868.00/7–2745

No. 451
The Ambassador in Greece (MacVeagh) to Prime Minister Voulgaris 1

Excellency: Under instructions from my Government I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that in view of Allied obligations to Greece and the undertakings at Yalta, as well as of Article IX of the Varkiza Agreement, the Goverments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have agreed and are willing, in the event of such action being agreeable to the Royal Hellenic Government, to approach the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of France with the proposal that the approaching Greek national elections be held under the supervision of the four Allies named.

My Government feels that if the Royal Hellenic Government accepts this invitation in principle, it should be possible to take up the matter with the Soviet Government during the immediately forthcoming international Conference at Potsdam, while the French Government could be approached at the same time by the United States and United Kingdom Ambassadors in Paris. I am therefore instructed to ask that the Royal Hellenic Government give it the earliest possible consideration.

In anticipation of Your Excellency’s reply, I have [etc.]2

Lincoln MacVeagh
  1. Enclosure 1 to MacVeagh’s despatch No. 1349 to the Secretary of State, July 27, 1945. MacVeagh sent a summary of this communication and the text of Voulgaris’ endorsement (see footnote 2, infra) to the Acting Secretary of State in telegram No. 704 of July 13 (file No. 868.00/7–1345).
  2. MacVeagh presented this letter to Voulgaris on the morning of July 13. The latter returned it at once with the following manuscript endorsement: “On behalf of the Royal Hellenic Government I agree[.] Athens, the 13th July, 1945 The Prime Minister Admiral P. Voulgaris”.