Evening star., 1947-03-08
j. ). Statement
Due Monday
On Greek Crisis
rumon to Decide
On Procedure After
Bipartisan PorIey

A White House announcement
on the Greek crisis probably
will be issued Monday after Pres
ident Truman's conference with
congressional leaders" Press
Secretary Charles G. Ross said
today.
Mr.. Ross explained that the
statement would be "procedural, -
simply : making known how the
President will present his views on
the trouble In Greece, whether by
message to Congress or otherwise.
With Great Britain forced by her
own economic situation to end
financial aid to Greece, Mr.. Tru-
man is weighing his most momen-
tous decision since the end of the
war-whether to reshape historic
American policy by calling for direct
intervention in Greece's internal
affairs.
Mr.. Ross statement was the first
open disclosure from the White
House that the Greek situation was
responsible for the Monday confer
ence.
1t came as the British Ambassador,
Lord Inverchapel, and Acting Sec
retary of State Acheson discussed
Greek problems at the State De-
partment.
The Ambassador told reporters in
response to a question that he had
not delivered any note to Mr.. Ache
son.
Asked If Greece was discussed.
Lord Inverchapel replied, Cant you
use your heads?"
Trip Left Indefinite.
Until the Monday meeting, Mr.
Ross emphasized, there will be no
further White House word on hap
penings. Yesterday the President
unexpectedly postponed his Carib-
bean cruise, which had been sched-
uled to start today, because of de-
velopments.
The Monday conference will be
the second bipartisan meeting held
since Great Britain informed the
United States she would have to end
financial aid to Greece.
Asked whether the White House
disclosure after the meeting would
be in the form of a message to Con-
gress or presidential statement
Mr.. Ross said he would rather not
say" until the congressional leaders
had seen the President.
Asked if the yacht Williamsburg
had been recalled from southern
waters in view of the postponement
of the Presidents trip, Mr.. Ross
said that he did not know, but that
some reorganization of its itinerary
would be necessary"
The Williamsburg left here Tues
day, and the President had planned
to board her at San Juan, Puerto
Rico next week to observe the At
lantic fleet maneuvers.
The grave diplomatic crisis pro-
voked by Britain's decision to cast
off her obligations in the shaky
Mediterranean nation kept Mr.. Iru-
man close to the White House.
In both congressional and diplo-
matte quarters, it was expected that
Mr.. Truman will ask Congress for
authority and money to shoulder
the lions share-and perhaps even
more of Britain's burden in
Greece to bulwark Southern Europe
against the spread of communism.
Moscow to Note Views.
Mr.. Truman's task is a delicate
one. His words will be weighed in
Moscow for what they portend in
future Soviet American relations.
The decision will come at a time
when Secretary of State Marshall sits
down in Moscow with the diplomatic
chiefs of Britain, France and Russia
in an effort to work out the future
of Austria and Germany.
For this reason, it is expected
that the President will phrase any
public statement with caution, en-
phasizing the need of helping the
hungry Greeks and ending their
civil strife rather than the threat
of Communist expansion.
The key legislators called to the
Monday meeting include the leaders
of both the House and Senate, and
the .chairmen and ranking Demo-
cratic members of the committees
which conrtol expenditures and help
guide foreign policy.
Balance of Power Affected.
Little more than week ago Mr..
Truman grimly laid down to a
smaller bipartisan group the news
of the British decision and of
Greece's plight, stressing it's poten-
tial impact on the balance of power
in Europe and perhaps the whole
world.
Although the full story of that
secret conference has not been told,
it was understood he emphasized
that collapse of the present Greek
government would mean its replace
(See GREECE, Page A-4)