Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXIX, Eastern Europe; Eastern Mediterranean, 1969–1972

296. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece ¹

Washington, October 28, 1970, 2147Z.

177500. From Secretary for Ambassador. Subj: Next Steps.

1. Now that the arms embargo has been lifted, and the Greek Government reassured by our recent actions and by the visit of Secretary Laird and others of the deep concern we have for the security of the Eastern Mediterranean, we should have reached a new and more friction-free relationship.

2. I hope this new relationship will permit us to be even more persuasive than we have been up now in influencing the Government to move in the direction we wish to see it go. Though criticism of the regime has lately been rather muted, it seems bound to arise again in serious proportions and in a way which will once again threaten the smooth functioning of NATO and create difficulties on the Hill. These considerations are apart from our long-range policy interest in the development of a more broadly based and supported government in Greece, which offers a better prospect for long-range stability than a government whose stability depends on the survival capability of one clever man.

3. We have publicly been taking the regimeʼs promises at face value as I believe we should. But now we are faced with an instance of failure to meet a commitment in an important particular—the lifting of martial law, promised for last month. Palamas has now promised that martial law will be lifted before the NATO meeting in early December. I believe it essential that the Greek Government be reminded of its default and that it take action very soon and in no case later than the end of November to get rid of martial law.

4. More disturbing is the recent gambit announcing the “election” of a “small parliament.” As you suggest (Athens 5815)² this seems a move away from rather than toward meaningful elections. It provides ammunition to the persistent skeptics about the regimeʼs intentions, since it involves the pseudo-election of a pseudo-parliament. We have been freely repeating Papadopoulosʼ assertion that by the end of December 1970 all the laws necessary to the implementation of the Constitution will have been promulgated. They may indeed achieve this desirable goal, but if the move back to representative democracy is to be put off into the indefinite future by means of a transparent and almost cynical imitation of the real thing, we shall be in a bad case. I hope you will find an early opportunity to canvass this subject with the Prime Minister and let him know how strongly we feel about this.³

Rogers

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 593, Country Files, Middle East, Greece, Vol. I, Jan 69–Oct 70. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Vigderman; cleared by Davies, Tibbetts, Sisco, Eliot, Folger (H), and Abshire; NEA, EUR, S, and H and approved by Rogers. Another copy is ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL GREECE–US.
2. Dated October 19, it reported on the Greek Governmentʼs announcement of the creation of a “small parliament.” (Ibid., POL 14 GREECE)
3. Tasca reported a discussion he had with Pattakos in telegram 6856 from Athens, December 23. The junta leader had indicated that martial law would remain in force for some time. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 594, Country Files, Middle East, Greece, Vol. II 1 Nov 1970–31 Dec 1971)