Evening star., 1944-12-21
British Troops
Refusal 10 Fight
Greeks IsSeen
Member Of Commons
Sought to Delay
Return Of King
BRITISH CLAIM gains in clearing
Athens of Leftist forces. Page Az


ingdon, aSsailing Britain's inter
vention in Greece, declared today
mutiny might arise among Brit
ish troops detailed to quell civil
strife there.
Cries of "monstrous" greeted his
statement in the House of Lords.
Eton-educated, Lord Faringdon once
served on a committee to investigate
Britain's non-intervention in the
Spanish civil war.
Il should not be surprised" he
asserted, If our commanders had
not already met with cases of men
who show the greatest unwillingness
to fight the Greeks and who may
have refused to bomb Athens.
1T may be this will 60 further
and we shall have a mutiny among
men in Greece and a refusal to
fight the Greeks"
Samuel Protests.
Lord Samuel asserted there would
be universal condemnation of
Lord Faringdon's speech, and added
Such language ought not to be
used in this house"
Leader of the Liberal Party in
Lords, Lord Samuel declared: Il am
sure that on further consideration
Lord Faringdon will regret he has
been betrayed into these remarks. -
Lord Samuel said Britain prob
ably would have to resort to some
'inter-Allied action" to settle the
Greek situation and asserted there
is no reason why Great Britain
should be called upon to. bear this
burden alone"
King George II of Greece came
under attack in Lords after a SIM
liar f1areup in commons against
him.
King Assailed.
Lord Faringdon suggested the
King Ibid not deserve and was in
fact the unsuitable recipient of the
respect and authority with which
the British government have In
vested him"
THE Greek people," he said, 'in-
evitably hold against him that it
was he who brought in dictatorship
in Greece and who maintained Die
tator Metaxas in power"
Lord Faringdon argued that the
armistice conditions advanced in
Athens by 1t. Gen. r. M. Scobie
were clearly unacceptable"
They are terms of surrender" he
said. II hope he may be directed
to withdraw these terms and offer
terms which are more acceptable. u
In Commons the government de-
clined to give any assurance that
the Greek King would be asked to
remain in London until the Greeks
decided whether they wanted him
back.
Tom Dryberg, an Independent
asked Prime Minister Churchill
whether he would invite the King
ito state publicly that he has nc
intention Of returning to Greece
until after the question of the mon-
archy has been settled by a free
plebiscite of the Greek people, and
that he is willing, meanwhile, that
a regent acceptable to all parties
should be appointed"
Attlee Answers.
Answering for the government
Deputy Prime Minister Clement r.
Attlee said he had nothing to add
to the statement made yesterday
by Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden
Mr.. Eden said the King was re-
naming In London on the advice OF
Mr.. Churchill and himself. He also
revealed that the British govern
ment had taken the lead in advocat-
ing regency.
MIR. Dryberg argued today there
was danger that plebiscite might
be prejudiced" by the premature
return OF the King.
Shouts of protest arose when
Edith Summerskill, Laborite, in
quired whether "is it proposed that
the wishes of one man-the King of
Greece-shall be allowed to stand
In the way of settlement"
Laborite George Strauss broke In
to ask: rs this not the time when
the British government could inter-
fere with very great benefit in the
Greek Situation?"
Despite the new outburst, Mr..
Attlee refused amplif1cation, saying
there had been considerable oppor-
tunity for discussing these matters
yesterday"
The British press, expressing sat-
isfaction over Mr.. Eden's explana-
ton of British Intervention In
Greece, urged improved machinery
for diplomatic collaboration among