A grim, pessimistic mood hangs over this ancient city. Martial law, rising prices, tight bank credits, and the oil crisis have combined to turn the habitually happy-go-lucky Greek into a melancholy introvert. The officers who overthrew George Papadopoulos and his newborn civilian government have tightened the screws. The press is strictly controlled and dissent stifled.
The new revolutionary council consists of 200 officers ranging in rank from brigadiers to majors. Their spokesman is Brigadier Demetrios Ioannides, head of the military police. He insists that all decisions be taken collectively; that there istobeno new cult of personality á la Papadopoulos. There seem to be three ideological trends within the revolutionary council. The first— antiroyalist, anti-Communist, politically incorruptible, and pro-NATO—believes the country suffers from the same ills that brought on the revolution of 1967, i.e., corrupt politicians, an irresponsible press, a continuing danger of Communist infiltration and civil strife. Its goal is to accomplish what the original takeover was supposed to have done, to purify the body politic and eventually make it possible for a return to a democratically elected government.
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