October 5, 1955
DEATH OF PAPAGOS: Last night the Greek nation received a major blow when the news broke that the prime minister, Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos, had died suddenly at 11.30 p.m. The previous afternoon, Field Marshal Papagos had signed his last document as prime minister, in the form of a decree appointing Mr Stephanos Stephanopoulos to act in his place. Papagos’s death has now raised a political issue. The appointment of Mr Stephanopoulos in his place is no longer valid. The parliamentary deputies of the Greek Rally party will meet immediately after the prime minister’s funeral to elect a new party leader or administrative committee. Earlier, Field Marshal Papagos’s decision to appoint Mr Stephanopoulos had led to the resignation of the prime minister’s other deputy during his illness, Mr Panayiotis Kanellopoulos. After the field marshal’s death, Deputy Interior Minister Evangelos Kalantzis went to the ministry to brief the police chief and other officers and took several measures to ensure order. Police forces have been put on the alert.
