CONTENTS - THE GREEK CRISIS

Created: 2/28/1947

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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TRENDS IN BRIEF

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EASTERN EUROPE

The Greek

The Greek Crisis

The late ol Greece may be decided within the nest fen? months, If not weeks.emoralized, usder-equipped army Isground to guerrilla forces backed by the Soviets and their satellites.ompromise govorainest of Rightists, through inefficiency and political narrowness. Is losing what little popular confidence it once possessed.ountry cnrecoaatructed from theof war, is losing its fight against starvation. Inflation, and Internal and external debt.

Since the liberation, two factors have saved Greece fromattempts by the USSR, through Its satellites and local Communist elements, to dominate thehe presence of British troops;oans, Including UNRRA aid, from the US and the UK. Now, in the face of an all-out Soviet effort to capitalize on the current crisis, Britishexceptmall token force) are being withdrawn, and the US and the UK are finding it Increasingly difficult to obtain money to bolster Greece's economy. Because of the UK's own financial straits, economic aid from that source may cease completely.

Alone, Greece cannot save itself. Militarily, the country needs aid In the form of equipment and training. Politically, Greece's diehard politicians need to be convinced of the necessityouaecleaning, and the prostrate Center, which traditionally includes the majority of the population, requires bolstering. Economically, It needs gifts or loans of commodities, food, foreign exchange, and gold to check Inflation. Of these needs, the economic are the most vital.

If Greece withstands Soviet pressure during the next few months, and can contain the guerrillas, the Center, which Is Ineffectual at the moment, may become sufficiently aroused by the Increasing atrocities

of the Leftists and the continued bungling ot tho Rightists to reorganize Itself and to take control o? the Government, excluding both the Right and the Left.ove might be led by the moderate Sophoulis or the old republican Plastlras.

Without Immediate economic aid, however, there would appear to be imminent danger that the Soviet-dominated Left will seize control of the country, which would result in the loss of Greeceemocracy of the Western type.

Original document.

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