868.00/5–1948: Telegram
The Chargé in Greece (Rankin) to the Secretary of State
847. Following is informal Embassy translation (from French) of Greek note verbale dated May 18 to Soviet Embassy released to afternoon press May 19:
“Royal Ministry Foreign Affairs has honor inform Embassy USSR that it has learned with interest of declaration of Soviet Government regarding indignation provoked among Soviet people by ‘the mass executions of Greek democrats’.
“Hellenic Government regrets that Soviet public opinion has been so badly informed on operation of Hellenic justice to point of believing [Page 92] that capital punishments can take place in Greece for any other reason than for acts universally admitted as justifying severest punishment.
“Soviet Government cannot ignore that no one in Greece is put to death for his political opinions. Crimes for which certain individuals have been executed ‘after fair trial include torture and murder in cold blood of innocent hostages and of helpless noncombatants. They also include crimes perpetrated in connection with active participation in armed revolt directed against freely elected and democratically constituted Hellenic Government.
“More particularly as concerns so-called democrats recently executed, Royal Ministry wishes remind Embassy of USSR that latter were common law criminals, perpetrators of numerous execrable acts committed at different times, which as common law crimes could not be amnestied under Varkiza agreement. Likewise these crimes could not benefit by exemption provided by Law 753 of 1945, since they concerned homicides directly and personally committed by accused. They include notably acts as atrocious as murder of 400 persons or of several persons at a time. A list of certain cases of this kind is annexed to present note.1 Royal Ministry does not doubt that it will be brought to attention of Soviet public opinion in order that latter may be enlightened on reasons which motivated executions in question. Authors of these crimes have been condemned to capital punishment by ordinary assize courts after exhausting all means of defense and legal delays provided by code of criminal instruction. Thus there was every guarantee for equitable aid of justice. Royal Ministry has no reason to doubt that execrable acts of this kind would have been punished by analogous resources in any other country, including USSR.
“Soviet Government will agree that punishment of crimes is exclusive affair of each state, desirous of maintaining order and administration of justice in its territory. In face of unprecedented provocation on part of small but ruthless minority, aided and encouraged from abroad, which has perpetrated countless crimes of common law against Hellenic people during past several years, Royal Government has shown exceptional devotion to democratic legal processes and great clemency towards all but authors of flagrant crimes. Few hundred individuals who have been executed during last four years are insignificant in comparison with tens of thousands of Greek citizens who have died as result of this criminal rebellion.
“If Soviet public is properly informed by its government of true facts of situation in Greece, the unjustly provoked misunderstandings will be immediately dispelled. Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes this occasion to renew to Embassy of USSR assurances of its highest consideration.”2
Sent Department as 847; repeated London as 103, Belgrade as 48, Sofia as 44 (Salonika by mail).
Department please pass Moscow 34.
- Not printed.↩
- The Soviet reply on May 26 rejected the Greek note as not satisfactory. A Greek Foreign Office spokesman informed Chargé” Rankin that the Greek Government might make a press statement that the Soviet rejection constituted unwarranted intervention in Greek affairs (telegram 944, May 29, 10 p. m., from Athens, 868.00/5–2948).↩