868.01/586: Telegram
The Ambassador to the Greek Government in Exile (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 6—4 p.m.]
Greek 183. My Greek 180, June 3.71 An answer has been received by Svolos, Porphyrogennis and Roussos from the Political Committee, speaking apparently for EAM and the Communists also, which insists that a prerequisite to national unity must be a “clear solution of the constitutional question”. This is interpreted as meaning that these organizations are making their participation in the new government contingent on a definite statement from the King that he will not return to Greece before a plebiscite. In earlier messages other conditions (see my Greek 176, May 3071) had been made, demanding particularly the replacement of Papandreou as Prime Minister and a larger representation in the government than the five Ministries, out of a probable total of 15, which have been promised, but the present message is regarded as in effect withdrawing these.
At the Conference the question of the King’s return was expressly left for the new government to deal with, and furthermore, the delegates here of all three of the above mentioned organizations, both telegraphically and in their message transmitted through Sarafis, have strongly urged their principals to agree to participation in the government without further conditions. This new development therefore appears to represent a deliberate effort to obstruct the formation of the new government, and it is now considered probable that, although messages will continue to be exchanged with Greece, and certain portfolios may be kept open for the time being in the hope that the objecting organizations will eventually fill them, Papandreou will proceed [Page 116] with the completion of the Cabinet while issuing a statement that EAM and the Communists have thus far refused to collaborate.
Repeated to Algiers (as number 4) for Murphy.