868.00/9–2249: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the United States Mission to the United Nations, at New York1
Gadel 9. Athens tel 1905 Sept 22 to Dept.2 For Howard. Pls inform Tsaldaris and Venizelos3 of Dept’s hope they will be able give prompt approval to draft leniency legis in order permit its pub and adoption prior opening Grk discussions.
At same time you may express Dept’s astonishment and disappointment at apparent capitulation of polit leadership to mil auths on matter of executions.4 Orig Pipinelis proposal for immed suspension executions followed by abolishment capital punishment for all rebellion offenses upon cessation guerrilla resistance wld have had maximum impact free world press and opinion, wld have corresponded elementary requirements justice in view strong possibility judicial errors and excesses, and wld have placed squarely upon guerrillas responsibility for continuing executions their own sympathizers. Wld it not at least be possible reach compromise suspending and abolishing capital punishment for crimes less than murder?
It is not clear from Athens Reftel whether leniency-measures will apply also to over 2500 “December criminals” now languishing five years under technical sentence death. You might suggest that time of adoption overall leniency program wld seem best psychological [Page 425] moment resolve this long outstanding problem on realistic basis that Greece cannot execute 2500 people without creating internatl furor.5
- This telegram was also sent to Athens as 1604. For President Truman’s views on the subject under reference here, see Acting Secretary Webb’s memorandum of his conversation with the President on September 26, p. 427.↩
- Not printed; it transmitted a summary of the principal provisions of draft amnesty legislation prepared by Greek Minister of Justice George Melas. The draft legislation, which had been approved in general by the Greek Coordination Council, had been taken to New York by Deputy Prime Minister Venizelos to secure Tsaldaris’ approval and support. Melas’ draft legislation differed sharply from suggestions made in mid-August by Pipinelis, in particular the rejection of the Pipinelis proposal for the abolition of executions for all crimes committed in connection with the rebellion. (868.00/9–2249)↩
- Greek Deputy Prime Minister Sophocles Venizelos and Foreign Minister Tsaldaris were serving as representatives on the Greek Delegation to the General Assembly.↩
- Telegram 1571, September 19, to Athens, not printed, stated that the Department of State was disturbed by press reports that strong pressure from military leaders had caused the Greek Government to backtrack on the announcement of suspension of executions. Ambassador Grady was authorized to inform appropriate Greek authorities of the Department’s concern and of the great importance which the Department attached to the suspension of executions. (868.00/9–649)↩
- Telegram Delga 20, September 24, from New York, not printed, transmitted a brief, agreed record of conversation of September 23 between Tsaldaris and Venizelos and Harry N. Howard, an adviser to the United States Delegation to the General Assembly. Tsaldaris informed Howard that he and Venizelos had approved the draft legislation which aready had been flown to Athens and would soon be discussed by the Greek cabinet and be submitted to the Greek Parliament. With respect to the 2500 prisoners held in custody since the December 1944 rebellion, Venizelos doubted whether any would be executed save in cases of criminals charged with several murders. (501.BB/9–2449)↩