Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE they State Dept. DEA E.O. 12065, Guidelines, NLT, Date March 9-10-85 6, 1982 DECLAS SOC 3.402 DECLASSIFIED WASHINGTON August 7, 1952 By SECRET SECURITY INF ORMATIO SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS GREECE: As a result of a report from the UN's Balkan sub- commission of the Peace Observation Commission which indicated in rather alarmist terms that large numbers of Greek and Bulgarian forces were lined up opposite each other along the Evros River border in the dispute over an uninhabited Greek island in the river which Bulgarian forces recently oc- cupied, we instructed Embassy Athens yesterday to express our hope to the Greek Government that Greek forces would not initiate any military action against the Bulgarian forces for the moment. Our Embassy was instructed to add, however, that the US will fully support any Greek initiative in the UN designed to preserve the territorial integrity of Greece. Embassy Athens has replied that although the fact of Bulgarian pressure on the island is doubtful, the Greek artillery was scheduled to lob in a few mortar shells at 9:30 this morning Greek time. Despite our suggestion that the shelling seemed use- less as well as dangerous, Prime Minister Venezelos and Defense Minister Mavros argued that Greek public opinion demanded some sort of physical action; they finally agreed, however, to telephone General Manidakis and order him not to fire. These instructions arrived too late and when the General was contacted he reported that the island had already been shelled for thirty-five minutes by Greek guns. There were no signs of life on the island and there was no return of fire. Mavros has assured the Embassy that the Greeks will take no further positive action without prior con- sultation with the US. TUNISIA: M. Grellet, the top administrative official in the Residency General in Tunis, informed our Consul General yesterday that M. Binoche from the Foreign Office would have a courtesy audience with the Bey today and would take the occasion to "speak a few truths,' namely, 1) Atpresent, the French can go no further than the reform program now under study; 2) The French will entertain any suggestions made concerning the program but will not consider any substitute program. (This point will be made because the Bey's new advisory body is be- - lieved to be preparing comprehensive counter-proposals.) 3) He will hint that if the Bey refuses to give his seal fairly soon the SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION-