Dr. Alex Bebler

Peace and Greece

 


A Statesmanlike Proposal

In the Meniorandum of General Markos, Prime Minister of the Provisional Greek Democratic Government, transmitted to this General Assembly on August 15, 1948, it is said: "We have never been dazzled by our successes, md even in the first Declaration of our government we repeated that we were ready to accept a democratic agreement. We reiterated this last June, after our tirst defensive successes in Northern Pindus, and again a month later when this great battle demonstrated our strength and the weakness of the Athens forces...Any impartial observer must admit that this is not the policy of those who wish to seize power by force. But the excuses of those who reject these proposals arid thus prevent a democratic solution of the Greek problem, have been prepared in advance, and are hypocritical.

"They say that they distrust our proposal, fearing a so-called Communist plot. Nevertheless anyone possessing a minimum of good faith will be unable to understand why a plan for a democratic solution is not accepted, a plan which would exclude the possibility of any machination or fraud by one side or the other. And the task of the United Nations should properly be to elaborate such a plan, rather than to appoint commissions which have proved to be the servants of those who organized the civil war...By rejecting our honest proposals our adversaries have proven that it is they, who acquired power by force, who wish to retain power by force, and by betraying the national independence of Greece."

Gentlemen,

In closing I propose to you in the interests of peace and, therefore, in the interests of all our peoples, to listen to this authentic voice of the Greek people, and to take this year on the Greek Question a decision different from that of last year; to bring in a decision the consequences of which will not have to be deplored, a just and equitable decision, a decision which will be in harmony with the great principles of our Charter!


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