July 20, 1952
OLYMPIAD BEGINS: Helsinki, 19 (From our correspondent Athanassios Sembos): In the Olympic Stadium here, before a capacity crowd and despite the driving rain that continued throughout the opening ceremony, the 15th Olympiad was officially opened this afternoon. Shortly before the ceremony began, the Finnish president entered the stadium and was cheered enthusiastically by the crowd. (…). Inside the stadium, where the flags of the Olympic states flew, the Greek team led the athletes into the arena in heavy rain. The standard bearer was Nikos Syllas, followed by the sports federations headed by Mr Ketseas. Then came our 42 athletes, wearing blue jackets and berets and gray trousers. As the Greek flag was borne past, the thousands of spectators, including many Greeks who had traveled to Helsinki, stood up and cheered. OTE AND THERMAL SPRINGS: Special measures have been taken this year to provide telephone communications in thermal spring resorts. There is already a link between Athens and Loutraki and the baths at Aidipsos, whose telecommunications (OTE) bureaus have been provided with extra staff. Similar measures have been taken in Ypati, Methana, Kamena Vourla and Kaiafa. The telephone link between Athens and the island of Aegina and Methana has also been re-established. Let us look at the protagonists of the play as it has emerged over the past three weeks, 21 days that changed Greece and may allow it to finally put behind it many of the complexes left by the military dictatorship of 1967-74.
