MACMILLAN (Harold, 1894-1986, Prime Minister, from 1984 1st Earl of Stockton)

Fine Long Typed Letter Signed with autograph salutation and subscription to "My dear Ambassador", Sir Michael STEWART (1911-1994, Ambassador to Greece, 1967-71) telling him that he is "going on a Swan Hellenic Cruise in the course of which journey we expect to reach Athens on the ss 'Ankara' on May the 8th. We have, alas, only one day there and since I am bringing with me my daughter, Mrs Julian Faber who has never been to Greece, I have no doubt we shall go through all the regular sight seeing trips with our fellow pilgrims. I was, however, wondering whether at some time during the day I might come to the Embassy with her. I should like myself to re-visit once more the scene of that strange episode in the Winter of 1944 and let my daughter see where the events took place which I have described in my second volume of memoirs. I remember so well the meeting when I think you were a Counsellor to Jim Bowker. That, too, was part of a rather curious odyssey ... I expect you suffer terribly from these cruises and it was for this reason that I hesitated to bother you. But apart from everything else I would very much value the chance fo a talk with you about affairs in Greece to-day. They certainly keep to the Aristotlian round and experience with every known form of Government ...", 2 sides 8vo., Birch Grove House, Haywards Heath, Sussex, 2nd March

Macmillan visited Greece on 11th December 1944. As the Germans had withdrawn, British troops under General Scobie had deployed to Athens, but there were concerns that the largely pro-communist Greek resistance, EAM and its military wing ELAS, would take power or come into conflict with British troops. Macmillan rode in a tank and was under sniper fire at the British Embassy. Despite the hostility of large sections of British and American opinion, who were sympathetic to the guerillas and hostile to what was seen as imperialist behaviour, he persuaded a reluctant Churchill, who visited Athens later in the month, to accept Archbishop Damaskinos as Regent on behalf of the exiled King George. A truce was negotiated in January 1945, enabling a pro-British regime to remain in power, as Churchill had demanded in the Percentages agreement the previous autumn.

Item Date:  1970

Stock No:  41536      £475

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