868.00/12–2044: Telegram
The Ambassador in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 22—5:50 p.m.]
168. In connection with fact that no reply has yet been received from King (see my 164 of December 19, 8 p.m.61) my British colleague has just told me that the Prime Minister while telegraphing his recommendation allowed members of Cabinet to telegraph individually as well and that a host of political figures here both great and small outside present Government have also sent personal messages so that King as usual has been deluged with advice. Leeper says he “knows” that besides that Social Democrat Papandreou, Liberals Sophoulis, Caphandaris, and Sophianopoulos, the Agrarian Mylonas [Page 165] and the Independent Isatsos all recommended Archbishop’s appointment and that in addition Svolos of EAM is personally in favor of it while Porphyrogennis, Communist, has indicated to Plastiras, Venizelist, that “the Left” would welcome it. Hence it can only be that such advice as King has received against it derives from the Popular Party now apparently reunited in support of royalism. This group and the King’s stubborn preference for the interests of his dynasty over all other considerations in this country seem threatening now to extend indefinitely the present deplorable struggle. Mr. Leeper feels that at any moment the ELAS may agree to General Scobie’s terms after which a political conference will immediately have to be called and points out that the Left will certainly not agree to come to a conference held under any auspices but those they feel they can trust. Macmillan has gone to Italy to consult with Alexander and Leeper is laying urgently before the Foreign Office this danger of a breakdown of a possible military settlement owing to failure to supply machinery acceptable to both sides for working out a political solution.
- Not printed.↩