376


FOREIGN RELATIONS,- 1949, VOLUME VI


  M-r. McGhee stated that it would be a hard policy to change. Any
precautionary military moves in Greece, such as a seemingly un-
warranted increase in the Greek Army, might precipitate the war
which we are trying to avoid.
  Ambassador Grady concurred and again emphasized that our whole
policy in Greece aims at getting rid of the guerrillas and not at making
Greece part of a cordon sanitaire around Russia.
  Ambassador Dendramis [said] that this would be a subject for later
discussions, perhaps in connection with a Mediterranean Pact.
  Mr. McGhee terminated the discussion by remarking that it-would
be necessary to go slowly on a Mediterranean Pact. The Senate had
just ratified the Atlantic Pact and MAP was now up for congressional
debate. All these things take time. There is a limit to the rapidity
with which the American Congress and public can assimilate these
new departures in American policy.


102.1/9-2949
      The Chargeq in Greece (Minor) to the Secretary of State

                             [Extracts]
CONFIDENTIAL                               ATHENS, July 29, 1949.
No. 542
  iSin: With reference to the Embassy's telegram     No. 1421 of
July 22, 1949.," I have the honor to report that the Secretary of the
United States Treasury Department, The Honorable John W. Snyder,
visited Athens from July 22 to July '24, 1949. The Secretary was ac-
companied by Messrs. Martin, Saxon, Willis, and Glendenning of the
Treasury.
  Despite the flagrant over-optimism of the Greek press and the wish-
ful dreams of local politicians that Mr. Snyder would bring with him
a magic to cure all the country's economic ills, the Secretary's visit
was a pronounced success. This, I think was due to Mr. Snyder's
personality, poise, understanding, and, above all, to his complete
candor. The Secretary made it crystal clear to all Greeks with whom
he came in contact that he was not here to study or discuss American
aid to Greece-a subject which, he consistently pointed out, was prop-
erly in the competent hands of Ambassador Grady and his assistants
and that while he appreciated the pressing problems of this country,
it was up to the Greeks themselves to save Greece with the help they
were now receiving from the American "taxpayer". This candid ap-

  'Not printed; it reported the arrival of Secretary Snyder at Athens (102.1/
9-2249).