Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-09

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driven from strongholds at heavy
cost often seeped back, and the
whole operation had to be repeated
with similar results.
Harsh Life for Troops
Conditions of service leave much
to be desired. even if they are better
than during the Albanian war when,
however, there was patriotism to spur
on exhausted and ill-equipped men.
Conscripts are paid $4,000 drachmae
a month ($6). They are mainly
men between 10 and 81, and though
not supposed to be married, many
are. Their wives get no allowance
nor their families. Regulars and VOL
unteers are better paid, and their
dependents are supposed to get IL
per cent of their pay. But admins
tration often breaks down, or the
men themselves do not make proper
arrangements. It all adds up to this:
The Greek women, with husbands
and sons in the forces, are bitterly
disconnected, and some Of this dis
content is shared by the men.
There Is, also, such a contrast
between the luxury surrounding
Athenians and the harsh conditions
in which soldiers are living and
fighting in the snow-covered noun
tains of Northern Greece, that dis
content is heightened by envy
and disgust. Despite efforts to keep
the matter out of the newspapers,
the fact that at least 1000 young
Athenians, mainly from bourgeois
families, have avoided military
service, has become widely known.
Twenty received heavy sentences
from a court-martial; one, however,
who was sentenced to death, is
likely to escape this penalty because
of his fanily's position.
Rebel Propaganda Clever
Naturally the most is made of this
discomfort by the rebel radio and by
broadcasts from neighboring coun-
tries whose propaganda is very
clever. There Is a certain censor
ship Of the Greek press. but, as
Germans, Russians and others
learned, it Is impossible to prevent
people listening to the radio. The
result is that people are beginning
to ask, Would we be so very much
worse of under the Communism"
and, except among the middle and
upper classes, the answer often Is,
''We might be better of; anyway,
we couldn't be worse"
The feeling Is believed TO be
gaining ground rapidly among the
refugees+at least a million Zone
eighth Of the population) are living
in various parts Of Greece. Driven
from their homes by fighting, dur
Ing which they often were attacked
impartially by rebels and govern
ment forces, they are existing mis-
erably In camps run by the govern
ment and relief organizations. Amer
lean advisers have insisted that the
Greek government should provide
adequate food, but most of the
refugees are suffering from lack Of
proper shelter or clothes.
Efforts are being made to look
after the children, but on the whole
the refugees are a formidable breed
ing ground for communism. This
partly explains why the outlawed
Communist Party is steadily grow
ing, just as the rebel fsrces are
steadily gaining ground.
Communism Rouses Hatred
Can this be halted? There seem
to be two courses; either the rebels
that is to say, the Communists
must be beaten or they must be
conciliated. Those who favor con-
Citation find the going very rough,
for to most supporters of the pres
ent regime there is little difference
between Cancellation and commu-
nism. The efficient Athenian police
have arrested most of the capital S
known Communists. But commu-
nism rouses such hatred in Athens
today that even many of the vague
ly left-liberal have had to go I'M
foreground. Incidentally, in this way
Greece has lost the services of
many of It's best younger men.
But the best-known opponents of
Cancellation are not even liberals;
they are members of the right
wing parties and known enemies OF
Communists. And yet they arc per-
secuted because they dare to suggest
that if the rebels cannot be beaten
without draining Greece of her life
blood, then the Greek government
must come to terms. Military lead
ers are particularly hostile toward
Cancellation, because they fear its
effect upon the troops.
The other alternative-military
victory-calls for radical reform OF
the present government, and even
of the present system. Almost every
one in Athens, except some British
and Americans, realizes 1t is i'm
possible to continue with the
present Parliament-the exhibition
given by many Deputies at the last
meeting disguised the country. But
clearly 1t is. impossible to hold cleo
tons with more than three-quarters
of the country in rebel hands
Therefore, 1t is widely argued, the
only solution is the Propagation OF
Parliament for six months and the
formation of an "autocratic govern
ment"; in other words, dictatorship
concealed beneath some high-sound-
ing name so as not to offend Amer
lean susceptibilities or place an
other powerful weapon in the hands
of Markos and his iron curtain
allies.