Letter from V. Karapanagiotis to S. Venizelos concerning the latter's declaration of support for the Papandreou government, the latter's inaction in the face of the measures taken against the sender, and the decision already taken by the British to arrest the sender

των Φιλελευθέρων εδώ. Υποθέτω ότι δεν βρίσκεις καμία δικαιολογία για τα μέτρα εναντίον μου ούτε έλαβες καμία εξήγηση. Εκτός αν την εξήγηση θεωρείς φρόνιμο να την κρατήσεις μυστική και από μένα. Ξέρεις καλύτερα από κάθε άλλον ποια υπήρξε η πολιτεία μου και ως υπουργού των Στρατιωτικών και ως μέλους της κυβέρνησης στα γενικότερα ζητήματα. Βρεθήκαμε σχεδόν πάντοτε σε πλήρη ομοφωνία και τις αντιλήψεις μου τις υποστήριξα πάντοτε με θάρρος και σταθερότητα, κάποτε δε με οξύτητα και βιαιότητα. Δεν υπήρξα ποτέ ο άνθρωπος των σκοτεινών συμβιβασμών. Κατά την άσκηση των καθηκόντων μου αγωνίστηκα εναντίον ποικίλων αντιδράσεων εκ μέρους φίλων και εχθρών, πολλές φορές μόνος. Υπερασπίστηκα σταθερά την αξιοπρέπεια και τα δικαιώματα της κυβέρνησης και απέναντι στους συμμάχους υπήρξα πιστός σύμμαχος και όχι δούλος. Είναι πρόδηλο ότι η θαρραλέα στάση μου προκάλεσε την έχθρα των ισχυρών. Αλλά δεν είμαι εκείνος που θα λυγίσει μπροστά σε οποιαδήποτε απειλή. Θα συνεχίσω τους αγώνες μου τη στιγμή αυτή κατά την οποία επιδιώκεται, με την ανοχή σου, ο πολιτικός μου αφανισμός από τον πολιτικό μου αντίπαλο, ο οποίος μαζί με τα άλλα εφόδια μετέφερε και τη μικροπολιτική. Είναι προφανές ότι δεν έχω διάθεση να αφήσω να περάσει όλο το ζήτημα σιωπηλά. Ζητώ αντίθετα να χυθεί πλήρες φως. Ζητώ για τον σκοπό αυτόν την άμεση σύγκληση Ανακριτικής Επιτροπής που θα αποτελείται από τους πρώην Προέδρους και Αντιπροέδρους Κυβέρνησης και θα αναλάβει τη διαλεύκανση της κατηγορίας εναντίον μου, από την οποία προέκυψαν τα πρωτοφανή μέτρα εναντίον μου. Για την προσωπική μου όμως αυτή άμυνα θεωρώ ότι η συνδρομή σου αποτελεί για σένα καθήκον τιμής, μπροστά στην εκπλήρωση του οποίου δεν πρέπει να διστάσεις. Εφόσον ένα μέλος του Κόμματος των Φιλελευθέρων, που έχει υπάρξει επανειλημμένα μέλος κυβερνήσεων, πλήττεται με τόσο βίαιο και αδικαιολόγητο τρόπο, φρονώ ότι επιβάλλεται να ανέβεις στο ύψος των απαιτήσεων του ονόματός σου και στην ιδιότητά σου ως αρχηγού των Φιλελευθέρων εδώ να απαιτήσεις με τον πιο επιτακτικό τρόπο

buradaki Liberallerin önderi sıfatındır. Sanıyorum aleyhimdeki tedbirler için hiçbir gerekçe bulmuyorsun, hiçbir açıklama da almadın. Meğer ki açıklamayı benden de gizli tutmayı akıllıca sayıyorsun. Gerek Askerî İşler Bakanı olarak gerekse hükümet üyesi olarak daha genel konulardaki tutumumun ne olduğunu herkesten iyi biliyorsun. Neredeyse her zaman tam bir fikir birliği içinde olduk; ben görüşlerimi her zaman cesaretle ve kararlılıkla, bazen de sertlik ve şiddetle savundum. Hiçbir zaman karanlık uzlaşmaların adamı olmadım. Görevlerimi yerine getirirken, dostların ve düşmanların çeşitli tepkilerine karşı, çoğu kez yalnız başıma mücadele ettim. Hükümetin onurunu ve haklarını sürekli savundum ve müttefiklere karşı sadık bir müttefik oldum, köle değil. Yüreklice tutumumun güçlülerin düşmanlığını çektiği açıktır. Ama ben, herhangi bir tehdit karşısında boyun eğecek olan kişi değilim. Mücadelelerime, senin hoşgörünle, siyasi olarak ortadan kaldırılmamın siyasi rakibim tarafından amaçlandığı şu anda da devam edeceğim; bu rakip, diğer donanımlarıyla birlikte günlük küçük siyaseti de beraberinde getirmiştir. Tüm meselenin sessizce geçmesine izin verme niyetinde olmadığım açıktır. Aksine, tam bir aydınlığın sağlanmasını istiyorum. Bu amaçla, daha önce Hükümet Başkanlığı ve Başkan Yardımcılığı yapmış olanlardan oluşan bir Soruşturma Komisyonu'nun derhal toplanmasını talep ediyorum; bu komisyon, hakkımdaki duyulmamış tedbirlerin kaynağı olan suçlamayı aydınlatmayı üstlensin. Bu kişisel savunmam için, desteğinin senin açından bir onur borcu olduğunu, bunu yerine getirmekten çekinmemen gerektiğini düşünüyorum. Liberaller Partisi'nin, defalarca hükümetlerde yer almış bir üyesi böylesine şiddetli ve haksız bir biçimde hedef alındığına göre, adının gerektirdiği yüksekliğe çıkman ve buradaki Liberallerin önderi sıfatıyla en emredici biçimde talep etmen gerektiği kanısındayım:

the Liberals here. I suppose you find no justification for the measures against me, nor have you received any explanation. Unless you consider it prudent to keep the explanation secret from me as well. You know better than anyone else what my conduct has been, both as Minister of Military Affairs and as a member of the government, on the more general questions. We found ourselves almost always in complete unanimity, and I always upheld my views with courage and steadfastness, at times with sharpness and vehemence. I have never been the man of murky compromises. In the exercise of my duties I contended with various forms of opposition from friends and enemies alike, often alone. I steadfastly defended the dignity and the rights of the government, and toward the allies I was a faithful ally and not a slave. It is evident that my forthright stance provoked the enmity of the powerful. But I am not one who will bend before any threat. I shall continue my struggles precisely at this moment, when, with your tolerance, my political annihilation is being pursued by my political opponent, who, among his other equipment, also brought along petty politics. It is obvious that I have no inclination to let the whole matter pass in silence. On the contrary, I demand that full light be shed. To this end I demand the immediate convening of an Investigative Committee composed of those who have served as Presidents and Vice-Presidents of Government, which shall undertake to clarify the accusation against me, from which the unheard-of measures against me resulted. For this personal defence of mine, however, I consider that your assistance constitutes for you a duty of honour, before the discharge of which you must not hesitate. Since a member of the Liberal Party, who has repeatedly been a member of governments, is struck in such a violent and unjustifiable manner, I think it is imperative that you rise to the height of the demands of your name and, in your capacity as leader of the Liberals here, demand in the most peremptory manner