213. Editorial Note
On November 29, 1965, King Constantine wrote to President Johnson requesting immediate U.S. economic assistance to deal with the “grave state of the Greek economy.” The King cited a serious deterioration of the economy in the “last months” and expressed concern that a continuation of economic troubles when linked to “repercussions of a psychological and more general nature” could lead to a full-scale crisis that would undermine the social stability of Greece. The King also noted the readiness of his government to undertake drastic financial stabilization measures, but argued they would not be sufficient without U.S. assistance. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 15–1 GREECE) In a December 19 reply, President Johnson stated that while U.S. interests in Greece were undiminished, U.S. capacity to provide financial assistance was limited. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Presidential Correspondence, Greece, King Constantine)