868.00/12–2944: Telegram
The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt 72
859. Many thanks for your No. 68073 which encouraged me amidst many difficulties. Ambassador MacVeagh called yesterday and we had a resumption of talk. Like everyone else here he is convinced that a Regency under the Archbishop is only course open at the moment. [Page 174] I have seen the Archbishop several times and he made a very good impression on me by sense of power and decision which he conveyed as well as by his shrewd political judgments. You will not expect me to speak here of his spiritual qualities for I really have not had sufficient opportunity to measure these.
Greek Conference, of which you will have had from other sources full account, was unanimous in recommending a Regency. This was strongly supported by EAM. However, I do not consider the Archbishop is at all Left Wing in Communist sense. On the contrary he seems more or less extremely determined man bent on establishing a small strong executive in Greece to prevent a continuance of civil war.
I am therefore returning with Anthony to England to press upon the King of Greece to appoint Archbishop Regent. The effect of this, if the King agrees, will of course mean that the Archbishop will form a government of 10 or less of the “best will”. I gather he would make Plastiras Prime Minister and that Papandreou would not be included. Naturally I could not probe too far while all these matters are hypothetical.
On our return we shall advise our colleagues who are already inclined to this course that we should put strongest pressure on Greek King to accept the advice of his Prime Minister Monsieur Papandreou who changed his mind about three times a day but has now promised to send a telegram in his own words but in the sense of my immediately following message.74
If Ambassador MacVeagh’s report should on these matters correspond with mine I should greatly hope you would feel yourself able to send a personal message to the King of Greece during the next few days supporting the representation we shall make to him of which we shall keep you informed. My idea is that Regency should be only for one year or till a plebiscite can be held under conditions literally called “normal tranquility”.
The Archbishop has left this matter entirely in my hands so that I can put the case in the most favourable manner to the King. Of course if after these difficulties have been surmounted and Archbishop is Regent you feel able send him a telegram of support that would make our task easier. Mr. President, we have lost over 1,000 men and though the greater part of Athens is now clear it is a painful sight to see this city with street fighting raging, now here, now there and poor people all pinched and only kept alive in many cases by rations we are carrying, often at loss of life, to them at the various depots. Anything that you can say to strengthen this new layout as the time comes will be most valuable and may bring about acceptance by ELAS of terms of truce set forth by General Scobie. For this we. [Page 175] are reinforcing as necessary and military conflict will go on. The vast majority of the people long for a settlement that will free them from Communist terror.
We have to think of an interim arrangement which can be reviewed when our long hoped for meeting takes place. This date should not now be far distant. It will then be possible to correlate our opinions and actions. In the meanwhile we have no choice but to recommend creation of a new and more competent executive government under Regency of the Archbishop and to press on with our heavy and unsought task of clearing Athens from very dangerous, powerful, well-organized and well-directed elements which are now regaining the area of advance [now pressing into the area].74a I should value a message when I return on Friday morning.