GREECE’S ENEMIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26847, 11 August 1948, Page 6

GREECE’S ENEMIES

CHILDREN KIDNAPPED CONFEDERATION’S PROTEST The Pan-Hellenic Confederation of Unions of Agricultural Co-operatives, representing the peasant population of Greece, has made a fervent appeal to welfare organisations and parents throughout the world to help suffering Greek children who have been kidnapped from their mothers by “ the agents of Greece’s enemies, and led into neighbouring countries with the ulterial motive of their being used in the future against their own country.” The confederation has addressed a protest to all civilised peoples of the world and pleads that a crusade 'be started to restore the children to their parents. , . , The address of protest, which is printed iri’Greek, English and French, declares that masses of hungry young children, naked and barefooted, have been driven with whip and rifle through the snow-covered mountains into Albania, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria and as far away as they can be taken, in order that their Greek conscience will be stifled under chaotic conditions. “Agents of the enemies of our race, agents of a league using methods of force and tyranny? snatch these little Greeks from their homes so that the race may be decimated, and mourning, misery and terror spread throughout the country,” says the pamphlet. It adds: “These epemy agents take the children to inspire them with hatred, to corrupt their characters and strangle any Greek or humane feeling in them. They want to make them fanatic enemies of our race—the new 4 Janissary * ** It has resulted in crowds of peasants fleeing from the Greek villages to take refuge in the towns to save their children from kidnapping, the pamphlet explains “The Greeks are fighting for their own children, fighting for their own country, whereas for centuries now our race has been fighting for the whole of mankind. It is, therefore, the duty of all. peoples to help us at this moment and do their best to put an end to this mass kidnapping ana assist the children to return to their homes.”