“The Hellenic National Union was founded in 1927. That is to say, before the formation of the present Government” the Prime Minister, M. Venizelos, said speaking in the Chamber yesterday. “After the war the state of mind was such that the foundation of such a Union was quite natural. I think that the organisation of leagues aiming at the protection of the State is not profitable. The defence of the State against its external dangers can only be undertaken by the State. Those who think that the State is badly organised and is not in a position to confront the dangers, ought to turn their attention to the interior of the State and upset the Government by constitutional means in order to give the country a Government capable of confronting external enemies.”
The Government is ready to give its blessing to the E.E.E. insofar as it is a reaction against Communism, M. Venizoros said. But when this Association exceeds the limits of the law, it will find the Government pitiless if it should work against another element of the Greek population, the Jews, the “Progres” reports.
The Prime Minister did not view at all favourably the mysticism shown in certain circulars of the Association nor the parades of its members in steel helmets. The parallel thus established with certain other “steel helmets” does not at all please the Government, he declared. M. Venizelos went on to express his deep indignation at the recent incidents in Salonica against the Jews, and said that the Secretary of the E.E.E., and the responsible editor of the Salonica newspaper had been called before the courts.
In consequence of certain accusations made in Parliament by M. Papanastassiou, the leader of the Republic Union, formally denouncing certain actions of the E.E.E. and asking for the dissolution of this organisation, it concludes, and further-more, taking into consideration the declarations of M. Venizelos, the Procureur of the court of first instance has been instructed to follow the actions of the E.E.E. and to dissolve the association in case it should overstep the law.
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