Evening star., 1947-08-17
Civil War Stepped Up|
After Proclamation of
Greek Rebels Regime
BY the Assoessfsd Press

ATHENS, aug. l6.-Ine Greek
government acted today against
the newly proclaimed guerrilla
military government In free
Greece" seizing published copies
OF the proclamation broadcast by
Gen. Markos Vifiades, guerrilla
leader, as soon as they appeared.
At the same time Greek 3rd Army
headquarters in Salonika announced
intensified guerrilla activity at a
dozen points, ranging from Wes-
tern Thrace to Western Macedonia,
during the past 4s hours. Use by
the guerrillas of heavy mortars not
even available to government forces
was reported.
Gen. Napoleon Zervas, Minister Of
Public Order, declared the setting
up of a bandit government on
Greek territory" was comic man
Hesitation of the Enver Hoxha-
Markos radio station" but neverthe-
less the government was attaching
the necessary Importance" to the
event.
Radio Believed at Tirana-
A Greek general staff spokesman
has charged that the guerrilla ra-
dio was located at Tirana, capital of
Albania, where Gen. Enver Hoxha
presides as premier Of the Albanian
government.
Police grabbed copies of the Com
munist dominated Fam organ, FL
leftheri Ellada as soon as it ap-
peared with the proclamation. and
the public prosecutor said penal
action would be taken against the
staff who prepared the bulletin.
A Government official said he was
not surprised at the proclamation as
"Markos headquarters has been di-
recting Communist bands in the
mountains for months and previ-
ously has announced a provisional
government would be formed"
Some Government quarters said
establishment of Communist
government" would be advantageous
to the Greek armed forces who have
been unable to draw the guerrillas
into frontal battle. A fixed point
would offer an objective for Greek
forces, they said.
Proclamation Dated Aug. 10.
The guerrilla broadcast, heard
last night, said Gen. Vifiades in
proclamation dated August 10 had
declared his headquarters assumed
all authority to form democratic
government"
Central authority will be exer-
cised by central headquarters of the
democratic army" the proclamation
declared. General headquarters
shall take all necessary, legislative
and executive measures. All acts of
headquarters will be submitted for
approval to the popular national as
sembly as soon as it is called"
The Greek government has been
predicting for some time that the
guerrillas would take steps to estab-
lish q free Communist" state in
Northern Greece.
The preamble to the proclamation
said general headquarters is taking
into consideration the fact there
have been created in free areas of
Greece conditions for organization
of popular authority based on pop
ular democratic principles -"
1t advocated the deposition of King
Paul I and his dynasty. Claiming
the plebescite last September in
which the late King George II was
returned to the throne was invalid
and faxed"
Liberation Declared Aim.
Declaring that the primary aim
for the execution of all authorities
"s"i is the liberation of all our coun-
try from foreigners and their native
agents -. =" the proclamation said:
"The popular authority is accept
ing and encouraging every work and
assistance from foreign capital or
from international organizations
which will contribute to the pro-
motion of the Greek economy and
which will be based on the principle
Of equality. 1t will not recognize
and will suppress every privilege or
concession which has been allocated
to foreigners, individuals, companies
or states not compatible with the
meaning of national independence
or popular sovereignty. State con-
tracts or provileges which have been
allocated to foreigners and which
are not compatible with popular
sovereignty will not be recognized"
THE democratic army" 1t con-
tiHued, lis the armed section of the
nation which is fighting for the
freedom, independence and integrity
of Greece"
=. The governments Sd Army COM
fnunique said more than $50 houses
had been burned during the past
two days in the pillaging of villages
in. Western Thrace, near the Bull
garian border Peasants in the area
are evacuating their villages and
moving to larger centers, the off,
cial announcement said.
81 Houses Burned.
Press dispatches said 81 houses
had been burned in Perithori, 60
miles north of Salonika, when the
village was looted by guerrillas and
some of the residents abducted.
Another band burned % houses in
three communities-Amohori, Ano
Kline and Kato Kline-within a s.
mile radius, just north of Phlorina
on the Yugoslav border.
Three persons were reported slain
and 10 houses burned when Korisos,
a mile southeast of Kastoria, was
attacked.
Three persons were killed and 20
houses burned when band of 800
raided the village of Oine, a few
miles southwest of Kastoria.
An announcement said units of
the Greek army's 9th division in
flicted heavy losses. when they made
contact with strong guerrilla force
somewhere north Of Ioannina.
Unsuccessful attempts by large
guerrilla detachments to capture
Kerasivo and Personyianni, west Of
Konitsa and near the Albanian
border, were officially reported.
A guerrilla band Of 800 from Mount
Parnassos attacked Ostia, less than