Office of the Historian

868.00/7–2245

No. 1066
Memorandum by Prime Minister Churchill1
secret P. (Terminal) 25

Greece

Memorandum by Mr. Churchill

In view of the reference to Greece in the Soviet Memorandum,2 I circulate the following two papers to the Conference. The first* is the report of Field Marshal Alexander. The second† is the report on the visit of the British Trades Union Delegation to Greece, which was headed by Sir Walter Citrine and composed of leading Trades Unionists. This I believe gives a true picture of the rights and wrongs of the Greek position.

I am puzzled at the reference on paragraph 4, Sub-section 2 of the Soviet Memorandum to “the representatives of Greek democracy”. According to the information I have, the EAM–ELAS elements in Greece in no way represent Greek democracy or the vast majority of Greeks. Their conduct in Athens during their attempt to seize and dominate the city have made a gulf between them and the Greek people which will last for many years. The report of the Trades Union Delegation should be read in this connection.

W[inston] S. C[hurchill]
Potsdam , 22nd July, 1945.
  1. Printed from the mimeographed text circulated at the Sixth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, July 23. See ante, p. 287.↩
  2. Document No. 1064.↩
  3. Annex i. [Footnote in the original. For the text of annex i, see annex i to document No. 1076.]↩
  4. Annex ii. [Footnote in the original. This annex is not reproduced here. For its text, see What We Saw in Greece: Report of the T. U. C. Delegation (London, Trades Union Congress, 1945).]↩