Innocents abroad
Sir: Helen Vlachos's spiritzd little article (3 May) refers to Greek press reports and what was reported to have been said not by the whole delegation of five who visited Greece but by two of our number who went to the Isles
of Leros and Naxos. The accuracy or other- wise of the Greek reporting is thus a matter for them.
So far as we are concerned, the following points should be made: 1. It was of value to meet the leaders of the Junta and to emphasise to them how im- portant we felt it to be for the continued good relations of our two countries for there to be a speedy return to democratic rule.
2. We only accepted the Invitation to visit Greece on the clear undertaking that we would be able to visit whoever we liked and go wherever we wanted. This undertaking was honoured. It is fatuous to suggest that we only heard what the people who invited us 'told us through an interpreter.' Mr Canellopoulos, the Prime Minister at the time of the coup, speaks perfect English anJ our group talked to him in complete privacy. Further, George Papandreou spoke out entirely without in- hibition and we were constantly meeting Greeks and foreign correspondents who found no difficulty in talking to us without any agent of the Greek government being present. We saw those whom we wanted to see, and we saw them on our terms.
It is our belief that there is a very reason-
able chance that parliamentary democracy will be restored in Greece before long, and we fer- vently hope that responsible Greek politicians and journalists will be vigilant to see that the circumstances do not arise again in which a coup from left or right is possible.
Antony Buck David Webster House of Commons, London SW I
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