868.00/7–247: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Greece
967. 1. Dept approves attitude taken by you during conversation with PriMin reported urtel 1020, July 2, and offers following views for your guidance in subsequent discussions of specific questions raised by Maximos.
2. Greek Govt is responsible to Greek people for preserving law and order in Greece and for protecting Greek political independence and territorial integrity. If, therefore, Greek Govt comes to conclusion that arrest of Communist leaders is necessary for it to live up to its responsibilities, we should not interpose objections.
3. It would of course be preferable that consent of leaders of all Parliamentary parties be obtained in advance for such arrests to be made provided delay in obtaining such assent would not further weaken position of Greek Govt.
4. It is assumed that Greek Govt will exercise particular care to ensure that persons arrested are in fact leaders of Communist Party and that they have been engaged in subversive activities or are conspiring to do so. Simultaneous arrests of persons merely on grounds that they have been critical of Greek Govt might give rise to repercussions which would offset advantages to be gained from displaying firm attitude toward Communists. It is further assumed that Greek Govt when arresting Communist leaders would make clear that these leaders are not being arrested for their thoughts or ideas but for individual illegal acts or for participating in conspiracies or in organized subversive activities. Mass arrests based purely on political grounds would, we believe, seriously prejudice Greek case now under active discussion by SC.