Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

868.01/6–2944: Telegram

The Ambassador to the Greek Government in Exile (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State

Cairo, June 29, 1944—6 p.m.
[Received June 29—5:01 p.m.]

Greek 209. In his speech to the Greek people broadcast from Cairo last night, Mr. Papandreou made the following main points:

1. EAM has not yet joined the Government, despite the latter’s very generous promise of 5 important ministries. The Government and the Leftist delegates have made every effort to bring about unity, and blame for the delay belongs to EAM.

2. The “Committee in the Mountains” now states that collaboration is impossible, because of an attack on ELAS by Zervas,³ for which the Government is held responsible since Zervas is now under its orders. The reply has been given to their representatives that the surest means of preventing such incidents is EAM’s participation in the Government.

3. If the committee does not agree within a few days to collaborate, the delegates of the extreme Left who signed the Lebanon Agreement will be invited to join the Government regardless. They will have the supply [support?] of the majority of EAM, and what appears to be an extremist group obstructing unity will have to yield.

4. In any case the Government of national unity which represents the great majority of the Greek people will continue its work of implementing the program set forth in the Lebanon Agreement.

The full text of the speech is being transmitted to the Department by despatch.⁴

Repeated to Algiers for Murphy as No. 25.

MacVeagh

3. Napoleon Zervas, Commander of EDES.
4. Text transmitted in airgram No. A–48, July 1, 6 p.m., not printed.