Montana labor news., 1944-12-21
CRISIS In GREECE
PROVOKED BY
BRITISH REACTION

The crisis In Greece which reached a
tragic climax when the British turned
loose guns, tanks and Spitfires against
the citizens of Athens is rooted in Great
Britain's determination to keep in power
a reactionary government and eventu-
ally foist King George II upon an un-
willing people. Here are the events that
led up to the outbreak of shooting:
Two million Greeks belong to the EAM.
the Greek Liberation Front, which has
the support of almost the entire popu-
lations and the church. The RAM was
set up April 6, 1941, by the Agrarian
party, the Socialist party, the Union OF
popular Democracy and the Communist
party-all groups which had opposed the
ure-war Metaxas dictatorship. The EAM
quickly won the support Of the Liberal
youth, the General Confederation OF La
bor. the Hellenic Organization of Youth
and even some leaders of the conserva-
tives and royalists.
When the Nazi overran Greece, the
EAM's guerrilal organization, the ELIAS,
conducted constant warfare against the
Germans while the so-called security bat
talions formed under the Metaxas dicta-
torship were used by the quisling pre-
rnier, John Rhallis, to protect the Nazis.
The ELIAS finally succeeded in liberating
three-fifths of Greece, smoothing the
way for entry of British troops, an event
described by reporters as AN almost
bloodless victory"
The Greek government-in-exleh headed
by George Papandreou was forced tc
bring six EAM ministers into its cabinet
among them several Greek conservatives
With the complete liberation of Greece
Papandreou issued an order to the ELIAS
to disband and disarm its forces
ELIAS agreed on the understanding
that all military groups within Greec'
would be disbanded and new unified
army formed. But at the same tint
Papandreou refused to issue similar or
ders to the royalist, right-wing armies
clearly itending to use them to suppress
the democratic aims of the Greek people
This resulted in the resignation OF tn
six Fam ministers from the Papandreol
cabinet.
When the people gathered in the pub
lie squares to demonstrate against Tn
government, Prime Minister Winston
Churchill ordered British troops into &C
ton. He accompanied this with a de
tense of the fascist security battalion
and accused the EAM of trying to impos
a communist dictatorship on Greece
Churchills statement in the house G
commons that I'VE shall not hesitate t
use the considerable British army no'
in Greece, and being reinforced, to Sc
that law and order are maintained wa
the signal for the British soldiers
turn their guns against the Greek pat
riots.
Further light on the Greek crisis wa
shed by Editor Basil J. Vlavianos OF tn
National Herald, Greek paper in Ne
York, when he said: "The Greek peop
feel strongly that disarmament Of til
Greek resistance-ELAS-w reaction
airy and royalist military units are pei
mitted to retain their arms is step
preparation for the restoration of tt
monarchy.
ut is an old trick for reactionaries
raise the cry of extreme elements whe
they oppose normal democratic progres
BY extreme elements they mean
course communists. But communism
not the issue in Greece today The n
sistance ministers who resigned from Il
Papandreou government included col
servative Greek patriots. The only iss'
in Greece today is democratic govern
ment"