Office of the Historian

711.6827/4–646: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Greece (Rankin)

confidential
Washington, April 24, 1946—7 p.m.

536. Urtel 531, April 18, rptd London as 32. Possibility that Brit Govt may be agreeable to Sept date for plebiscite favored by Tsaldaris unknown to Dept or Brit Emb here. Brit Emb seeking clarification from London and will inform Dept if any compelling reason has developed making desirable earlier date for plebiscite than previously suggested by Brit. Dept believes Greek Govt would be well advised to concentrate all energies for present on solution economic problems and to postpone constitutional issue at least until spring 1947. Populist majority in recent election not sufficient to constitute clear mandate for immediate attempt to bring back King. Precipitate action on plebiscite, preoccupation with political manoeuvres or extreme repressive measures against abstaining Leftists on part of elected Govt would be shortsighted playing into hands of dissident propagandists who claim election was a monarcho-fascist coup. Such developments would also impugn good faith of Allies who participated in Election Mission.

Complete text Amfoge report which will be published about May 187 (urtel 545, April 21, rptd London as 3388) includes in last paragraph Chapt VIII under section entitled “Registration Lists” following statement: “The Mission recommends that in order to remove all possible justification for such charges (falsification of lists) in the future a new census should be taken and a complete revision of the registration lists made before the opinion of the Greek people is again sought on matters of national import.”

Sent to Athens, repeated to London.

Acheson
  1. The report was released by the White House on May 10; for announcement, see Department of State Bulletin, May 19, 1946, p. 865. The text of the report was published by the Department of State as publication No. 2522 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1946). The Secretary of State, in a note to the Soviet Charge on May 27, 1946. expressed the regret of the United States that the Soviet Government had been unable to see its way clear to participate in the Mission and transmitted ten copies of the report in accordance with the United States’ “announced intention of informing the Soviet Government concerning the activities of the Mission”. (868.00/5–2746)↩
  2. Not printed.↩