868.00/5–747: Telegram
The Ambassador in Greece (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
654. I saw Minister for Foreign Affairs this forenoon and left with him aide-mémoire embodying substance of Department’s telegram 584, May 5th. Prior to that I had exposed matter informally to Prime Minister and also off record to King. Last named felt that further talk of amnesty at this time might affect morale of armed forces engaged in all-out offensive and Tsaldaris also brought up this aspect while declaiming excitedly over danger of international observation if Russia should insist on participating. In reply these arguments I pointed out that generous and genuine amnesty of all willing to lay down arms might serve not only to influence foreign opinion but to enfeeble insurgents and ‘also stressed, regards inviting observation, that Department’s proposal is limited to declaration of intention giving time for consultation as to ways and means.
After much irrelevant talk chiefly comprising complaints by Tsaldaris that Ethridge and UN Commission are not supporting Greece sufficiently he said he would take matter up in Cabinet meeting immediately following our conversation. Meanwhile Greek papers this morning print reports from New York that “United States Government will propose that UN send commission to guarantee amnesty”.
If we succeed in getting Greek Government to accept our suggestion [here follows a personal observation], I believe King will go along with it. However am not promoting idea that he personally assume initiatives since his position untried and capacity for effective leadership still problematical.
Sent Department 654; repeated Geneva for Ethridge.