Pleasing the Greeks
Fr he Greek government ought by now to be seriously alarmed at the activities of the British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles. The committee, in the person of Mr Graham Binns, has reveal- ed that in January 1941 some members of the British Foreign Office expressed a guarded and provisional support for the return of the marbles. Many British people previously indifferent to the whole affair will know from this that the marbles quite indisputably belong here. The Foreign Of- fice did not pretend otherwise: the principle that antiquities should be returned to their place of origin was specifically denied. The marbles were to be returned because 'such a gesture would be warmly welcomed by the Greeks'. No doubt Mr Kinnock arrived at a similar assessment of Greek feeling during his taverna dinner with Miss Melina Mer- couri. As a result he is in danger of becom- ing identified with the Foreign Office line that 'pleasing the Greeks' (or any other foreign power) by surrendering British in- terests to them (whether marbles, territories or budget contributions) is much the least embarrassing way of carrying on a foreign policy. If Mr Kinnock must look to the Foreign Office for guidance, he might memorise the diplomatic words it supplied to Mr Attlee, to answer a parliamentary question on the marbles: 'The present mo- ment is inopportune for a final decision .'
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