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Discussion in the First Committee Before discussion of the UNSCOB reports began, the First Committee was called on to decide in what capacity, if any, it should hear representatives of Albania, Bulgaria, and the " provisional democratic Government of Greece." The Committee rejected a Soviet Union proposal to allow Bulgaria to participate fully in the debate by 6 votes in favour, 28 (N.Z.) against, with 15 abstentions. The United States delegate then moved that the Committee should " decide to hear the statements of the Bulgarian and Albanian delegations on the Greek question and request them to. place themselves at the disposal of the Committee in order to reply to any questions which may be put to them." This proposal was adopted by 31 votes (N.Z.) to 6, with 6 abstentions. A Yugoslav proposal to admit a representative of the " provisional democratic Government of Greece "■—in other words, of General Markos, the guerrilla leader—was defeated by 6 votes in favour, 50 (N.Z.) against, with no abstentions. A Polish motion to hear Miltiades Porphyrogenis, former Secretary-General of the EAM, was rejected by a similar majority, after it had been pointed out that Porphyrogenis was, in fact, Minister of Justice in the Markos " Cabinet." The general discussion opened with a statement by Dr Najera of Mexico, the Rapporteur of the Special Committee. While UNSCOB had been frustrated in its conciliatory task by the attitude of Greece's northern neighbours, he said, it had carried through its duty of investigating frontier incidents in difficult and dangerous circumstances, relying on direct observation rather than the evidence of witnesses. The observer groups had frequently been fired on, both by guerrillas and from across the frontier. General Markos had instructed his forces not to allow the presence of observers to interfere with operations, and to trea+ captured observers as prisoners of war. UNSCOB had sought to be scrupulously impartial. The factual part of its report had been unanimously approved, and the interpretation placed on the facts had been approved by 8 votes in favour, with 1 abstention (Australia). The United States representative (Mr Dulles) said that what was happening in Greece was only part of a general effort to extend Soviet communism throughout the world ; and it was because communism always practised violence that the United Nations was faced with constant fear. UNSCOB had been prevented from performing its conciliatory tasks. Nevertheless, the Assembly's resolution of last year had not been a failure ; if it had not been for the presence of UNSCOB in Greece, the military aid given to the guerrillas would have been far greater. Greece had not only survived but, with the aid of friendly States, was steadily rehabilitating herself ; this effort should be carried on to the complete success that was now m sight. Therefore the United States, together
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