868.01/549: Telegram
The Ambassador to the Greek Government in Exile (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 16—4:29 p.m.]
Greek 155. The first message64 reads:
“We, the representatives of Fighting Greece at the Conference for National Unity, wish to express to you our respectful admiration and gratitude for the friendly interest which you take in our country.
The Greek people, who are fighting in the towns and in the mountains against the most barbarous of tyrannies, will never allow themselves to be withdrawn from the camp of the Allies and of the United Nations who are fighting for freedom and amongst whom your great country occupies, under your illustrious leadership, so glorious a position.
Though the desire for national unity has led to actions as melancholy as the late mutinies in the Middle East forces, actions deplored and [Page 109] condemned by all, we can assure Your Excellency that the Greek people, by their struggle of yesterday, today and tomorrow and by the help of their great Allies, will succeed in rubbing out that dark page.
We rely on your sympathy which you have so often shown towards our country and we assure you that we will do our utmost to achieve that national unity which is an indispensable condition for the liberation, peace and well-being of our country which has endured so much from Italian, German and Bulgarian aggressors.”
The second reads:
“As representatives of Fighting Greece to Conference for National Unity, we desire to express to Your Excellency our respectful admiration and to thank you for interest which you take in our country and in her future.
This interest springs from a more than century-old tradition which is dear to Greek people and which the actions of so distinguished a person as Your Excellency have been made still stronger.
We believe it is this interest, coupled with sorrow, so rightly felt on account of recent events in our Middle East forces which evoked your severe judgment of our country. May we be permitted to state, however, that resistance and the bloody struggle of the Greek people in towns and in the mountains are such as to exceed in moral importance the mad actions of irresponsible persons which, although sprung from a desire for national unity, have led to deplorable and disastrous results which must be condemned by all.
Your Excellency may rest assured that we will do all in our power to achieve national unity which is an essential condition not only for a more successful struggle against the enemy but also for the reconstruction of our country, victim of Italian, German and Bulgarian aggression. We know the help of our great Allies and especially of Great Britain under her dauntless leader will not be found wanting.”
Repeated to Algiers for Murphy.
- See telegram No. 154, May 15, 6 p.m., supra.↩