868.00/847: Telegram
The Minister in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 6—9:15 a.m.]
65. During the past week the Government appeared to regain control of the situation and the attitude of the court in the trial of the political leaders showed almost a complete change. Mavromichalis resigned on Saturday and [Panayiotis] Tsaldaris resumed charge of the Foreign Office. On that day the prosecuting attorneys summed up in a just and temperate manner and the verdict returned yesterday, Sunday, afternoon acquits Papanastasiou, Caphandaris and Mylonas entirely while giving Gonatas only 5 years imprisonment and condemning to death no one but absentees like Venizelos and Plastiras. [Page 497] Maximos is leaving today to attend the meeting of the Council of the Balkan Entente in Bucharest and it is rumored that he will assume the portfolio of Foreign Affairs upon his return. It is generally conceded in Athens that this victory of moderation and sanity owes much to our attitude as well as that of France and Britain.