March 31, 1953
KANELLOPOULOS ABSOLVES JUNTISTS: The Supreme Military Council, which met yesterday and was chaired by National Defense Minister Panayiotis Kanellopoulos, decided unanimously to restore to active service those officers who went absent without leave during the events of May 30, 1951: Brigadiers Kontopoulos and Tavoularis, Colonels Kourouklis, Tsabatos and Papadopoulos and Lt Colonel Parlavantzas (Ed. note: On the evening of May 30, 1951, a group of officers, known as the «IDEA» group, attempted a coup which was thwarted by Field Marshal [now prime minister] Alexandros Papagos). The Council also ruled that these officers should be promoted if their junior officers had been. (…) Defense Minister Kanellopoulos himself made the report on the issue to the Council, emphasizing that the government, in accordance with its campaign platform, was determined to wipe out anything that could upset morale in the armed forces. BYZANTINE CONFERENCE: It has been announced that the 9th International Conference of Byzantinologists is to take place in Thessaloniki from April 16 to 30. VICTORY FOR GREEK RALLY: There has been another display of public approval for the work done by Prime Minister Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos. The Greek Rally party won in four by-elections: in Piraeus, Rethymnon, Karditsa and Grevena.
