave Greece as soon as conditions allow. If they leave now there will be a general massacre and utter destruction of everything." INVADERS CHECKED ALBANIAN PARTISANS LONDON, Dec. '2l It. is confirmed that small numbers of Bulgarians have entered Eastern Macedonia. The Associated Press correspondent says it is reliably reported that E.L.A.S. forces checked infiltrations of Albanian partisans across the northern Greek frontier to join up with E.L.A.S. forces massing in northern and north-east lipirus. MINISTER RETURNS (Rerd. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 22 Mr Harold Macmillan, British Minister resident in the Mediterranean, i.s back in Athens after talks with FieldMarshal Sir Harold Alexander, Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean Theatre. s