GREEK ELECTION

Waikato Times, Volume 196, Issue 22548, 5 January 1945, Page 3

GREEK ELECTION

WHEN ORDER RESTORED ASSURANCE BY PREMIER FIGHTING IN ATHENS (United Press Assn.—Elec. TeJ. Copyright) LONDON, Jan. 4 The new Greek Government, with General Plastiras as Prime Minister, Minister of War, Minister of the Navy, Minister of Air, and Minister of the Mercantile Marine, consists of seven Ministers and five Under-Sec-retaries. Other Ministers include the Socialist, M. Sofianopoulos, as Foreign Minister, and the Liberal, M. Sideris, as Minister of Finance. The E.A.M. does not appear to be represented. General Plastiras has given a renewed assurance that elections will be held as soon as order is restored. British troops in north-west Athens have driven E.L.A.S. forces from more buildings and captured some prisoners. Early today Athens was at its noisiest when British guns fired 1000 shells on the main roads leading out of the city. The guns also fired 350 “pamphlet” shells. These are safeconducts, and explain that British troops are ready to attack all the main E.L.A.S. concentrations and any guerilla wishing to come over will receive good terms. Cabinet Sworn In The Cabinet formed by General Plastiras was sworn in before Archbishop Damaskinos this afternoon, says Reuter’s Athens correspondent. General Plastiras stated that the aims of his Government were—(l) To restore the meaning of the State by imposing legal order; (2) to recall all public servants to a full sense of their duty; (3) to punish all who had collaborated in crimes during the German occupation; (4) to meet the urgent needs of the population for food, shelter and communications; (5) to stabilise the currency and come to the help of the working classes. General Plastiras added that he hoped he would have the help of the great Allies in the accomplishment of the tasks. M. Papandreou (former Prime Minister), M. Sofoulis and M. Kafandaris have announced support for the Government. The Director-General of Unrra, Mr Herbert Lehman, announced in Washington that the Unrra chief intelligence officer in Greece has been killed in Athens. He was Mr L. R. R. Shepherd, a British subject. His death is believed to have been caused by the explosion of a mine. Panic Among Shoppers Hundreds of people in the morning shopping crowds panicked when an E.L.A.S. mortar threw six bombs within a minute into Constitution Square, reports the British United Press’ Athens correspondent. The volley exploded before the people could find cover from the flying fragments, which hit the sides of the Grand Bretagne Hotel, which is the British Headquarters. A number of people were killed or wounded. British artillery last night and early today fired a thousand rounds against the roads leading into Athens from the north. The artillery laid down two smoke-screens and fired 300 shells, containing safe conduct pamphlets telling E.L.A.S. troops that the British are now facing them everywhere. A senior British officer directly connected with the operations in Athens and Attica addressing press correspondents today expressed concern at the reactions of British troops, who, on receiving mail from Britain, generally feel what they are doing in Greece is seen in a wrong 1 light at home. The officer said: “My sole object in Athens is to restore law and order and see that every man not authorised to bear arms is deprived of them. The British operations in Athens are governed by two main factors. The first is that we are fighting right in the middle of the civil population and nobody wants to hurt a single innocent civilian. The second is that the number of troops needed depends more on the number of houses in a given district than the number of enemy troops in the district. We have been most careful to protect the population. As we liberate them food is distributed. There is no doubt about their gratitude to us.” Communist Headquarters The clearing of the Kaissariani and Byron quarters means the elimination of the main E.L.A.S. stronghold in Athens, says a correspondent. Kaissariani was used by Greek refugees and was chosen by Communists as their headquarters during the German occupation. The remarkable tolerance displayed by the Germans suggests that they knew the headquarters was being prepared for eventual resistance against the British. It is Known that both defensive and offensive preparations were commenced there long before the liberation of Athens, and it was from there that the principal Communist demonstrations were made after the liberation. Kaissariani also constituted a threat to the Kolonaki quarters, inhabited mainly by well-to-do persons, affording an easy centre for pillaging expeditions. It is now occupied by recen.iy-recruited battalions of the National Guards. Germans, Bulgarians and Italians were found serving in the E.L.A.S. forces in this quarter. Part of Prison Occupied British infantry, supported by tanks, on the eastern fringes of Athens drove 1000 yards westward this morning, broke into the compound of Averoff prison, and occupied half the prison buildings against strong resistance, reports the British United Press’ Athens correspondent. The E.L.A.S. resistance was particularly fierce around a home for aged people, which our troops were forced partly to destroy before they could capture it. Reter’s correspondent says that with the whole of the southern part of Athens and more than half of Piraeus thoroughly cleared of E.L.A.S. elements the British forces are engaged in the slow and difficult process of driving the E.L.A.S. forces from a maze of houses in the tightlybuilt northern districts of the capital. The British perimeter in the past two days has been pushed forward a few hundred yards in some of the stiffest street fighting so far fought out in Athens. The E.L.A.S resistance was particularly fierce in the area east of the Averoff prison.