August 6-12, 1953
CINEMA CRISIS: Due to a major decline in attendance, central cinemas in Piraeus have reduced the price of tickets from 5,500 to 3,300 drachmas, while neighborhood cinemas have reduced their prices from 4,000 to 2,800 drachmas. DEATH SENTENCE: The Athens permanent military court yesterday sentenced Nikolaos Ploumbidis to death on two counts, along with the leadership of the Communist Party of Greece, which was tried in absentia. NEW US AMBASSADOR: Washington, 5 – Mr Cavendish Cannon, the former ambassador to Portugal of the United States of America, was sworn in today as the new ambassador to Greece. Mr Cannon, who is a career diplomat, succeeds Mr John Peurifoy.OLD CALENDRISTS: «The Panhellenic Religious and National Orthodox Society» is protesting because «500 Old Calendrists from the district of Evangelistria, Piraeus, while on their way to a service at a private church, were intercepted and abused by a police officer.» The society said that the Old Calendrists’ patience has been sorely tried and that if their religious freedom is not protected: «We will be mourning many victims in the future.» MEASURES AGAINST FIGHTERS: In an announcement, the National Bank staff union has charged that the bank’s governor (Mr Iliaskos), with the help of certain bank officials, who not only have no sense of comradeship with the banking family but are in fact its enemies, has stopped the payment of bonuses to victims of war.