501.BC Greece/2–747: Telegram
The Ambassador in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
169. Prime Minister1 summoned British Ambassador2 and me to his office yesterday afternoon and together with Foreign Minister3 protested against action of UN Commission in requesting Greek Government postpone executions (mytel 165, February 74). Stated third [this?] internal matter which wholly outside Commission’s competence. In addition gave me copy of telegram sent by Foreign Minister to Dendramis in New York directing him protest Commission’s action to Secretary General UN which I gave to Ethridge later. Norton and I, while thanking Prime Minister for information, pointed out question concerns UN and not our Governments individually.
Developments since opening of inquiry have clearly indicated Russian desire involve Commission in question of Greek internal strife as sole and sufficient cause of border disturbances. So far insistence of Commission on taking cognizance of corresponding internal factors in other litigant states has checked direct Russian efforts this connection. However after presentations of petitions by EAM (though some of these unfounded) several individual delegates felt that Greek Government might do well in its own interests to postpone executions [Page 818] while Commission sitting and when Secretariat gave wholly unwarranted and inaccurate publicity to their privately communicated and well meaning advice (mytel 168, February 75) further complications followed including Greek Government’s excited protest and misinformation in press to effect that Commission had formally intervened.
Ethridge now feels that effort convey well meant advice to Greek Government was injudicious particularly in view apparent tendency of Secretary General Lund and press officer Ryan6 to cooperate with Soviets. Violation of secrecy and misrepresentation on part of these gentlemen have diverted public attention from main objectives of Commission in manner favorable to Russian cause. However, I see no reason to differ from Ethridge’s conclusion (mytel 168) that real work of Commission proceeding satisfactorily. Since most effective instrument in keeping this work “on beam” has been insistence on reciprocity as regards procedure in each of four countries concerned, it is to be hoped that advice to be received from SC (mytel 164, February 77) will stress this essential point.
- Demetrios Maximos.↩
- Sir Clifford J. Norton.↩
- Constantine Tsaldaris.↩
- Identified also as Ethridge No. 4, not printed; it gave the text of a telegram the Foreign Minister was sending to the Greek Representative at the United Nations (Dendramis) regarding suggestions that the Greek Government suspend the execution of what were termed “bandits” (501.BC Greece/2–747); for letter of February 7 on this matter sent by Ambassador Dendramis to Trygve H. Lie, Secretary General of the United Nations, see United Nations, Official Records of the Security Council, Second Year, Supplement No. 4, p. 52.↩
- Identified also as Ethridge No. 5, not printed; it gave Mr. Ethridge’s analysis that “In his protest to SC Tsaldaris is succeeding in doing what we have been trying to prevent, namely, focusing attention on Greek domestic affairs only.” (501.BC Greece/2–747)↩
- Members of the Secretariat of the Commission of Investigation. Col. A. Roscher Lund was Secretary of the Commission.↩
- Identified also as Ethridge No. 3, not printed; it quoted Colonel Lund’s telegram of February 6 to the Secretary General; for text, see SC, 2nd yr., Suppl. No. 4, p. 51.↩