Editorial Note
On October 16 the so-called Greek Provisional Democratic Government issued an appeal, broadcast over the Greek guerrilla radio station, announcing the suspension of military activities. The announcement was reported upon in telegram 2114, October 18, from Athens, not printed (501. BB/10–1849). For an English translation of the appeal, see Margaret Carlyle, editor, Documents on International Affairs 1949–1950, issued under the auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1953), page 235. For a summary-translation of the guerrilla announcement as it was published in the Soviet newspapers Pravda and Izvestia on October 21, see Current Digest of the Soviet Press, Volume I, Number 43, November 22, 1949, page 28.
At his press and radio news conference on October 19, Secretary of State Acheson commented upon the Greek guerrilla cease-fire announcement. For the text of the Secretary’s prepared statement (Department of State Press Release Number 811), see Department of State Bulletin, October 31, 1949, page 658 or A Decade of American Foreign Policy, 1941–49, page 773. In the course of his press conference, Secretary Acheson was asked if the Greek civil war was substantially over. He replied in the affirmative, saying that he thought it was more than substantially over, that it was practically entirely over. Asked if the United States proposed to reduce the amount of its assistance to Greece, the Secretary replied that he thought that was a matter which would have to be taken up with the Greek Government. He added that it would seem to him that it would be an indicated [Page 435] step to reduce the extent of the Greek military establishment (memorandum of the Press and Radio News Conference Number 39, October 19, 1949: ON Files, Lot 60 D 641).