August 29, 1953
US-BRITISH COMPETITION: The British government has submitted to the Greek government a draft contract regarding the stay in Greece of the British Naval Mission. (…) It was judged that the conditions proposed in the contract and the new powers given to the British Naval Mission in its terms were not compatible with the existing situation in Greece, because of the Greek armed forces’ dependence on American aid. (…) The former commander of NATO’s southeastern flank, Admiral Carney, and outgoing US Ambassador John Peurifoy expressed certain reservations regarding some of the terms referring to the usefulness and expediency of signing such a commitment that would be binding for Greece. YUGOSLAV ATTACK: London, 28 – According to a report from Belgrade, the semiofficial Yugoslav news agency Yugo Press tonight accused the Greek government of discriminating against the Slav minority in northern Greece by passing a new law on the colonization of the border areas. (…) Western observers in Belgrade say that this is the first open Yugoslav attack made against Greek government policy since friendly relations were restored with the signing of the Balkan Treaty. EMBEZZLING THE STATE: Asimakis Draganigos, 48, originally of Zakynthos but who has been living in Patras for the past 12 years, has been arrested and charged with presenting himself and his daughter Vasiliki as earthquake victims.
