MOURNED BY GREECE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27276, 30 December 1949, Page 5

MOURNED BY GREECE

Children Abducted To Iron Curtain Countries QUEEN’S WORLD-WIDE APPEAL New Zealand Press Association—Reuter—Copyright Rec 11 p.m. ATHENS, Dec. 29. On the eve of the national day of mourning for the 28,000 Greek children abducted by the Communist rebels* during the civil war and now detained in Russian satellite countries, Queen Frederika last night made a world broadcast appealing for their repatriation. “I ask you to help me to arouse the conscience of the civilised world,” she said. “I appeal to you not as a Queen but as a simple mother who goes on her knees to beg for her children who are in danger. “Too long has the civilised world remained silent. Silence in the face of such an outrage can only add to the crime itself and turn us all into culprits.”

The Queen recalled the kidnapping in 1932 of Colonel Lindbergh’s baby son for whose murder Bruno Hauptmann was executed. “In Greece,” she said, "we mourn 28,000 little Lindberghs.” The children’s fate was no less tragic than that of Lindbergh’s son, the Queen said. “ They have not only been physically torn from their families but their innocent little souls are being systematically poisoned against their parents, their country, and their God. Help me to rouse the world’s conscience. Add your voice to ours to bring back our children to their arms.”

The Queen added that it was not thought desirable on anybody’s part to send those Greek children back to “ Monarcho-Fascist ” Greece, let them at least be delivered- from the

Slavery of the Communist life and indoctrination and be sent to neutral countries such as Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden, there to be dealt with by the International Red Cross. The campaign for the children’s return is being conducted by the Greek Orthodox Church. Archbishop Spiridon, head of the Church, has sent a message to all heads of States seeking their co-operation. During today’s day of mourning there will be mass meetings of mothers whose children have been abducted. House blinds will be drawn, shops closer, and all traffic will be stopped for 30 minutes. . „ ~ According to the United Nations Special Balkans Committee, 12,000 of the abducted children in are in Yugoslavia, 3000 in Albania, 3000 in Bulgaria 3000 in Hungary 4000 in Rumania, 2000 in Chechoslovakia, and the rest in Poland.