' @ A commission set up by the United Nations, @ report on Greece. American and British ernment’s policies in bolstering an anti-democra‘ the blame where it belongs—on the corrupt qu shown here in session, is compiling representatives, reflecting their gov- tic government, place the blame for continued fighting on other Balkan states. pan and Polish. representatives place -ridden Greek government. | met the guerillas hy GEORGE THOMAS, M. P. AM NOT an extreme Leftist, member of the Labor Party. I am an ordinary I visited Greece on be- half of the National Union of Students, The Students’ Labor Federation and the British Youth Coordinating Com- mittee to observe the trial of EPON, the Greek Demo- cratic Youth Organization. EPON is a cultural body seek- ing to help in the’ reconstruction ‘ of a troubled country. It is in- comprehensible to me that the present Greek government should try to suppress the creative talents of the young people. I visited 50 men awaiting transportation to the ‘islands. They were crammed together in @ small room. One was suffering from TB and told me he had received no medical attention. When the prison official declar- @d that he had, all the detainees with one accord denied this. Under the emergency measures now in force, the Security Com- mittees can charge and try a person in his absence and with- out his knowledge, and then in- form him that he has been sent- enced to deportation. If a man Special Bargains For May Day The American by Howard Fast. Reg. $3 edition, special price ...... $1 9 Days and Nights by Konstan- tin Simonoy. Regular $3 edi- owe price. ] $1 49 The Great Offensive by Max Werner. Regular $3.50 edi- tae price <4 $1.29 Stalin On Lenin, with color plates, printed in Russia. me hig Pecks ae $1 00 Old .England, a Evgenny Lann, Reg. $3 May Day Special ..... $1 19 Walt Whitman by Samuel Sil- len. Reg. $275. May Day: Spechal 719¢ Special May Day Prices Good From May 1 to May 15 THE PEOPLE’S COOPERATIVE BOOKSTORE 337 West Pender Vancouver, B.C. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1947 flees to the mountains to avoid deportation, his wife and chil- dren can be deported. But since the announcement of the UN Commission, it is true that wo- men and children are being’ brought back from the islands. In Athens, EAM is legal. But in the provinces if you admit loyalty to HAM—whose heroic struggle against the Germans is well known—you risk imprison- ment, deportation or murder. That is why so many flee to the mountains. A follower of the veteran Lib- eral, Sophoulis, told me that he knew he was due for exile, but the arrival of the UN Commis: mission had led to delay of his deportation."I met a priest of 80 who had been deported be- cause his son was president of the local EAM, @ ROM ‘Trikkala, I set out to visit the neighboring villages. It was a dramatic moment, when, in a village, a young man with a rifle came up to me, sprang to attention and _ said, “Andartes.” I was then in guer- illa territory ... I visiteq many villages, travel- ling by donkey (and it is not true that “anybody can ride a donkey”) and everywhere I found the people going about their normal daily routine in guerilla territory. They were bitterly opposed to the present government, particularly because it deprives them of food, even of UNRRA food. Civil servants in the guerilla areas do not receive their salaries. Even the teachers are not paid by the government. As a teacher my- self, I was amazed to find that if a teacher in guerilla territory carries on with his job he gets no pay from the government. But if he goes to a neighboring town, where he will remain idle, the government will keep him in idleness, Of the guerilla leaders, I first met Captain Kikizas and then General Markos. I also met Captain Ypsilantes. Kikizas was formerly a bank clerk, Ypsilantes a school _ teacher. Their manner was courteous and friendly. They spoke frankly. They declared that they would welcome the UN Commission of inquiry to their territory, and I conveyed back to Athens a Message from General Markos to this effect. Ca Ypsilantes is a young man of about 27. He wears a huge mustache, which tends to make him look much _ older. Captain Kikizas also sports a huge mustache, which he con- tinually twirls as he speaks. He told me that he had started to grow this mustache during the German occupation, when he had a wager with the British liaison officer, Colonel Hamilton, as to which of them would grow the largest one. General Markos was true to the form of the other officers. Anglo-American in dress, he too sported the huge mustache. When our conversations con- cerning the Andartes haq finish- ed, he talked with me of char- acters in English history. The guerillas are primarily peasants, with teachers, doctors, lawyers, priests among them. But, said Markos, “We are not simply the peasants, nor is the movement only communist.” I must say that if there was a similar tyranny in Britain to- day, I firmly believe that we also would have our ‘resistance movement’ fighting against it. Markos is 42' years old, mild, and was ready to talk. “The guerillas,” he said, “do not de- sire to become the government of Greece. But we desire a gov- ernment representing the people and restoring democracy. The situation could be changed in 24 hours by a political decision, the formation of a government, in- cluding EAM, which would purge the state of fascists and hold fair elections. If British troops remain this will not happen, since they act as a shield for the present regime.” NE of the most important questions I had to ask, of course, was whether the Andar- tes got help from the northern neighbors of Greece. What did Markos reply? He laughed and said: “We are Greeks and want our liberty. We want no foreign assistance. We want neither Russian, Yugoslavian, Bulgarian nor British interference in our affairs, What we want is to be able to run our country. We have no assistance from out- side,” He showed me the equipment the guerillas haye — and I saw tommy guns, Sten guns, and other weapons of clearly Brit ish origin. He described how they raided the Greek army, seized equipment, and in that way kept thefnselves supplied. As to the atrocity stories, of which I was told many in Ath- ens and by the authorities, Mat kos assured me that every T cruit in the Andartes was pel sonally checked on in his village of origin, and nobody of doubt ful reputation was accepted. The death penalty was enforced 0? criminals who had been ¢&P tured for the following crimes— murder of civilians, rape, burt ing of villagers’ houses, and pil laging of grain. I did not only interview and visit the guerillas of Greece, I spoke to the premier and t? other cabinet ministers. I sau judges, professors, trade union ‘leaders and others who had bee? dismissed from their jobs bY the present regime. I believe that the present policy of the government i? Greece—which, I regret to 54¥ is being supported by the Brit ish authorities—is driving Greece to disaster. Its policy of persecU- tion against all opposition grouP® is creating the very growth My opposition in the country which it is officially trying to prevent. Only a broad government, iD cluding the EAM, and prepared to purge the fascists from the state, can win the confidence of the whole Greek people. It argued that EAM is not in pat- liament, and therefore cannot be taken into the government. But the present premier, Maximo5, was never elected to parliament, therefore, by the same rule, he should not be in the government. The present government should give way to a coalition, includ- ing the parties of the Left. am convinced. that the steps necessary are: formation of # new government under the lead- ership of Sophoulis (Liberal), with the HAM represented; # complete purge of traitors and collaborators from the gover ment service; a complete am nesty to Right and Left; the holding of free elections under the sponsorship of UN. These steps are vital in the Greek national interest. The country which gave Pericles t0 the world, and which was the cradle of qemocracy, deserves # better fate than she now suffers. pet tS, PRIZE SOVIET LYRIC GRANVILLE ST. ALL SEATS Three Performances says ONE OF THE BEST... "i EXCELLENT SOLOR!” Tickets Now On Sale — Kelly’s on Seymour Matinee — 50c All Seats Evenings — 50c - 75c¢ - 90c (tax included) COLOR FILM Three Days Only May 5-6-7 2:30 - 6:30 - 9:00 A ARTKINO release PRODUCED in U.S.S.R. RESERVED Por. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 12