868.20/4–2647: Telegram
The Chargé in Greece (Keeley) to the Secretary of State
590. Prime Minister yesterday asked Currency Control Committee through British member Sir Theodore Gregory to authorize necessary credits for increase of gendarmerie by 6000 as rapidly as possible (see mytel 570, April 241). Gregory is however refusing assent pending indications of Department’s views on matter. US member Patterson who is now absent in Turkey also told Embassy before departure that he would desire Department’s guidance re authorization of credits for gendarmerie or army expansion in view of political, economic and military considerations involved.
In course of conversation this morning on other matters Prime Minister told me new recruits are needed urgently in Peloponnesus where present gendarmerie force of 2,500 is unable to cope with new flare-up of violence which threatens to get out of hand involving squabble between right wing partisans of Mavromichaelis and Zervas as well as Communists. There are no other Government combat forces in Peloponnesus he said, since army is concentrated and must remain in Thessaly and north except for small detachment of 500 which it is planned to transfer to Peloponnesus pending recruitment additional gendarmes.
[Here follow two paragraphs of further discussion of disorders in the Peloponnesus.]
With respect to rumored army increases Prime Minister confirmed Government’s intention to take in young recruits for 3 months training [Page 153] before releasing equivalent number older veterans thus upping army temporarily to 140,000 men. He also told me that as soon as aid bill passes Congress he intends to propose substantial increase in army in order to permit rapid liquidation of guerrilla provoked disorders and thereby open way for earliest inauguration of program of economic rehabilitation rather than delay latter while trying to restore order with smaller numbers. Recalling to Prime Minister recent evidences of opposition in American circles to feared “military adventures”, I said he should not be too optimistic of US approval of large army increase. I added that unfavorable reaction of American public opinion might possibly be mitigated if sincere and specific measures for political reconciliation were undertaken simultaneously under some guarantee that would instill confidence in honest dissidents now fighting in hills.
According reliable intelligence sources proposed gendarmerie and army increases are causing concern in most centrist opposition circles where it is believe that Zervas and Greek General Staff are currently aiming at gendarmerie and army strengths of 50,000 and 200,000. On other hand, Venizelos personally admitted to me last night his belief that increase in armed forces is essential to quell guerrillas although show of real force he added must be accompanied by genuine amnesty “under American guarantee”. Military Attaché Holly after further consultants with British and Greek military authorities also gives it as his professional opinion that an increase in the strength of the armed forces is an obvious military necessity.
- Not printed; it reported confirmation from the Greek Minister of War and the Chief of Staff that the Greek Government had authorized a temporary increase in the strength of the Army to 140,000 men, by induction of 30,000 new recruits through August, and an increase of 6,000 in the Gendarmerie, raising that group’s strength to 36,000 (868.20/4–2447).↩