Churchill and Greece

[Source: US National Archives,
RG-226, OSS files]..JP

2 Jan 45 Athens GA-37 8

FR E E

OFFiCE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES
A48394

COUNTRY GREECE:
PoliticalSUBJECT EAM Memorandum to
ChurchillSOURCE Z PterodactylSUB SOURCEDATE OF INFORMATIONPLACE OF ORIGIN
GREECE

30 Dec 44ORIGINAL REPORT NO:
GA-378DATE OF REPORT 2 Jan
45EVALUATION
DocumentaryCONFIRMATIONSUPPLEMENT )-4 1307
CORRECTION ) NUMBER CF PAGES 2ATTACHMENTSTHEATRE – ME Athens

Below is the complete text of a memorandum from the EAM Central Committee to Churchill, dated 28 Dec 44, translated from the text published in the 30 Dec issue of Elevtheri Ellada, the official organ of the EAM Central
Committee.

“Your Excellency:

The Greek people, at the happy event of’ your arrival in Athens felt great relief because they believed your presence here would be decisive in ending the tragic situation which exists in Greece between Greeks and British. For your initiative in calling a conference for finding a solution to the Greek crisis we express our thanks on behalf of the great part of’ the Greek people which we represent.

Unfortunately during the second meeting of’ 27 Dec, although we proposed a very logical basis for agreement, it was shown that the negotiations were being protracted by the opportunist policy of’ one part of’ the old political world of which the aim was to win by force, relying on British arms..

Those were the same people who, with their irreconcilability, their bad advice and their distortion of the true aims of our fight, managed to entangle the British troops in Greece in a fight against the Greeks. Today they follow from afar the drama of the Greek people and are indifferent to the blood of
Britishers and Greeks which is being shed.
They postpone the solution of the crisis hoping for party gains.

The sad truth is this section of the Right is encouraged in its irreconcilable policy by the fact that, while political discussions are being held, strafing and shelling of workers’ districts and the fight of
British troops against the Greek people continues. At the same time, the tragedy, of famine and bloodshed is approaching the climax.

You will permit us to believe, your
Excellency Mr. Prime Minister. that there is nothing to justify the continuation of the fight inasmuch asF R E E
GA-378

OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES

– 2 –

the Left has accepted the basic points of Scobie’s memorandum and with its moderate suggestions in the political field helps greatly in finding a solution of all pending problems. The stopping of hostilities would have created the right atmosphere for an agreement because it would have obliged the extreme Right to become less intransigent.

The Greek people have never stopped for a moment their feeling of unshakeable faith and deep gratitude towards their great Allies, particularly towards Great
Britain. Their burning desire is to see all armed forces in common fight to crush
Hitler’s Germany.

Our immediate and only aim is to stop bloodshed and return to a peaceful life and secure free and democratic evolution of our land in the interests of the Greek people and in accordance with the proclaimed aims of the United Nations.
More than anything else, the Left desires to end as soon as possible this sad chapter in the history of Greek-British relations and to return to and solidify the old traditional friendly relations of two friendly allied peoples.

We believe that your presence here and your great authority as leader of Great
Britain will help in settling as quickly as possible this unbearable situation.
Accept, your Excellency Mr. Prime
Minister, the expression of our highest esteem.

For the Central Committee of EAM

D. Partsalidis
SecretaryF R E E

Website note: The above text is optically scanned, and may contain characteristic OCR errors. We will correct these if notified. [notify].

The above material has been researched by
David Irving for the third volume of his
Churchill biography, “Churchill’s War”, vol. iii: “The Sundered Dream.”

See Also