July 21, 1953
ESCAPE FROM ALBANIA: Ioannina, 13 – Panayiotis Gatzaras has presented himself to the military authorities after managing to escape from a concentration camp for hostages in Telepene, in Albania. He said the hostages were subjected to all kinds of hardships. BUTCHER OF DISTOMO: (From a commentary in Kathimerini) – There was no reason for the butcher of Distomo to be handed over to the Germans on the excuse that he will be tried in his own country. Whether he is tried or not – the latter is the most likely – the butcher will be walking around free in a short while and making speeches in favor of the neo-Nazi movement, just like the notorious General Andre (Ed. note: German Commander on Crete), another executioner of the Greek people, who was beaten the other day in Frankfurt as he was making a fiery political speech. It is not at all certain that the butcher of Distomo will meet the same fate, or that there will not be people who, nostalgic for Hitler’s rule, might declare him a hero. FOREIGN LOANS: There was a considerable drop in the cost of foreign loans last Thursday, due to reports from London that Minister for Coordination Mr Spyros Markezinis had not discussed, as had been hoped, the settlement of the state debt. DEREGULATION OF BEEF PRICE: The free sale of domestic meat is now permitted. Retail prices of the best cuts of beef can reach 38,000 drachmas per oka (about 1.2 kilos) and of this year’s domestic lamb, 34,000 drachmas.
