NEW GREEK CABINET

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25172, 9 April 1945, Page 5

NEW GREEK CABINET

PLASTIRAS RESIGNS STRIFE BETWEEN FACTIONS (Reed. 7.15 p.m.) I/ONDON, April 8 The Government of General Plastiras has resigned, says a message from Athens. It is reported that the Regent, Archbishop Damaskinos, has asked the Commander-in-Chief of the Greek Navy, Admiral Voulgaris, to form a new Government.

Th,e new Greek Government will take the oath »today A correspondent reports that the new Government will be a small non-Party one. It will be a Government of transition to bridge the interval until the elections later in the vear.

In the past two days it has become clear that events were moving toward a political crisis in Greece. Several political leaders had seen the Regent who was also visited by the British Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant-Gen-eral R. Scobie, and the British Ambassador, Sir Reginald Leeper.

The crisis follows the publication of a letter General Plastiras wrote to the Greek Ambassador to Vichy in July, 1941, explaining how toward the end of November, 1940, he tried to secure a negotiated peace between Greece and Italy through the intervention of Germany because Greece was no match for Italv and the continuation of the war would only mean disaster and ruin. The publication of the letter is the climax to a campaign which the Popular Partv, now out and out Royalist, has been waging against General Plastiras because he resisted their efforts for a speedy plebiscite on the question of the King's return and because they consider him too lenient toward the Left. , . The aim of the Popular Party is to establish a Monarchist dictatorship for which it. is imperative that they should get the King hack. Most Greek politicians for a long time have been aware of the letter which has been tacitly ignored because similar accusations could be levelled against many other public figures. MRS CHURCHILL'S WORK (Reed. 7.15 p.m.) LONDON, April 7 The Moscow radio announced that Mrs Churchill, attending a meeting of the Russian Red Cross and Red Crescent, received a gold badge for her work and energy as president of the Aid-for-Russia Committee.-The Russian Red Cross received £9,000.1)00 from Britain. This does not include contributions from the Dominions. Marshal Stalin today received Mrs Churchill. PETAIN'S REQUEST (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 1 The Daily Express correspondent in Paris says that Petain is reported to have asked the Swiss Government for asylum for himself and his wife.