868.00/9–546
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. William O. Baxter of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs
| Participants: | Mr. Gouras, Greek Chargé |
| Mr. Henderson (NEA) | |
| Mr. Baxter (NE) |
Mr. Gouras, Greek Chargé, who called today at his request to discuss several Greek matters, asked if the Department had any views on the recent plebiscite which he might transmit to his Government. Mr. Henderson said that we had as yet received very little information from Athens beyond the official figures on the voting released by the Greek Government and the information that the plebiscite had passed off generally in an atmosphere of calm.
Mr. Henderson remarked that the outcome of the plebiscite had not been much of a surprise to anyone, he thought. He hoped, however, that the policy of the Government would be a moderate one, aimed at consolidating the varied political views of the great majority of the Greek people. Although any government is justified in taking the necessary measures to preserve law and order, the US Government would find it very difficult, in the face of adverse opinion from the American public, as well as the rest of the world, to look with favor on a Greek government which would follow the plebiscite with terroristic or unnecessarily repressive steps to get rid of all Greek political elements unfriendly to the government.
Mr. Henderson assured Mr. Gouras that we had no indication that the Greek Government intended to move in that direction, but he did feel it necessary to point out that in the present international situation when Greece is the object of so many unfriendly attacks from the outside, it was particularly necessary for it to follow a course of prudent moderation.