Evening star., 1945-01-19

Harris, in opening debate, accused
the Prime Minister of "oversimplify-
ing the issue by giving us lurid pic
lures of these armed bands as mere
Communist organizations
Harris said some Communists may
have "caShed in" on the ELIAS. but
he conteneded that up to the liberia
tion of Greece the ELIAS was "a pop
ular movement drawn from all sec
tions in Greece and all parties
Our Allies should share RESPONSE
bility in liberated countries" the
Liberal leader said.
Dissent Voiced.
Cries of dissent arose from the
House when ne asserted that "our
prestige in the United States is
lower than for many years past.
He quickly explained he meant only
political prestige"
Leslie Hore-Belisha, Britain'S War
Minister at the outbreak of the war
brought cheers when he declared
that to take the stand that ''our in
tereSt ceases the moment Germans
| have been driven out of country is
to maintain that we have merely
negative mission-the
beating of an enemy-and anybody
who has sufficient weapons can
come along and rob the fruits of our
victory
Hore-Belisha, an independent, de-
manded that all who worked with
the Germans in Europe and all the
principles of Fascism "be expunged
They are more likely to be ex-
plunged if we get responsible gov
ernment rather than mob law" he
said.
I'VE do not know. what the policy
of the Fam and its counterpart in
all countries is, but we. do know its
methods. We know it stands for
robbery, murder, the taking of
hostages, the maltreatment of hos
tages, and for the complete disre-
gard of all human rights"
Wants War Bill Cut.
Sir Richard Acland urged House
members to express disapproval of
the government policy by cutting
$4,000, 100000 war credit bill
Technically the debate was upon this
bill.
Mr. Churchill's address was de-
clared by Acland to have been IAN
electioneering speech designed to
disintegrate one of the Greek po-
litical parties which has been one
of the main pillars of the govern
ment."
II think he was little mean to
try to tear down the military ex-
ploits of the EAM," said Acland
the leader of the Commonwealth
Party, which has three seats in the
House. The government policy has
been wrong from the start"
The House was thrown into an
uproar as Mr.. Bevan castigated the
Prime Minister, charging that his
picture of ELIAS forces marching
down on Athens to massacre some
of the inhabitants was character
istic piece of Churchillian rubbish ,
There is no single politician more
capable of distorting facts than the
Prime Minister" the Laborite de-
clared.
Charges Secret Commitments.
Cries of ''oh' were heard about
the chamber.
Mr.. Bevan declared "the Greek
tragedy" was brought about because
Mr.. Churchill had been allowed to
make commitments in secret" He
said that "up until quite recently
the Greek King George ID was
still intriguing in London.
Mr.. Bevan said Mr.. Churchill had
"the worst record of Intervention in
other peoples affairs of any states
man." adding:
"It is clear from what the Prime
Minister has said that between the
U. S. A., the Soviet Union and our
selves the arrangement was reached
which has compelled Britain to as
sumo unilateral obligations which
ought to be carried out by all the
United Nations together"
There were shouted protests and
cries of shame" Attempts were
made to interrupt Mr.. Bevan, but
he refused to yield the floor.