The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-17
PANGALOS SELLS
POWER MONOPOLY
FOR ALL GREECE
Communists Lead Bitter
Opposition
Especial to the Daily Worker.)
By b. G. KALFIDES.

A power contract signed by Cen
eral Pangalos, former dictator Of
Greece with the Power and Traction
company of England, was ratified by
the Greek parliament last week after
fight that nearly caused the fall Of
the present coalition government of
the country, and over the united pro-
tests of the working class, which was
led in demonstrations against it by
the Communist Party.
The contract, which was the object
of the special solicitation of Secretary
of the Treasury Winston Churchill,
who, according to report, came to
Greece purposely to urge that the
contract be ratified as it stood, If
Greece were to receive further loans
from England, gives away enormous
concessions to the British.
Political Trickery.
It's ratification was effected, in
spite of powerful opposition, by po-
litical trick. While the secretary of
transportation Mr.. Metaxas, deplored
its conditions, he insisted that the sig
nature of the state must not be dis
honored "even though this contract
makes Greece a slave to the foreign
capital"
In the meantime, frightened by
the determined opposition Of the
workers under Communist leadership,
the monarchist liberals and the Vent
zelists united in making the matter
into 'vote of confidence" threaten
ing new elections if the members re-
fused to vote for ratification.
Give Monopoly.
The provisions of the contract give
the company the monopoly Of election
power and traction in the largest CEN
tiers of Greece for a period of sixty
years. The company is unrestricted
in the matter of fixing prices, and can
set any figure necessary to pay rich
dividends to the holders of Quai d.
Orsay of London.
The traction company is relieved of
all taxes and duties in importing raw
material or machinery. cars, and roll
ing stock in general It is further re-
lieved of income taxes, real estate
taxes, occupational taxes, taxes on
dividends and bonds, and so forth.
Another article of the contract gives
the company the right to forcibly ap-
propriate any piece of land it deems
necessary for transportation purposes.
Thus the private property rights of
the Greek citizens, supposed to be in
alienable, are swept aside for for
eign concession.
When the treaty came up for rati-
fication in the Greek parliament,
workers organized a huge demonstra-
ton to protest against it, but were
dispersed by soldiers. A general
strike, which included taxi drivers.
tramway motormen, and other crafts
was the next demonstration, and all
classes united against the policy of
the government.
The government finally forced rati-
fieation by the "vote Of confidence"
trick. and on February II the par
Lament voted for the government Ia,
against 20, with Ii refusing to vote,
and 100 members, who feared to ex-
press an opinion, absent from the
parliament.
Communists Led.
The most militant fighters in the
parliament against ratification were
the Communist members, and the
fight that they made resulted in great
prestige for the Communist party
among the workers of Greece. "Rizos-
pastis," the official organ of the par
ty, played an influential part in mobil-
izing the workers.
The Greek section of the Workers
Party Of America sent the following
cablegram to the president of the
Greek parliament, T. Sofoulis, to the
Greek Communist fraction of the par
Lament, and to "Rizospastis"; "Greek
workers of America protest vigorous
ly against ratification of Power and
Traction contract which enslaves and
lowers Greece to the status Of colony
of England"