Evening star., 1949-05-31

FcOcEdl "EltcfS fTOJeCL, "Fh. 1891, AfneFl-
can Guioe Series. 1897. PIP. 166-l67)
ROBERT EMMETT BURKE.
Red Propaganda In and About Greece
Discussed in Terms of World Strategy
To the Editor OF The Star:
have read the reports which Dorothy
Thompson recently has written from Greece.
have found in the stories OF your columnist
the most accurate description not only OF
our national achievements but also OF our
national shortcomings. As a Greek citizen.
journalist and as the director of Greek Gov
ernment ONCE of Information. consider
1t my duty publicly to express to Miss
Thompson my gratitude for her objective
reporting.
Yet. this is not the only purpose Of my
letter. Miss Thompson. in her recent story on
Greece. tStar. May 25) deals with Greeces
bad press" abroad and. 1t seems to me. she
considers 1t as not corresponding with the
factual Greek situation-which is very true.
Therefore. Miss Thompson Is right in trying
to explore the causes for the misinterpreta-
ton Of Greece's situation.
In my opinion. the matter Is very import
ant; not only for Greece. but also for the
average newspaper reader Of the United
States who is interested In knowing the
reasons for which he was sometimes mis-
informed on the affairs OF Greece. Thus.
I deem 1t necessary to supplement Miss
Thompsons story with the following report:
Greece. for seven continuous years. was
the victim of a well organized and efficient
propaganda network. The blame for 1t
does not lie solely on Greece. shall try
to prove It,
The seven years begin with the fall OF
Greece to the NaZis. These seven years
could be divided into three periods.
u April. ls4l. (Greece's Occupation) up
to December. 1914: During this period the
Western powers foreign policy was based
on the conviction that a sincere eo-opera-
ton with Russia was possible. This belief
had encouraged international communism TO
foster the idea that the same cooperation
was possible all over the Nazi-occupied. and
later liberated, countries with Communist
inspired and controlled national liberation
fronts" Therefore. the Greek National
Liberation Front"-the "EAM"-was adver-
tised as . movement worthy Of praise and
support. Adverse voices from occupied
Greece were suppressed Greek agencies in
exile were iniltrated by Communists or
fellow-traveler elements. For more than
three years. American and British public
opinion were fed with Misrepresentation
Of the true Greek story.
Communist Revolution Misrepresented.
~ The second period begins with the
December. 1914. Communist revolution in
Greece and ends with the proclamation Of
the Truman Doctrine March, l941. Com
miles, fellow travellers and naives had CO.
operated In presenting this revolution
abroad as q protest Of the democratic"
people of Greece against collaborationists.
reactionaries and British Intervention. Anti
British elements in this country were used
as spokesmen against Greece. too. The
r3i
feated but propagandistically it was sue
cessful. Indeed. communism badly needed.
after Its military defeat. that kind Of pro-
paganda. Thanks to 1t, communism had
succeeded in obtaining the so-called Varkiza
agreement This agreement permitted the
Greek Communist Party to reorganize its
forces and wait for the second round" at
tempt to seize Greece. Only months later
the first Communists started their exodus
to the mountains while their comrades.
trained and equipped in the Red neigh
boring countries Of Greece. began to In
nitrate the border areas One year after IS
the symptoms became alarming, the Tru-
man Doctrine came out. It's proclamation
was the turning point for Red propaganda
In Greece. The United States Government
had started its campaign In order to bring
out the truth. A United Nations inyestiga-
ton had given full credit TO the Greek in
terpfetatoOn OF the SituaIion. But, western
people and Journalism still were cherishins
the idea Of middle Of the road" tactics In
the hot spots Of the West-East relations
Benes temporary but futile success In CO.
operating with communism still was there
as an example for imitation. Shaken. but
yet In good shape. the Communist propa-
ganda attempted q new terrific effort The
slogan was: Let Greece become . second
Czechoslcvakia. . bridge between East and
West" The idea was attractive.
90 At last czechoslovakta fell. Com
munists' and fellow travellers propaganda In
Greece received q setback. The skies be-
came clear The naiyes understood There
remained only the Communists and fellow
travellers who surely would continue. They
would not give UP. All that could be sal
vaged from the wartime false convictions.
from the December. Is44. and aftermath
lies. were put TO use.
Recent Attenpt - Mislea1 America
In this country only recently IN organ
nation called Council for Democracy IN
0rsecs- was listed By the United 6tataa
Department 81 Justice - . Communist froot
weanimta1R. vhzs sth9 similar sFyantn-