The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-27

been added, which increased the
cost to more than the drachmai
| had. So l was directed to re.
turn to the bank for more. Al
this point l lost all sense OF
time. But having started out al
900 am, had my ticket al
! last some time after zoe.
Actually this experience is a
minor affair, in comparison with
the red tape involved in other
operations. The Greek business.
man-who is ready for the bene-
fit of himself and his country-is
severely hampered at every turn
by bureaucratic delays.
The American technical adviser
or official of an aid mission or
relief agency, here to assist in
the rehabilitation, moderniza-
ton and reconstruction of Greece,
finds it all but impossible to
carry on his work with the kind
of efficiency and speed to which
he is accustomed, as engineer.
businessman or welfare worker
in the States, because operating
in conjunction with the present
Greek bureaucracy makes for
delay and more DELAY.
The necessity of 'tgoisAg
through channeis" of bareaucra-
tic officialdoin shows down the
machinery of ard, and attempts
at short cuts TO get on with the
job" are all but impossible.
Considering the work TO be dome
land the difficulties involved in
merely getting il started, the
American Mission to Greece has
accomplished a great deal. Re-
lief agencies such as CARE and
Greek War Relief-in the Face oS
dire need in Greece likewise
are doing magnificent job.
II is tribute to the sincerity
of these people that in spite OF
the obstacles, they have carried
on with good will and deter1nlina-
ton to accomplish all that has
been done so far.
The Greek civil service staff
is enormous-andp poorly paid, SO
poorly in fact that civil servants
frequently walk out in protest
strikes. The machinery of gov
eminent grinds to a halt, and
everything stops, while the Cow
eminent reiterates that it cannot
afford to pay more. On the 9th
er hand, it gives little heed to
suggestions Of foreign diplomats
that. sheaanlining bureaucratic
operations would not only de-
velop efficiency and reduce the
number of civil servants now en-
ployed,j but also provide higher
wages for those retained. - > +
To buy or sell abroad-and
both are vital to the Greek econ
omy--so much red tape, delay
and confusion are involved that
many businessmen have given
up all attempt to export-lmporl
| operations -s. T.
Bureaucracy, as it exists here,
produces another evil in the form
of a substantial black market
Too much regulation breeds dis
| respect for regulations. The de-
lay and difficulty in changing
foreign currency into Greek
money has contributed to the
large black market in foreign
exchange-at once a profitable
operation for the black marke-
teer and his customers, and q
short cut to get the business
done.
One Greek merchant who op'
crates an office supply business
he is a former resident of the
States and naturalized Ameri'
can citizen--tcld me:
What these people don't AN
derstand is that competition Il
vital to trade. That's the only
way to get prices down, ane
raise our standard of living, witt
proper distribution of more ard
better merchandise"
With dollars he now has IN tnt
States, he said, he should ot
able to import stationery items
such as pencils, which are no
produced in Greece, but whicf
are now very scarce and yer,
expensive. He rations his pres
ent supply at the rate OF one o.
two per customer
:, The various approvals, ifcens
es, etc, required for import, HI
went on, are so voluminous ant
result in so much delay that
after trying for six months to &c
permission to place one erder-