§ 17. Mr. Warbeyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the reasons for the alteration of the decision that the British and U.S. observers of the revision of the registers in preparation for the recent plebiscite in Greece, should not stay to observe the plebiscite itself.
§ Mr. BevinThe observers who were sent out to Greece to supervise the revision of the Greek electoral registers were not sufficiently numerous to cover the ground adequately and produce an authoritative report for the Greek Government on the actual conduct of the Greek plebiscite. The invitation of the Greek Government to leave them in Greece to observe the plebiscite as the elections were observed was accordingly declined. The Greek Government, however, pressed their request and His Majesty's Government decided that in the circumstances the observers should stay on as a means of increasing the amount of information available to the British Embassy on the conduct of the plebiscite.
§ Mr. WarbeyIf the number of observers was insufficient for proper observation of the plebiscite, why did they go through the farce of staying on to observe it, and if the number was adequate, why does not my right hon. Friend publish their report?
§ Mr. BevinIt was a general observation at the request of the Greek Government, but I have never accepted it as an authoritative observation, such as that of the elections was.