Triumph and Tragedy (The Second World War) (63 page)

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people long for a settlement that will free them from the
Communist terror.

6. We have to think of an interim arrangement which
can be reviewed when our long-hoped-for meeting
takes place. This date should not now be far distant. It
will then be possible to correlate our opinions and
actions. In the meanwhile we have no choice but to
recommend creation of a new and more competent
executive Government under the Regency of the
Archbishop, and to press on with our heavy and
unsought task of clearing Athens from very dangerous,
powerful, well-organised, and well-directed elements
which are now pressing into the area. I should value a
telegram when I return on Friday morning.

On December 29 we arrived back in London, and I telegraphed again to President Roosevelt.

Prime Minister to

22 Dec. 44

President Roosevelt

Ambassador Winant has sent me a copy of your
message to the Greek King. We are all very much
obliged to you for acting so promptly. Anthony and I
have just returned. The War Cabinet have endorsed all
our actions, and have authorised us to urge the King of
Greece tonight to appoint the Archbishop as Regent.

The Archbishop left it to me to discuss the period of the
Regency with the King, so that this gives a little latitude.

2. Failing agreement, His Majesty’s Government will
advise the Archbishop to assume the office of Regent
and assure him that we will recognise him and the
Government he forms as the Government of Greece.

Later that same night I sent the President more solid news.

Prime Minister to

30 Dec. 44

President Roosevelt

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386

Anthony and I sat up with the King of Greece till 4.30

this morning, at the end of which time His Majesty
agreed to the following announcement. I have sent this
to Ambassador Leeper in Athens in order that the
Archbishop may go to work at once. The Greek
translation is now being made, and I will furnish you
with a copy of it at the earliest moment.

This has been a very painful task to me. I had to tell
the King that if he did not agree the matter would be
settled without him and that we should recognise the
new Government instead of him. I hope you will be able
to give every support and encouragement to the
Archbishop and his Government.

This was the announcement:

We, George II, King of the Hellenes, having deeply
considered the terrible situation into which our well-loved people have fallen through circumstances alike
unprecedented and uncontrollable, and being ourselves
resolved not to return to Greece unless summoned by a
free and fair expression of the national will, and having
full confidence in your loyalty and devotion, do now by
this declaration appoint you, Archbishop Damaskinos,
to be our Regent during this period of emergency; and
we accordingly authorise and require you to take all
steps necessary to restore order and tranquillity
throughout our kingdom. We further declare our desire
that there should be ascertained, by processes of
democratic government, the freely expressed wishes of
the Greek people as soon as these storms have
passed, and thus abridge the miseries of our beloved
country, by which our heart is rent.

I sent the royal announcement at once to Mr. Leeper in Athens, saying that the Archbishop from the moment when he received it should consider himself free to proceed with all the functions of his office and could be assured of the resolute support of His Majesty’s Government.

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President Roosevelt replied on the same day: “I am happy to know of your safe arrival, and wish you every success in the solution of the Greek problem, which seems very promising as a result of your journey.”

I answered:

Prime Minister to

31 Dec. 44

President Roosevelt

The Greek King behaved like a gentleman and with
the utmost dignity, and I am sure a private message
from you would give him comfort. I shall send only a
civil acknowledgment to E.L.A.S. for the published
message they have sent me, and hand the matter over
to the Archbishop. It is clearly his job now.

The great battle in the West seems to be turning
steadily in our favour, and I remain of the opinion that
Rundstedt’s sortie is more likely to shorten than to
lengthen the war.

Mr. Leeper (now Sir Reginald Leeper, G.B.E., K.C.M.G.) in his account of these events in his book
When Greek Meets
Greek
comments:

The King’s declaration, which endorsed the
unanimous recommendation of the conference, was the
direct result of Mr. Churchill’s visit. It finally scotched
the legend that the British were trying to force the King
back on his people. For that reason alone Mr.

Churchill’s visit to Athens had been abundantly justified.

Had his instinct not brought him to the scene of trouble
at that moment I doubt very much whether any other
influence could have induced all sides to come together
in recommending the Regency to the king.
2

E.L.A.S. addressed a message to me on December 30

claiming that they had fulfilled all the conditions demanded by General Scobie for a truce. This was not true, and the

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British commander insisted on a formal acceptance of his terms.

The Archbishop replied to the King accepting his mandate as Regent. There was a new and living Greek Government.

On January 4General Plastiras, a vehement Republican, who was the leader of the Army revolt against King Constantine in 1922, became Prime Minister.

I also received some wise advice from Smuts.

Field-Marshal Smuts

30 Dec. 44

to Prime Minister

and

Foreign

Secretary

It is with deep interest and much anxiety that we
have followed your Athens mission. It will have a
profound and beneficial effect on world opinion. A
wholly distorted picture of the true position in Greece
has unfortunately been painted by the Press. Hence E.

L.A.S.-E.A.M. has come to be viewed as the champion
of democracy fighting against British backing of the
Royal cause. Though this is false, world reaction has
been very damaging. Now is the time, I suggest, to give
a true picture of the situation, and the Press should
paint E.L.A.S. in its true colours. So that the world will
see that Britain, as friend and ally, had no choice, a
factual exposure should now be made of the bitter
suffering inflicted on the Greek people, the dynamiting
of property, the ruthless destruction and extortion, the
rounding up and execution of innocent hostages, the
coercion of the civilian population by terroristic methods
in true Nazi style. Following immediately on your
courageous mission, a full and accurate statement of
the facts may lead to a wholesome reversal of public
opinion. Our Intelligence and Information agencies in

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London and Athens should publish now the facts that
must be in their possession.

Our own troops had no illusions. General Alexander had previously sent me a censorship report on their letters home. I was so struck by what I read that I had it printed and circulated to the War Cabinet. It completely disposed of the lie spread by Communist circles that their sympathies were with E.L.A.S.

The continuous fighting in Athens during December at last drove the insurgents from the capital, and by mid-January British troops controlled all Attica. The Communists could do nothing against our men in open country, and a truce was signed on January 11. All E.L.A.S. forces were to withdraw well clear of Athens, Salonika, and Patras. Those in the Peloponnese were to be given a safe-conduct to return to their homes. British troops would cease fire and stand fast. Prisoners would be released on both sides.

These arrangements came into force on the 15th.

Thus ended the six weeks’ struggle for Athens, and, as it ultimately proved, for the freedom of Greece from Communist subjugation. When three million men were fighting on either side on the Western Front and vast American forces were deployed against Japan in the Pacific the spasms of Greece may seem petty, but nevertheless they stood at the nerve-centre of power, law, and freedom in the Western World.

END OF BOOK ONE

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1

Preparations for a New Conference
The Advance of the Red Army — The Struggle in
Italy — Political Problems in Eastern Europe —

Correspondence between the President and
Stalin about Poland — The Need for a Three-Power Conference — My Telegram to Mr.