Office of the Historian

868.00/4–1748: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Greece 1

confidential
Washington, May 4, 1947—6 p. m.

712. Dept endorses views expressed to Grk political leaders on threatened Cabinet crisis (Embtel 650 Apr 172), and NEA officials have talked along same lines to Canellopoulos3 here.

While limited Cabinet reshuffle as suggested by Mavrogordatos (Embtel 650) or Tsaldaris (Embtel 703 Apr 284) would be unobjectionable if agreed by both Parties in interests efficiency and political harmony, Dept would regret open crisis at this time. It would counteract good effects of current and anticipated military victories and expected econ improvement, provide field day for Markos and Soviet propaganda, complicate and delay establishment ERP machinery in Greece, and might compromise allocation adequate ERP assistance to Greece. Last point mentioned not as threat or because present Govt is “chosen instrument” of US policy, but because its overthrow in existing circumstances without prior provision for successor demonstrably more efficient and acceptable to Parliament and people would be regarded by US public and authorities as indicating irresponsibility Grk leadership and consequent inability effectively utilize US aid.

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Dept has no magic formula for averting Grk crisis, but believes it might be useful express foregoing with great firmness to all and sundry on appropriate occasion.5

Marshall
  1. Sent jointly to the American Mission for Aid to Greece as Gama 546.↩
  2. Not printed; Chargé Rankin’s views were: “(a) US policy continues support Liberal–Populist coalition; (b) minor changes were Greek internal matters in which we do not wish intervene; (c) we are concerned lest anything resembling ‘crisis’ develop and therefore urged that all plans for changes in government be most carefully laid in advance; (d) we consider any changes prior to Italian elections unwise.” (868.00/4–1748)↩
  3. Panayotis Canellopoulos, former Greek Prime Minister and head of the National Union Party.↩
  4. Not printed.↩
  5. Full agreement was reached on May 7 on a reshuffling of the Greek Cabinet (telegram 771, May 7, 8 p. m., from Athens, 868.002/5–748).↩