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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 8, No. 3 March 28, 1945

A United People

A United People

Mr. Winchester denied the relevancy of his opponent's arguments to the present-day situation. He pointed out that the EAM who liberated Greece were not rebels, but a cross-section of the whole country, whose respectability and intelligence were proved by the adherence of four professors. Without waiting for a peaceful solution of the problem General Scobie had intervened, insisting on the disarmament of EAM but not Rightist forces. The peace which General Scobie brought to Greece was the peace of Fascism.

With oratorical and naive enthusiasm Mr. O'Connor assured the audience that Britain, having liberated and fed Greece, was morally bound to save her helpless people from shrewd politicians. He quoted Major Jordan to reinforce the reports of atrocities committed by the EAM. The success of General Scobie's policy was proved by the present peace in Greece,

Mr. Hartley, backed by an impressive array of quotations, refuted Mr. O'Connor's arguments. Far from feeding Greece the British Government had instituted a hunger blockade to starve the EAM out. The present government, a disgusting descendant of the unspeakable Metaxas dictatorship, had no basis for British support. He suggested that capital invested in Greece was one reason for Britain's reluctance to withdraw.

Speaking from the floor, Mr. McIntyre deplored the Opposition's putting its puny intelligence against the Three Minds of Yalta.

Mr. Ziman recited the Seven Stages of Censorship for Greek news which resulted in the misinformation of the world and Mr. Churchill, who looked in vain for EAM criminal records.

Mr. Jack, having carefully perused the pamphlet "The Truth About Greece" and the "Evening Post," plumped for the latter and General Scobie, dazzled by the concurrence of Messrs. Bevin, Citrine and Peter Fraser.

Mr. Neuberg, speaking from the centre of the platform, appealed for more sincerity in the debate.

Mr. Cohen efficiently clarified the order of events and stressed that Gen. Scobie intervened despite, the agreement reached by the Greeks themselves. He preferred the pamphlet published by the Maritime Union to the opinions of Sir Walter, "the lackey of British Imperialism."

Mr. Witten-Hannah argued that the British Government's hand must be weak if it had to vilify the EAM to prove its case.

Miss Sim, enthusiastically acclaimed as the first, lady speaker, denied the military necessity of Scobie's intervention.

Mr. Gordon was very quietly at a loss to know why the EAM, if as strong as suggested, were unsuccessful in fighting the brutal British.

Miss Patrick suggested that EAM had been anxious to compromise. EAM was not a band of "thugs and terrorists" but an organisation administering most of Greece with as good a legal title as the Hellenic Government.