868.01AMG/11–2544: Telegram

The Ambassador in Greece ( MacVeagh ) to the Secretary of State

87. By an exchange of notes dated yesterday November 24, the British Ambassador and the Greek Prime Minister27 concluded the agreement (see Department’s Number 139 of October 16, 5 p.m.) “regarding questions concerning civil administration, jurisdiction and relief arising out of military operations in Greek territory”. In accepting the agreement the Prime Minister made four “observations” not directly referring to clauses of interest to the United States except for the first in which Papandreou “notes” that since discrimination as to race, religion, nationality or political belief is forbidden by the Greek Constitution, 6 (a) of the agreement is superfluous. Copies of the notes exchanged are being sent to the Department by airmail.

As regards associating the United States with this agreement in the manner authorized I have today informally handed to the Foreign Office a copy of the text contained in the Department’s A–45, October 18 and have suggested that if agreeable to the Prime Minister a formal [Page 210] note containing that text and a formal note embodying Papandreou’s reply (draft of which he will make available to me in the meantime) be exchanged simultaneously between us on a date to be decided on preferably not later than the middle of next week.29

MacVeagh
  1. George A. Papandreou, Greek Prime Minister.
  2. The notes were exchanged on January 31, 1945.