In the U.S., Franklin Roosevelt’s new Secretary of State proclaimed a new isolationism (see U.S. AT WAR). Its effect was to cut the ground from under Britain’s policy in the liberated countries at the most critical moment. In the House of Commons Prime Minister Winston Churchill defended his policy in Greece from attacks by Labor, Liberals and Leftists. The speech in which he demanded a vote of confidence fell into two main parts. One was a stinging indictment of the ELAS. The other was a stinging indictment of the false democracy under which Leftism conceals its ultimate purposes. Never before had the issue facing the western Allies in the liberated countries been stated with so much authority, so much force.
The Indictment. Said Churchill: “ELAS is a mixed body, and it is unfair to stigmatize them all as being self-seeking in their aim and action. Nevertheless, during the years of Greek captivity ELAS devoted more attention to beating up and destroying representatives of EDES [Rightist partisans], commanded by Colonel Zervas, a man of the left by our standards but less extreme than the EAM.
“For the last two years ELAS have de voted themselves principally to preparations for seizing power. . . . They did not hesitate on occasions to help the Germans catch and kill supporters of EDES. From the depredations and ravages of ELAS there developed, as we can now see, a well-organized plot by which ELAS should march down to Athens and seize it by armed force and establish a reign of terror under the plea that they were purging collaborationists. . . . [Next day the London press, from the Times to Labor’s Daily Herald, attacked Churchill’s characterization of ELAS as unfairly over simplified. ]
“In the small hours of Tuesday morning … I directed General Scobie to assume complete control of Athens and the districts around and to use what force was nec essary to extricate ELAS bands. I also directed our Ambassador to do his utmost to prevail on Papandreou, who seemed to wish to resign, to remain in power. . . .
“If I am blamed for this action, I will gladly accept dismissal of the House. But if I am not dismissed, make no mistake, we shall persist in this policy of clearing Athens and the Athens regions of all rebels to the constitutional Government of Greece.”
The Issue. Much more important than Churchill’s sweeping charge against ELAS was his indictment of “swindle” democracy:
“Certainly the British Government would be unworthy of confidence if His Majesty’s forces were being used by them to disarm the friends of democracy in Greece and other parts of Europe. The question, however, arises and one may be permitted to dwell on it for a moment: Who are the friends of democracy and also how is the word democracy to be interpreted?
“My idea of it is that the plain, humble common man—just the ordinary man who keeps a wife and family, who goes off to fight for his country when it is in trouble and goes to the polls at the appropriate time and puts his cross on the ballot paper showing the candidate he wishes to be elected to Parliament—that is the foundation of democracy. . . .
“I feel quite different about a swindle democracy—a democracy which calls it self a democracy because it is left wing. It takes all sorts to make democracy, not only left wing or even Communists. . . .
“The last thing that resembles democracy is mob law with bands of gangsters armed with deadly weapons forcing their way into Greek cities, seizing police stations and key points of the Government, and endeavoring to introduce a totalitarian regime. . . . Do not let us rate democracy so low as if it were merely grabbing power and shooting those who do not agree with us. That is not democracy. That is the antithesis of democracy.
“Democracy is not based on violence or terrorism but on reason, on fair play, on freedom, on respecting other people’s rights as well as your own ambition. Democracy is not a harlot to be picked up on the street by a man with a Tommy gun. . . .”
The Vote. But Laborites and Leftists did not listen quietly. Churchill was interrupted 28 times. But with the interruptions, Churchill’s initial grimness gave way to a happy-warrior manner that many felt to be out of tune with the mood of the House. At one point he asked for a glass of water, which is not Winston Churchill’s favorite tipple. Gallantly he toasted teetotaling Lady Astor in it.
But after the fifth interruption by Willie Gallacher, Communism’s gift to Parliament, Churchill swung on him rudely: “The Honorable Member has been treated with greater tolerance in this House in these times and should learn to keep his mouth shut.”
When the vote was moved, the House gave the Prime Minister a thumping majority: 279-to-30. Most Labor members abstained from voting. Parliament (and the country) was deeply troubled by the Government’s policy in Greece. The Conservative-Labor coalition was strained. Labor was restless.
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