NEW GREEK CABINET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 5 January 1945, Page 5

NEW GREEK CABINET

PROGRESSIVE. POLICY EXPECTED

E.A.M. NOT REPRESENTED (Rec. 9 a.m.) London, Jan. 4. The formation of a new Greek Government was announced yesteday. General Plastiras is Prime Minister and also holds the portfolios of War, N -y. Air and Mercantile Marine. As a whole the Cabinet is Liberal, and its policy may be expected to be progressive rather than conservative. The other Ministers include the Socialist Party member M. Sofianopoulos. as Foreign Minister and the Liberal M. Sideris as Minister of Finance. The full list is not yet available, but the E.A.M. docs not appear to be represented. The Cabinet consists of seven Ministers and five Under-Secretaries. AIMS f F NEW CABINET M. Plastiras’s Cabinet was sworn in before the Regent. Archbishop Damaskinos. this afternoon says Reuter’s Athens correspondent. M. Plastiras stated that the aims of his Government were: (1) To restore the meaning of the State by imposing legal order. (2) Tj recall all public servants to their full sense of duty. (3) To punish all who collaborated in crimes during the German occupation. (4) To meet the urgent needs of the population for food, shelter and communications. (5) To stabilise *he currency and come to the help of the working classes. M. Plastiras added that he hopjd he would have the hr Ip of the o reat Allies in the accomplishment of his tasks. M. Papandreou. M. Sofoulis and M. Kafahdaris announced their support for the Government. FURTHER AREAS LIBERATED (Rec. 9.30 a.m.) London, Jan. 4. General Scobie’s communique reports that good progress * has been made clearing insurgents from the centre and east of Athens. A number of insurgents were taken prisoner. The British in Piraeus have liberated further sectors. The Greek National Guard is assisting the British in holding the cleared areas. MAIN STRONGHOLD ELIMINATED

The clearing of the Kaissariani quarters means the elimination of the main E.L.A.S. stronghold in Athens, says a correspondent. Kaissariani was used by Greek refugees and was chosen by the Communists as their headquarters during the German occupation. The remarkable tolerance displayed by the Germans suggests that they knew the headquarters was being prepared for eventual resistance against the British. It is known that both defensive and offensive preparations commenced there long before the liberation of Athens, and it was from there the principal Communist demonstrations were made after liberation. Kaissariani also constituted a threat to the Kolonaki quartets inhabited mainly by well-to-do persons affording an easy centre for pillaging expeditions. It is now occupied by recently recruited battalions of National Guards. Germans, Bulg .rians and Italians were found serving in the E L.A.S. forties in this quarter.