868.00/2–2847: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Greece
245. Section 1 of 2. Following discussions between Greek Chargé and Dept officials, Greek Emb is telegraphing text of note which Dept hopes Greek Govt will authorize Greek Emb to present Dept without delay. Unless you see grave objections you should discuss this with appropriate Greek officials pointing out urgency of request if US Govt is to initiate immediate steps to implement extraordinary assistance to Greece, emphasizing importance of paragraph in note which requests American personnel to help supervise and administer any US financial aid extended to Greece. Congressional support and favorable US public opinion dependent on assurance that financial assistance utilized under effective US supervision. Please [Page 70] do not until futher instructed intimate to Greeks that British Government is planning to cease furnishing financial assistance.
Text of proposed Greek note follows as Section 2 this message.
Section 2 of 2. Following is text proposed Greek note.
My Govt has instructed me to present urgently to Your Excellency the following message:
Owing to the systematic devastation of Greece, the decimation and debilitation of her people and the destruction of her economy through three invasions and protracted enemy occupation, as well as through disturbances in the wake of war, further and immediate assistance has unfortunately become vital. It is impossible to exaggerate the magnitude of the difficulties that beset those survivors in Greece who are devoting themselves to the restoration of their country. Such means of survival as remained to the Greek people after the enemy withdrew have now been exhausted so that today Greece is without funds to finance the import even of those consumption goods that are essential for bare subsistence. In such circumstances the Greek people cannot make progress in attacking the problems of reconstruction, though substantial reconstruction must be begun if the situation in Greece is not to continue to be critical.
The Greek Govt and people are therefore compelled to appeal to the Govt of the US and through it to the American people for financial, economic and expert assistance. For Greece to survive it must have:
- 1.
- The financial and other assistance which will enable her immediately to resume purchases of the food, clothing, fuel, seeds and the like that are indispensable for the subsistence of her people and that are obtainable only from abroad.
- 2.
- The financial and other assistance necessary to enable the civil and military establishments of the Govt to obtain from abroad the means of restoring in the country the tranquillity and feeling of security indispensable to the achievement of economic and political recovery.
- 3.
- Aid in obtaining the financial and other assistance that will enable Greece and the Greek people to create the means for self-support in the future. This involves problems which unhappily can not be solved unless we surmount the crisis immediately confronting us.
- 4.
- The aid of experienced American administrative, economic and technical personnel, not only to assure the effective utilization of the financial and other assistance given to Greece, but to help to restore a healthy condition in the domestic economy and public administration and to train the young people of Greece to assume their responsibilities in a reconstructed economy.
The need is great. The determination of the Greek people to do all in their power to restore Greece as a self-supporting, self-respecting democracy is also great; but the destruction in Greece has been so complete as to rob the Greek people of the power to meet the situation [Page 71] by themselves. It is because of these circumstances that they turn to America for aid.
It is the profound hope of the Greek Govt that the Govt of the US will find a way to render to Greece without delay the assistance for which it now appeals.1
End of message.
- In telegram 249, March 2, the Department informed the Embassy in Greece that: “If practicable we hope Greek Govt will withhold publicity re this request and allow us reveal it first, possibly in message President will send Congress about Mar 10. This would help dramatize matter and enlist popular and Congressional support.” (868.00/3–247)↩