Office of the Historian

868.00/8–2045: Telegram

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

Athens, August 20, 1945.
[Received August 23—4:10 a.m.]

875. Following is translation of Greek announcement today regarding tripartite Allied Supervision Greek plebiscite and elections:

1.
“Article 9 Varkiza Agreement.
2.
The present Government, from the moment when it assumed office, officially declared that the Varkiza Agreement constitutes an essential part of its program.
3.
Since then the Prime Minister, in interviews which he has had with official representatives of the great powers and with representatives of the world press, has repeatedly had the opportunity to reaffirm the declaration that before the final amendments were made for the appeal to the popular verdict, the Government would in good time extend to the great Allied Powers the invitation to send observers.
4.
In the declarations the Prime Minister has on occasions made it clear that this decision was not the result solely of the obligations undertaken by the Greek Govt under article 9 of the Varkiza Agreement, but also of the conviction that the presence of foreign observers during the period of the voting would constitute a real guarantee that the absolute genuineness of the popular verdict concern of the Govt could not be disputed by any honest judge.
5.
Consequently, when the Governments of Great Britain and the United States of America, through their representatives in Athens, recently proposed that they should be entrusted with the task of approaching the Governments of Soviet Russia and France, with view to the joint despatch of observers by the four Great Powers acting together, at the appropriate moment, to guarantee the genuineness of the popular verdict, the President of [the Council of Ministers of?] the Greek Govt gladly accepted this proposal.
6.
Today the Greek Govt finds itself in the happy position of being able to announce that the negotiations with the Allied Govts have led to the acceptance of Great Britain, the USA and France of the proposal that they should send observers. At the same time the Government regrets that the Govt of the USSR has not accepted the proposal on the grounds that it is opposed in principle to the supervision of national elections by foreign states. Nevertheless if at any time the Soviet Govt should feel able to reconsider this decision the Greek Govt would very gladly accept the participation of their representative along with those of the three Allies.”

Sent Dept as No. 875 repeated Moscow as 6, Paris as 6, London as No. 92.

MacVeagh