Selection: Michalis Katsigeras

KARAMANLIS AND CONSPIRATORS: National Radical Union (ERE) leader Constantine Karamanlis last night made a speech to the Greek people in which he said, among other things: “The people will go to the polls in a few weeks’ time. The National Radical Union did not want these elections. It had drawn up a long, wide-reaching program of reconstruction in all sectors and its only ambition was to bring that program to completion. Nor did the Greek people want elections. For two-and-a-half years they had been enjoying the fruits of peace and order and were looking forward with optimism and confidence to the completion of the work taking place around the country. A month ago, however, an unexpected political crisis occurred that was the result of a sinister conspiracy involving the most disparate political and economic forces. Faithless colleagues of mine (he was referring to Georgios Rallis, Panagis Papaligouras and others), motivated by a lust for power and by envy, offered themselves up as the agents of that conspiracy. The aim was to overthrow the order represented by my government and to create political chaos. Only through chaos would they have an opportunity to realize their ambitions...”