Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-07-20
By L. S. Chokoles
Associated Pres. Foreign Correspondent

BY L. 5. Chokoies
Associated Pres. Foreign Correspondent
ATHENS, July 19.-Greece is a
battle-ground, with no immediate
prospect Of peace on her borders. 4.
Greek officials once hoped that
the United Nations Security Coun-
Gil would effectively dispose of what
they consider fragrant border viola
tions. Now they feel the likelihood
of Soviet veto has dispelled hope
of creating a permanent U. N. COM
mission to watch the frontier.
There is too much frontier
nearly 400 miles-there are toe few
soldiers with too little equipment for
Greece herself to keep leftist guer-
rillas from splitting through the
sievelike frontiers to the north.
There is too much mountainous
territory made to order for guer-
rilla warfare within Greece for the
gendarmerie and military to main
tain order as long as rebel REIN
|forcements may filter back and forth
across the borders.
One member OF the Greek gen.
ersl staff put 1t this way: The bor-
ders exist for us, but not for them.
We can't chase them across the
frontiers. where they are re-
equipped. rearmed, reorganized and
come back"
Fear 100000, 900 Inadequate.
The general attitude of Greeks is
that the $500, 900 900 American pro-
gram of aid-half of which is tenta-
lively allocated to restoration Of
order-will not be enough if rebel
lion continues. .
Some improvement is expected
from the program, but realistic OBJ
servers recall that the British al
ready have spent 100000 pounds
(S400, 0O0, OOO) and that UNRRA
spent $3.50, 100000 since the liberia
ton in 1914 without appreciably i'm
proving the situation in any perma-
nent or substantial form.
Rail. road, motor and telegraph
still are working on skeleton basis.
What little reconstruction has been
accomplished has been of purely
private nature and on q limited
scale.
Nor does there appear to be much
hope of internal peace in the latest
Communist effort at so-called re-
Cancellation with the government.
This line is much the same as that
in the weeks preceding the revolt
of 1914. The Communist program
appears to be designed to create
chaotic conditions under which the
government might be seized.
The latest proclamation of guer-
rilla chieftain, Gen. Markos Wifi
AIDES. proposes organization of a new
provisional government and offers
to abstain from activity until free
elections are held.
But the guerrillas would retain
their arms. would not agree to sur
render and would refuse to take
advantage of the amnesty which the
government has offered. The gov
eminent has consented to the super
vision of such amnesty by neutral
international body.
Deny Neighbors Responsible.
Presumably. too, the guerrillas
would retain the right to decide for
themselves whether such elections
were free" since they heretofore
have objected to any international
observers settling such questions.
Communist newspapers take the
view that the guerrilla warfare is a
purely internal Greek affair and
that the border countries of Albania,
Bulgaria and Yugoslavia are not re-
sponsible. The Communist news
papers refer to British and Ameri-
can aid as intervention and call
! Dwight P. Griswold. administrator
of the American aid program, a
"gauleiter."' ......
i Communist voting strength in
Greece is estimated by well-in-
formed observers at about IS per
cent of the total voting population
With fellow travellers" and sympa-
thizers eliminated. the hard core
which would 60 all the way with
the party line is figured by the
same observers at between and 10
per cent.
Communists claim they represent
80 per cent of the people, but they
abstained from the 1916 elections
possibly because they feared the
leftist Fam National Liberation
'FRONT.' coalition could not get a ma
jority.
Consequently the Communists are
not represented in Parliament.
Greeks are independent and in
dividualistic by tradition and ma
ture. They are opposed to any loss
Of territory and they still want
Northern Epirus, the southern part
of Albania.
Coalition Strengthened.
Communist hints that free
Communist state might be pro-
claimed in the north have strength
ened the present coalition govern
ment, which includes all parlia-
mentary parties except the Liberals,
who are headed by 86-year-old
Themistocles Sophoulis. The Com
munists have tried to steer Mr..
Sophoulis into the position of
mediator, but the veteran former
premier has consistently taken the
position that the guerrillas should
lay down their arms as first step
to peace.
The idea of Communist state in
Northern Greece has gone against
the national pride of some leftists,
too. Consequently this proposal has
been toned down.
But diplomatic sources continue to
speculate that a free" state will be
proclaimed soon for two reasons.
One Is that the Communists may be-