INFORMATION MEMO ON DEMETRACOPOULOS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-12-5-67-9
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2011
• Sequence Number: 67
• Publication Date: March 22, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
W - 'INGTO ACTION
26062
March 22, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR DR. KISSI
FROM: Harold H. Saunders
SUBJECT: Information Memo on Demetracopoulos
Attached is the information memo you requested on the recent
Dernetracopoulos flap.
DOS, OSD, NSS reviews
completed.
This is g not going forward to the Pres.
Dr. K has seen.
nancy 4/6
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BIEMORANDUM IP
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON INFORMATION
26062
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM: Henry A. Kissinger
SUBJECT: The Dernetracopoulos Affair
You may have heard some repercussions from the recent flap over
a request by Greek "journalist" and resistance leader, Elias Demetra-
copoulos, to return to Greece to see his sick father. In his behalf,
Senators Moss, Gravel, Burdick and Hartke had wired our embassy
to convey a message to the Greek government asking that it guarantee
safe conduct during the trip since he is a political exile. Our embassy
delivered the messages and was told that the Greek embassy in
Washington would be instructed to inform Demetracopoulos to apply
for a laissez-passer. Under Secretary Palamas in Athens left
Ambassador Tasca with the impression that the government would
make no difficulty for him.
The long and the short of it is that Demetracopoulos never got in touch
with the embassy here?although State had advised him to do that- -nor
did the embassy get in touch with him. In the interim, his father died
and he--along with the Senators who at that point had not had direct
reply to their telegram to the Greek government?blamed the White
House and State for inhumane mishandling of the affair. The Senators
subsequently wrote a very critical letter to you. Bill Timmons signed
a reply which I cleared clarifying that our government had done every-
thing appropriate and that Demetracopoulos could have gone had he
applied to the embassy here. The issue died down very quickly.
Since Demetracopoulos has such a following in Congress and has an
outlet in Rowland Evans, I thought you might be interested in knowing
that he has long been an irritant in U.S. -Greek relations. Among his
intrigues?whi(h have included selling hims lf as a trusted U.S. agent
to anyone and everyone--he has touched off a record number of contro-
versies and embarrassments between Greek and American officials.
Through various journalistic enterprises, he has somehow managed to
gain access to press and government circles. State, Defense and
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SECRET
USIA have repeatedly warned officials about Dernetracopoulos; yet
he managed, for example, to get an exclusive interview with then
Vice-President Lyndon Johnson in 1961. Hc has had similar success
elsewhere in the government and on the Hill. Whether the Senators
are fully informed on Demetracopoulos background is unclear. Never-
theless, they find him a convenient peg on which to hang a lot of
complaints about our policy in Greece.
SECRET
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 17, 1971
Dear Henry,
I was interested to read the saga you
sent me, following the most recent
bout with Demetracopoulos. He and
his ilk are troublesome, but the issue
here at least seems relatively quiet.
Warm regards,
Henry A. Kissinger
The Honorable
Henry J. Tasca
Embassy of the United States of America
Athens
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