Evening star., 1951-09-18
Greece Still Threatened

Inc hremlln never gives up anyCnng IL
thinks it can win couple of years ago-after
much bitter fighting and largely as result OF
American aid under the so-called Truman Doc
trine-the armed forces of the legitimate Greek
government succeeded in shattering the Com
muniSt guerrilla effort to drag Greece behind
the Iron Curtain and convert it into Soviet
satellite That fact. however, has not entirely
discouraged the Stain dictatorship. On the con-
trary, according to a special report to the
United Nations the puppet Cominform countries
are Systematically preparing to try the whole
dirty business all over again.
Thus the report-which has been drawn up
by the u. MS special Balkan watchdog" COM
mittee-leaves no room for doubt that the Krem-
lin, operating through Albania, Bulgaria, Hun
gary Romania Poland and CZechoSlovakia, is as
determined as ever to do everything it can to
become Greece'S master and thus gain control
of a Strategically vital sector of the Eastern
Mediterranean. It's methods to that end have
been changed some since the defeat of the guer-
rillaS in 1949. but the end itself remains the
same. Much more than violent propaganda is
involved. In the words of the committee-whose
present membership is made up of Australia
Brazil. Nationalist China, France, Mexico, the
Netherlands, Pakistan, Britain and the United
States-what is involved is a serious threat
direct physical threat in the making to the po-
litical freedom and territorial integrity of the
Greeks
The threat does not seem imminent in the
sense of foreshadoWing near-future renewal of
shooting violence in Greece, but its long-range
implications plainly suggest that the dominance
seeking Soviet Union is contemplating such an
adventure for eventual realiZation-maybe next
year or the year after. At any rate the U. N.
committee has in its possession detailed evil
dence" that shows clearly that a widespread
and carefully co-ordinated system now exists
among the Cominform countries for selecting and
training Greeks for armed subversion and snug
Cling them across the border to engage IN
sabotage, espionage and underground prepara-
ton for action in due course, to overthrow the
Athens government and put an end to freedom
in their native land Quite obviously, if this
not the Kremlins objective, the satellites would
not be doing what they are.
To cope with the situation the u NJ COM
mittee, besides recommending that it keep on
playing its watchdog" role, has urged that the
forthcoming Paris meeting of the General As
Sembly continue its arms embargo against Al
bania and Bulgaria, appeal once again to all
member states not to help the guerrilla movement
against Greece. and call upon the satellite coun-
tries to repatriate captured Greek soldiers and
Greek children removed from their homeland
BY itself. of course, such action cannot eliminate
the threat, but it can be of value in alerting the
free world to the dangers involved and in i'm
pressing upon Greece'S political parties-none of
which has emerged from the recent parlia-
mentary elections with workable majority
how important it is for them to rise above their
partisan differences and establish stable gov
ernment at Athens.
Given such a government, plus continued
watchfulneSs by the U. NJ, the Communist con-
spiracy can be foiled. Indeed, now that Greece
along with Turkey-is slated to become a full
partner in the Atlantic Pact, there is reason to
feel that the men of the Kremlin may yet be
persuaded to stop trying to subvert the country.
They have been diehards in their effort to do so
but it is possible that they will abandon the
game as not worth the candle If they can be
shown that they cannot hope to win it,