Greece - US Department of State

Greece 829
332. Letter From the Ambassador to Greece (Tasca) to the Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South
Asian Affairs (Davies) 1
Athens, February 28, 1972.
Dear Rodger:
We have been considering some of the problems that are likely to
arise in any hearings in the Congress on homeporting, particularly
those of the Rosenthal Subcommittee. 2 The line of attack and of questioning
seems quite predictable, and we should not lose sight of the
opportunity this occasion affords to reiterate certain points that can be
particularly helpful, both in meeting critics of Greek policy in the U.S.
and in assuaging Greek sensitivities.
I have in mind in particular the recent sharp reaction here provoked
by the statement of the Department press spokesman, Charles
Bray, reiterating our disappointment about Greece’s slow progress toward
restoration of democracy. 3 More statements of this kind could begin
to cause real damage to our relations. To the extent possible I hope
in the hearings we will continue to emphasize, as you did in your excellent
statement before the House Committee last July, 4 the key points
(a) in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter we have carefully
avoided interference in the domestic politics of Greece, and (b) in
the final analysis only the Greeks can determine what kind of government
they want. I am not suggesting, of course, that there should be
any uncertainty as to where the U.S. stands on the issues of civil liberties
and parliamentary rule, but simply that there must be no misunderstanding
that the real need in this regard is for the Greeks themselves
to act.
It would also be useful to highlight various other points for the
record. In particular I have in mind the fact that for several years now
1
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, DEF 15 GREECE–US.
Confidential; Official–Informal.
2
The hearings took place March 7–8 and April 12–13, and 18. For text, see Political
and Strategic Implications of Homeporting in Greece. Joint Hearings Before the Subcommittee
on Europe and the Subcommittee on the Near East of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House
of Representatives, 92d Congress, 2d Session (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office,
1972). Representative Benjamin S. Rosenthal (D-New York) was the Chairman of the
Subcommittee on Europe.
3
At the March 13 press briefing, Bray noted that the homeporting agreement did
not alter U.S. disappointment with the lack of democracy in Greece.
4
For text, see Greece, Spain, and the Southern NATO Strategy. Hearings Before the Subcommittee
on Europe of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, 92d Congress,
1st Session (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1972), pp. 25–29.