768.75/10–149
Memorandum of Meeting With the President, Monday, September 26, by the Acting Secretary of State1
Authorization to Ambassador Grady To Use Drastic Measures If Necessary To Prevent Greek Invasion of Albania
The President read our telegram of instructions to Ambassador Grady, and approved it.2 He indicated, however, that he thought the present Greek Government was like any other dog who has been down in a fight and then gets on top. He believes it is necessary for us to restrain the Government and take whatever steps are necessary to prevent the wholesale slaughter of prisoners. He thinks the Government should take steps, in which we should join, to rehabilitate the people, who have been so debilitated by the guerrilla activity, and that as hostilities clear all the Greek people should be given an opportunity to progress. He feels that the Greek Government has been [Page 428] unnecessarily brutal in punitive measures and that we have some responsibility to restrain these.
- This is one of several memoranda by Acting Secretary Webb on the various individual topics taken up with the President on September 26.↩
- The reference here appears to be to telegram 1605, September 23, to Athens, p. 425. The remainder of the discussion appears to refer, however, to the matter dealt with in telegram Gadel 9, September 23, to New York, p. 424.↩