Dr. Alex Bebler

Peace and Greece

 


The U.S. Navy Comes Visiting

The U.S.A. with increasing frequency sends units of its Navy and Air Force to Greece to show its military might and incite the forces of the Athens Government — which are under U.S.A. leadership — to fight. The Greek press has kept us well informed about these movements. Thus the United States carrier "Midway" accompanied by three cruisers, which had aboard units of the United States marines with full military equipment, entered Greek waters last January. In the following months numerous squadrons of United States warships visited Greek waters, including the United States carrier "Philippine Sea", which had on board the admirals Forest Sherman, Richard Connoly, Bryand, and Rear Admiral Fosket. In the month of June, off the island of Crete (in Suda Bay) alone, there were 24 American warships, which is the largest concentration of warships in the Mediterranean since World War II. These warships cruised in Greek waters. They were in full battle array, and had units of United States Marines on board.

On October 15, 1948 the warships of the 6th American squadron anchored in the roadstead of Phaleros. They were: the United States carrier "Franklin Roosevelt" and the cruiser "Albany", accompanied by the destroyers "Combton," "Gainard" "Haiman," "Bitty" "Parvis" and "Small," and the auxiliary vessels "Grand Canyon," "Wakamon," "Tsiuocan" and "Konkal." (Estia, October 15, 1948). The Athens newspapers reported air maneuvres during which aircraft took off from the carrier "Franklin Roosevelt."

The specially organized flight of a B29 bomber at the end of September, 1948, shows the aims of such demonstrations. The Greek press gave the widest publicity to the arrival of this bomber. The newspaper Ta Nea of September 18 stated: "The giant plane will fly, on September 20, along the following course: Athens, Patras, Yannina, Kozana, Salonika, Kavala, Larissa and Volos. The plane will circle around each town." According to the Greek press numerous high public officials greeted the plane at the Athens airfield.


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