Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

768.00/12–1344

Memorandum by the Secretary of State to President Roosevelt

[Washington,] December 13, 1944.

Serious armed conflict is raging in Athens today between some 16,000 British and Greek Government troops and an unknown proportion of the 50,000 EAM–ELAS guerillas.

Basic causes of this dispute lie in EAM’s distrust of the intentions of the British-backed Government, as regards, first, the holding of fair elections and a plebiscite on the question of the King; and, second, EAM’s desire to exercise its share of power. While agreeing to a general program of disarming all irregular forces and reestablishing a regular Greek Army, EAM insisted that the Greek Mountain Brigade (4,000 men) remaining after the purge of the “mutinous” Greek forces in Egypt last spring, and Sacred Battalion (500 officers trained as commandos) be disarmed simultaneously with the ELAS guerilla forces. The Government offered instead to incorporate its units and an equal number of ELAS troops in the National Army. Fearing Government stacking of the units, the resistance groups refused and on December 1 the four EAM and two Communist Ministers resigned from the Cabinet (of twenty-three members).

A crisis arose on Sunday December 3 when an EAM protest demonstration, which had first been authorized, then disapproved by the Government, was fired on by Greek gendarmes, who killed twenty-one and wounded one hundred and fifty of the demonstrators. On Monday Greek Premier Papandreou, on advice of British Ambassador Leeper, offered his resignation and proposed that a new Government be formed by the venerable Sophoulis, President of the Liberal (Venizelist) Party. The impasse came on Tuesday, when Mr. Churchill telegraphed Leeper vetoing any governmental change and ordering the British GOC to clear Athens of all ELAS forces. Bitter fighting has continued ever since, without conclusive results. The most the British can hope to win, without large-scale reinforcements, is control of the Athens area, with EAM–ELAS remaining in power elsewhere in the country.

It seems clear that the serious turn of affairs resulted from Churchill’s arbitrary veto of Papandreou’s resignation, which made further political negotiation impossible. The Department has made a public statement^48a favoring a free Greek choice of future Government and attempting to disassociate us from British policy.

Public opinion has been stirred to an unprecedented degree by the Greek crisis. In England a vote in Parliament was notable for abstentions. King George, who has aggravated the difficulties by refusing to appoint a Regency in Greece or to make any personal commitment regarding his return to Greece, has remained silent. In this country the public has strongly supported the Department’s declared position, but many demands are accumulating for: 1) Strong representations to the British; 2) United States mediation; and 3) establishment in Greece of a United States-Soviet-British Commission to ensure a fair deal.

In the Department’s opinion, the situation would be considerably eased if King George would consent to the establishment of a Regency in Greece and make a statement clarifying his intention not to return to Greece unless recalled by a popular plebiscite.

E. R. Stettinius, Jr.

1. Asked at his press conference on December 5, 1944, to comment on a statement on the situation in Greece made in the House of Commons that same day by Prime Minister Churchill (Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th Series, vol. 406, col. 355), the Secretary of State had indicated that a statement would be forthcoming subsequently, after he had had an opportunity to study the report on Mr. Churchill’s remarks which he had seen only 15 minutes earlier (Verbatim Reports Press Conferences, 1944, No. 124, December 5).

   Accordingly, at his press conference on December 7, 1944, Secretary Stettinius made the following statement: “I was interested to note that in his statement on the Greek situation on December 5, Prime Minister Churchill told the House of Commons the following: ‘Our own position, as I have said, is extremely clear. Whether the Greek people form themselves into a monarchy or republic is for their decision. Whether they form a government of the right or left is for their decision. These are entirely matters for them.’ With this statement, I am in full agreement. It is also our earnest hope that the people and authorities of Greece and our British Allies will work together in rebuilding that ravished country.” Department of State Bulletin, December 10, 1944, p. 713.