868.00/8–1145
The British Embassy to the Department of State 82
Paraphrase of Telegram From Foreign Office Dated August 11, 1945
I83 shall probably make a statement about Greece in Parliament on about August 16th and I should like to include in this the announcement about Allied supervision of the Greek plebiscite and elections, provided agreement can be reached by that date between the Governments concerned and arrangements made for simultaneous publication in Washington, Paris, Athens.
- 2.
- Since we have not received draft text from the Americans we have ourselves prepared a draft, the text of which is contained in my immediately following telegram.84 I hope you will be able to secure very early agreement of the State Department with this draft or with something on similar lines in order that the question may be taken up with the French and Greek Governments in the manner suggested in my telegram under reference.
- 3.
- I still feel that as regards timing of plebiscite and elections, we should give no indication in public of any preference. I am inclined to think however that the elections should precede the plebiscite [Page 137] though I should be opposed to a six-month gap as suggested by the United States Government. If there is such a long hiatus I do not think it would be possible to maintain an ad referendum Greek Government. I attach considerable importance to maintaining the Varkiza Agreement and if this is to be amended in such an important respect it seems to me essential that the change should be made by the Greeks themselves and that they should accept the full responsibility for it. I suggest therefore that the British and American representatives in Athens should inform the Regent in strict confidence that we incline to the view that the elections should be held first and that the plebiscite should follow within a very short period not more than two months. The Regent should be told that we do not intend to make any Parliamentary statement on these lines and that we regard the matter as one essentially for the Greeks themselves to settle.
- 4.
- The text of the announcement contained in my immediately following telegram has been drafted in such a way as to avoid showing any preference for holding the elections or the plebiscite first. I hope however that whatever the ultimate decision may be about this the United States Government will agree that Allied supervision must be exercised over both operations. It would be unintelligible to the Greeks and to the world in general for us to supervise the elections but to leave the Greeks to run the plebiscite themselves.
- 5.
- His Majesty’s Government would wish to reserve the right to include Dominion representatives in the British Delegation if so desired.
- 6.
- Please discuss above with the State Department.
Washington
, August
11, 1945.