740.0011 European War 1939/10277: Telegram
The Minister in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 24—12:51 p.m.]
280. Many disbanded Greek soldiers are now arriving here threatening to create serious problems of subsistence and even public order but some of them may be incorporated in the Athens garrison. The capital proper has not yet been bombed but German planes are frequently over the city and repeated alerts, backfire and audible pounding of the environs, together with what many unthinking persons consider desertion of King and Government, have brought public morale to a low ebb. It was intention of Government to take personnel of German Legation to Crete yesterday, exchange with Greeks in Berlin having not yet been arranged but on the energetic protest of Swedish Chargé proposal was dropped.