The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-27
Mr.. Nicolaides Is
!. A Busy Man

Continued From Page Thrcc)
,tion, reached the common man,
who needs it most.
Millions of dollars worth of
fine American machine tools,
construction equipment and even
new automobiles, shipped in
here by UNRRA two years ago,
still stand in the government
storage yards at Piracus, the port
of Athens-in the open air. Some
of this material is gradually be-
ing released to American con-
tractors who are here with the
American Aid Mission to help
build roads and carry on other
types of reconstruction.
3 Apparently when this equip
,ment was shipped, UNlliA fail
ed to provide the mechanics to-
.unpack and assemble il, for there
are few native Greeks who have
had experience either in ASSN
bling or operating modern equip
.ment Of this type. One American
engineer told me, for example,
that tho conventional type of
American stone cruShcr, used for
road construction, is almost I'M
known. over here, that most oil
the road stone is broken by hand
with heavy hammers.
Many Greeks declare that mis-
management of UNRRA food and
clothing shipments, principally
BY Greeks employed by UNRlIA
In distribution, sent large guam
titles of these necessities into the
black market. They blame this
condition on poor selection of
personnel by the UNRRA au-
thorities. Often, they claim,
Mcli-to-do Greeks who did. not
need the jobs wcre engaged and
many of these were dishonest
end "rcaped fortune" from their
operations.
There Is still some feeling to-
ward American operations here
now, for a similar reason. One
Greek told me that most of the
Greeks employed by foreign aid
missions here are wealthy people
whe do not need the work but
who want the prestige of work
ing for the Americans In addi-
ton. thcy- assert that there arc
many Americans in positions
which could be filled equally
well by competent Greeks
thereby helping the Greek econ
cmy.
"Thc fact that, aside from
food and clothing parccls-and ;
you cannot possibly send enough
to provide for all who need them
Your aid has not reached down
Go the common people. has caus-
I'd many of them to turn in des-
pair, to Communism" Well-in-
formed Greek explained.
! On the other hand. American
officials with whom l have dis
eusSed these interviews, say that
In order to handle the work with
envy degree of efficiency, capable
personnel are required. That
means professional or otherwise
highly educated people" as one
official put it. "They arc usu-
ally from well-to-do families, be-
cause a professional education
can DO. afforded only by the
wcll-to-do. We have also found
+ necessary to employ Ameri-
cans in some Of the top admin
istrative positions. because we
are unable to find native Greeks
who have the required training,
experience or ability"
Z On the surface, Athens is an
active, busy city, its streets
thronged with thousands of peo-
pie and automobile horns make
. constant din all day long. The
dining rooms, bars and sidewalk
cafes Of the Hotel Grandc Bro
tagne and tho Hotel King George
are well filled with well dressed
people, and the menu is excel
lent.
There is considerable mcr-
chandise on display in the stores,
but all of it is high priced, even
on the dollar basis. A few