and their own nationals, official or otherwise, who are free to travel in Greece where they choose. The members of this Assembly are thus aware that if conditions in Greece are somewhat less than perfect, this fact is primarily the legacy of a cruel occupation and the fruit of the bitter guerrilla warfare fomented and supported by Greece's Cominform neighbors. There have been no executions in Greece since the announcement of the leniency legislation on September 30. There have been, however, in the meantime, a number of reports of executions and death sentences in the Cominform countries. The violent remarks of the delegations of the Cominform countries seem almost calculated to goad the Greek government to follow the Cominform's own pattern of terror. We cannot accept the Cominform's pleas for the blanket repeal of death sentences in Greece, while Greek independence is still threatened, as bona fide pleas for mercy and greater tolerance. The effect of the remarks of the Cominform delegations in the Political Committee, whatever their intention, was not to further peace in Greece or peace between Greece and her northern neighbors. The effect of their remarks was to incite and revive efforts to overthrow the Greek Government, in line with past Cominform policy. Their pleas seemed designed to stir up passions and even to incite to further violence the extremists on both sides of the languishing hostilities in Greece. The way to bring about conditions of good will and tolerance in Greece is to stop civil warmongering. Armed rebellion always calls forth stringent security measures to maintain law and order. Armed rebellion usually strengthens the more extreme elements on both sides of the conflict. We are truly concerned to see an era of good feeling inaugurated in Greece which will permit the free expression of opinion in free elections and greater freedom in all other aspects of Greek life. But the way to bring about such an era of good feeling, amnesty, and tolerance is to remove the threats to the territorial integrity and political independence of Greece. Whatever may be the shortcomings of the Greek Government, we cannot support the proposals made by the Soviet Union in the Political Committee which are based on the assumption which in our judgment is contrary to the facts that external threats to Greek independence arise from the repressive measures of the Greek Government. It is our view that the stringent security measures in Greece, concerning which the Soviet Union complains, are a direct result of the external threats to Greek independence. We believe that those measures will and certainly should be relaxed and eliminated when the external threats to Greek independence are removed. Some of the Cominform delegations have also insisted that the difficulties between Greece and her northern neighbors are due to aggressive territorial designs of Greece. Such a suggestion is in our judgment without the slightest basis in fact. The observations conducted by the Special Committee over the last 2 years reveal that, while there have been some minor and unavoidable frontier violations on the part of Greece in repulsing guerrilla fighting along the frontier, there is no evidence whatsoever of aggressive designs by Greece upon the territory of her northern neighbors. Following the war, Greece did claim the right to submit to the Council of Foreign Ministers cer tain historic claims. But Greece has repeatedly declared that she does not seek any change in her frontiers except by peaceful means. Greece has made it clear to the Conciliation Committee that she will respect her Charter obligations and that she will unqualifiedly accept the Conciliation Committee's suggestion that she and her northern neighbors agree not to use force or the threat of force to change existing boundaries. The Greek case continues to occupy the attention of the Assembly not because of any aggressive designs on the part of Greece, but because of the continued intermeddling of Greece's northern neighbors in the internal affairs of Greece. DANGER IN BALKANS REDUCED Thanks, however, to the courage of the Greeks and to the support given to Greece by states which do respect the Charter and the recommendations of the General Assembly, the danger to peace in the Balkans has been substantially reduced. It has even been announced that the guerrilla forces have temporarily grounded their arms. That does not mean that vigilance on the part of the United Nations is not necessary to see that they do not again take up their arms. It is, however, happily becoming apparent that the Charter and the recommendations of the General Assembly cannot be treated as if they were mere scraps of paper. The Special Committee on the Balkans has also reported that one of Greece's northern neighbors which in the past has contributed substantial aid to the Greek guerrillas has virtually stopped that aid. That action is significant not only for its bearing on the Greek case, but it is, I think, also significant of a growing appreciation among states that those who wish the protection of the United Nations must respect the purposes and principles set forth in the Charter and the considered opinions of the Assembly regarding the fulfillment of those purposes and principles. Let us hope that more and more states are coming to realize that they have an interest in the observance of the Charter even though their own immediate interests are not involved, or even though their immediate interests may be adversely affected. Let us hope that our common interest in the Charter as an instrument of law, of freedom, and of peace will unite us in defense of the Charter. For the reasons I have explained, the United States delegation will support the proposals recommended by the Political Committee and will vote against the Soviet proposals. GREEK CHILDREN Before closing, I should like to add only a few words regarding the resolution on the Greek children. . . . The Political Committee has unanimously recommended that the Assembly again urge all states harboring Greek children to cooperate with the International Red Cross to arrange for the early return of these children to their homes. It is the hope of the United States delegation that the Assembly without dissent will make this appeal on behalf of the Greek children and that all states concerned will act promptly to carry out this humanitarian task. 147. THREATS TO THE POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF GREECE Resolution of the General Assembly, November 19, 1949 1 The GENERAL ASSEMBLY, A 1 HAVING CONSIDERED the reports of the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans established by General Assembly resolution 109 (II) and continued by General Assembly resolution 193 (III), including the additional facts and the recommendations in its supplementary report of 10 September 1949, and in particular its unanimous conclusions that: (i) Albania and Bulgaria have continued to give moral and material assistance to the Greek guerrilla movement, Albania being the principal source of material assistance; (ii) There has been an increase in the support afforded to the guerrillas from certain States not bordering upon Greece, particularly Romania, HAVING NOTED the report of the Conciliation Committee established by the First Committee of the General Assembly in its resolution of 29 September 1949; 1. Considers that the active assistance given to the Greek guerrillas by Albania in particular, by Bulgaria and by certain other States, including Romania, in disregard of the Assembly's recommendations, is contrary to the purpose and principles of the United Nations Charter and endangers peace in the Balkans; 2. Considers that further foreign assistance to the Greek guerrillas resulting in the launching of new armed action against Greece from adjacent territory would seriously increase the gravity of the danger to the peace and would justify the Special Committee in recommending, pursuant to paragraph 8 of resolution 109 (II), the convocation, as a matter of urgency, of a special session of the General Assembly in order to give consideration to further steps necessary for the removal of this danger to the peace; 3. Calls upon Albania, Bulgaria and the other States concerned to cease forthwith rendering any assistance or support to the guerrillas in fighting against Greece, including the use of their territories as a base for the preparation or launching of armed actions; 4. Recommends to all Members of the United Nations and to all other States: (a) To refrain from any action designed to assist directly or through any other Government any armed group fighting against Greece; (b) To refrain from the direct or indirect provision of arms or other materials of war to Albania and Bulgaria until the Special Committee or another competent United Nations organ has determined that the unlawful assistance of these States to the Greek guerrillas has ceased; (c) To take into account, in their relations with Albania and Bulgaria, the extent to which those two countries henceforth abide by the recommendations of the General Assembly in their relations with Greece; 1 UN Doc. A/1117. Department of State Bulletin of December 5, 1949, pp. 852a-8538. 5. Again calls upon Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia to co-operate with Greece in the settlement of their differences by peaceful means in accordance with the provisions of Article 2, paragraph 3 of the Charter, and to that end recommends: (a) That, in view of the existence of diplomatic relations between the Governments of Greece and Yugoslavia, further efforts be made by those Governments through diplomatic channels to resolve the differences between them; (b) That Albania and Bulgaria on the one hand, and Greece on the other, establish normal diplomatic and good neighbourly relations, and endeavour through diplomatic channels to resolve differences; (c) That they renew previously operative conventions or conclude new ones providing effective machinery for the regulation and control of their common frontiers and for the peaceful adjustment of frontier incidents; 6. Calls upon Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia to co-operate with the Special Committee in enabling it to carry out its functions, in particular the functions in accordance with paragraph 10 (c) of resolution 193 (III) and paragraphs 10, 11, and 13 of the present resolution, and upon Greece to continue to co-operate towards the same end; 7. Approves the reports of the Special Committee and continues it in being in accordance with all the terms of reference contained in the present resolution and in General Assembly resolutions 109 (II) and 193 (III), which are hereby continued in effect; 8. Again instructs the Special Committee to continue to be available to assist the four Governments concerned in the implementation of the Assembly's resolutions, in particular to promote the restoration of normal relations between Greece and her northern neighbours and the maintenance of international peace and security in the Balkans, and for this purpose continues the authorization to the Special Committee in its discretion, to appoint and utilize the services and good offices of one or more persons whether or not members of the Special Committee; 9. Notes the report of the Special Committee, which states that the Governments of Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia have publicly announced that Greek guerrillas who have entered their respective territories have been disarmed and interned, and calls upon all States harbouring Greek guerrillas to co-operate with the Special Committee or other appropriate international agency for verification of the disarming and disposition of the Greek guerrillas who have entered their respective territories; 10. Calls upon all States harbouring Greek nationals as a result of the Greek guerrillas' operations against Greece to facilitate the peaceful repatriation to Greece of all such individuals who desire to return and live in accordance with the law of the land; 11. Authorizes the Secretary-General to arrange, through the Special Committee or other appropriate United Nations or international agency, the extension of any feasible assistance to the Governments concerned in making and carrying out arrangements for the repatriation to Greece or resettlement elsewhere of Greek guerrillas and other Greek nationals who have been involved in the guerrilla warfare. The GENERAL ASSEMBLY, B NOTING the report submitted by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies on the question of the repatriation of Greek children (A/1014), and expressing warm appreciation of the efforts made by the two international Red Cross organizations to facilitate the implementation of General Assembly resolution 193 (III) C, NOTING that the Greek children have not as yet been returned to their homes in accordance with the resolution of the General Assembly, and recognizing the necessity of further efforts for the full implementation of this resolution. 1. Instructs the Secretary-General to request the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies to continue their efforts in this humanitarian cause to lend them all appropriate assistance in carrying out their task; 2. Urges all the Members of the United Nations and other States harbouring the Greek children to make all necessary arrangements, in consultation and co-operation with the international Red Cross organizations, for the early return to their homes of the children in accordance with the aforementioned resolution; 3. Invites the international Red Cross organizations to report to the Secretary-General for the information of the Members of the United Nations, on the progress being made in the implementation of the present resolution. INDIA, PAKISTAN 148. NEW DOMINIONS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN 1 Telegrams from President Truman Extending Good Wishes, August 14, 1947 To Lord Louis Mountbatten, Governor General of the Dominion of India On this memorable occasion, I extend to you, to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and to the people of the Dominion of India the sincere best wishes of the Government and the people of the United States of America. We welcome India's new and enhanced status in the world community of sovereign independent nations, assure the new Dominion of our continued friendship and good will, and reaffirm our confidence that India, dedicated to the cause of peace and to the advancement of all peoples, will take its place at the forefront of the nations of the world in the struggle to fashion a world society founded in mutual trust and respect. India faces many grave problems, but its resources are vast, and I am confident that its people and leadership are equal to the tasks ahead. In the years to come the people of this great new nation will find the United States a constant friend. I earnestly hope that our friendship will in the future, as in the past, continue to be expressed in close and fruitful cooperation in international undertakings and in cordiality in our relations one with the other. HARRY S. TRUMAN President of the United States of America Department of State Bulletin of August 24, 1947, p. 396. |