HISTORY OF THE REVOLT

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21420, 12 March 1935, Page 11

HISTORY OF THE REVOLT

I'LAJN Ul< VJUINIZ,Ii;LUS AINU PLASTIRAS PLOT TO KIDNAP CHIEF / MINISTERS (united tress association—bt electric TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.) (Received March 11, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 10. Sir Percival Phillips, famous war correspondent, telegraphing to the "Daily Telegraph" from Athens, says: "The inner history of the Greek revolt shows that it was prepared by M. Venizelos and General Plastiras, who agreed to act jointly for the overthrow of the Government. "General Plastiras wanted an earlier coup and went to the Bulgarian frontier, but M. Venizelos sent a liaison officer to say that the time was not ripe. General Plastiras was furious and decided independently to organise a rising on March 25, the anniversary of Greek independence. "He formed a plan that while members of the Cabinet and the principal officers were in church he would surround the building and kidnap the chief Ministers as they left, at the same time persuading the troops participating in the annual parade to join the rising. . "Meanwhile, there was to be a simultaneous rising in Macedonia, Epirus, and Thrace. The warships were to be seized and General Plastiras was to go to the northern frontier ready to take over operations at Salonica. "All this came to the ears of M. Venizelos, who recfegnised that he would fill a secondary role under General Plastira's dictatorship. A "Mad Enterprise" "M. Venizelos therefore told the officers in the conspiracy to begin the revolution earlier: hence the events of March 1. "A captain stationed at Salonica revealed the plot at noon on March 1 to the Governor-General, who was able to prevent Salonica and the large towns in Macedonia from falling into the rebels' hands. "He held manoeuvres in the afternoon and summoned all officers to discuss them at headquarters, then had the building surrounded by loyal troops. The Governor-Gene-ral telegraphed the discovery to the Premier, M. Tsaldaris. "M. Tsaldaris granted me an interview to-day," states the correspondent. "In a statement he said: 'We are dealing with one of the worst political crimes in our history, committed by M. Venizelos. He has not hesitated to inflict enormous damage on the country for his own political ends. The country will never forgive him. Fortunately the country, apart from a lew misguided officers and men, refused to join with M. Venizelos in his mad enterprise. Reports from Macedonia are good, and I hope that order will soon be restored. The rest of the country throughout remained absolutely calm and quiet.' "