The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-17
Behind The New,
Reds Preparing
|ForCreekC Coup?
By DEWITT MAcKENr,
AP Foreign Affairs A..

There is an ominous ring
Moscow radios hint that p ~ N.
may sever diplomatic reIs4issa
with Greece on the strength .VH'
allegation that Greek autboSiaL.
have 'fbeen arresting and .ue'
subjecting to torture person, even
ployed by the Soviet embassv, en-
Athens. ID
This smacks Of Communists
neuvering in preparation "a'
coup which would further
cows aim of securing contro M0'
the Greek peninsula as a stanUa
stone to domination of the Es sSas
Mediterranean. While pn,.'a1
broad strategy is clear sno"s
the exact meaning Of tba rs
tactics is a matter of debs,a 'e"
Some diplomatic observer,
Athens say it's likely that hoM
the Soviet Union and Yugods .va
are looking for a chance 10 br'l
off diplomatic relations WI" si,s
Greece. '"a
Why? Well, such a break co,,,
be a preliminary to the settirs
of a Communist government y
northern Greece as a rival ~ m
established monarchist regim.
Athens. Then Moscow and ~
Balkan satellites could recoar;4.
the new Red government, perb,s.
as a separatist regime or evss
as the government Of all cros.
The communist, Of course loD.
have maintained that the ncnT
archy is being maintained (wis,
American and BRITISH bsln1
against the will Of the msiorit,
Of the people.
Prepared To Protect
In considering the possibilitr n
such a Red coup, one is bo,ns
to recall that only last Tlesd.r
the American delegation to fl,
United Nations declared that !, IN.
Security council fails TO solve II.
Balkan problem the United stats,
is prepared 10 join with otre,
countries to protect Greece "wit,,
in the provisions Of the chsrteru
Deputy U. S. Delegate Herscbs
Johnson gave this warning to No,.
cow after charging that COMM.
mist groups supported by Albapi,
Yugoslavia and Bulgaria hoped n
set up a totalitarian regime /,
Greece.
Could it be that a severance NJ
relations with Greece by Moscow
is an answer to America? The es.
tablishment of a Red regime /,
northern Greece might be FOLLOWED
by a declaration from the Russian
bloc that in turn it would proteu
the Communist Greek government
within the provisions of the char.
ter.
In creating such a government
the Communist bloc would merely
be "legalizing'' a situation which
already exists, since h e recen.
majority report of the u. N. Bal
kan border investigation STATED
that Albania, Bulgaria and Yuge
slavia were fostering the Commu.
mist civil war in the north. How.
ever, an excuse for greater Red
Intervention would be provided.
That would be playing with high
explosive. Still, Russia has made
it plain that she isn't afraid 10
handle dynamite if that is neces.
sary in order to carry out her
program of Communist expansion.
Moreover, Moscow has been WORK
ing shrewdly through her puppes
states. They are her shield in bat
tie.
In short, if the Western De.
mocracies should take action
against the Red operation in
northern Greece they would come
up against not Russia but the
satellites-the Soviet shield. This
is calculated to give the Commu'
mist bloc what it wants without!
precipitating another world war
which nobody wants.
It is dangerous game but one
which bids fair to be played out
to some sort Of conclusion-risk q
no risk.