February 17, 1954
RICH AND POOR: Paris, 15 – The newspaper Aurore, in an extensive report from its correspondent in Athens, paints a picture of life in Greece in 1954 in the most attractive colors. «The Greek people are generally very poor, but their sense of pride boosts their morale so that, despite their financial straits, they are extremely careful of their appearance and are always well-dressed. Therefore at that level the degree of poverty is not obvious. However, out of a population of 7,500,000, only a few thousand own property. The rest, that is the overwhelming majority, suffer from deprivation. (…) Although the people are generally without resources, Athens is a capital of billionaires. It is where the greatest fortunes in Europe are to be found. Take for example the Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis, the owner of property in Monte Carlo. Greece is also a country of the nouveaux riches. (…).» The French correspondent embellished this lively description of the land of miracles that is Greece with praise for the Greek prime minister, Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos.
