765.68/283: Telegram
The Minister in Greece ( MacVeagh ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 25—4:20 p.m.]
211. The Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs told me this morning that he had received news from Rome to the effect that the Italian Government regards the present anti-Greek campaign as primarily an affair of the press (see telegram No. 839, August 23, noon from Rome24) and as reflecting a question of settlement between Greece and Albania. In consequence, he felt the situation today to be less tense but referred to the continuing concentrations on the frontier as definitely disturbing despite Italian assurances. Regarding the possibility that Germany may have advised Italy against extending the war, he said he thinks the two powers have been in agreement on this policy for some time but that Italy now wants a victory of some sort and will not be restrained from the use of arms if she can shift the responsibility. Hence, he emphasized the impossibility of this country’s taking adequate defense measures (see my telegram No. 210, August 23, 5 p.m.) and described the present situation of the Greek Government as a positive “martyrdom”. The Under Secretary confirmed that following further allegations in the press concerning Greek atrocities Italian forces have now reoccupied the frontier zone voluntarily evacuated last autumn (see my telegram 178, September 19, 193924). In this connection Salonika reports a gradual shift of Greek troops from eastern to western Macedonia but still there have been no general mobilization orders nor large scale military movements of any kind. A fire destroyed 10 million drachmas worth of military equipment in Piraeus last night during a high wind. Its origin seems to be as mysterious as the sinking of the Helli and as little likely to be clarified. Incidentally, the Helli now appears to [Page 539] have been recently converted into the Greek Navy’s principal mine layer and to have been sunk with a considerable cargo of mines aboard.