868.01/528: Telegram
The Ambassador to the Greek Government in Exile (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 2—9:27 a.m.]
Greek 140. In reference to the message from Mr. Churchill, referred to in my Greek 121 of April 19, 7 p.m., I am now informed by my British colleague that Mr. Molotov has replied substantially as follows:
Mr. Molotov has little information on Greek situation and it is therefore difficult to form a judgement. On the other hand the British have a military mission in Greece and Mr. Molotov would be glad to have additional information. The Tass Agency publishes only what it receives from its trustworthy sources and this of course it is entitled to do. However, in connection with Mr. Churchill’s wishes Tass has been instructed that greater care must be exercised in the verification of its reports.
The Department will note that the above profession of ignorance re Greek affairs is similar to Mr. Molotov’s statements of last winter53 which are even harder to believe now than they were then (see last paragraph of my Greek 128, April 24, 6 p.m.54) and that Moscow’s present lack of information from British sources at least so far as the Cairo Embassy is concerned has not been due merely to inadvertence (see paragraph 2 of my Greek 137 of April 27, 8 p.m.54) nevertheless some immediate easing of the situation would seem to have resulted from Mr. Churchill’s message. The Soviet official broadcast on April 27 reported Mr. Churchill’s remarks of April 26 in the House of Commons55 with apparent approval stressing in particular his assertion that the British Government is ready to give the King any possible support in his decision to seek the formation of a Government of National Unity at this time and his statement that it is up to the Greek people to choose its own form of government after liberation.
Repeated to American Representative, Algiers, for Murphy.56