Archresister

From liberated Athens TIME Correspondent Reg Ingraham cabled the story of how white-bearded, brown-eyed Archbishop Damaskinos, head of the Greek Orthodox Church, had led resistance against the Nazis so stoutly that for the past four months the Germans had kept him locked in his bedroom.

One of the most dramatic stories told about the Archbishop's fight against the Germans: when 18 Greeks had been sentenced to death in Piraeus as hostages for the death of a German soldier, the Archbishop went to the commandant in Piraeus, literally forced his way inside, and told him the condemned men had families. "How are they to be cared for?" the prelate demanded. The German replied he could not do otherwise because he was under orders to execute 18 persons in reprisal--if not these particular victims, then an equal number of others. Said the commandant: "You give the names of 18 others and I will release these."

The Archbishop agreed, and taking a piece of paper he quickly penciled 18 names, handed the paper to the surprised German. The commandant began to read the names, purpled and stopped. Heading the list with his own name, the Archbishop had jotted down the names of all the other Greek bishops. Snapped the commandant: "You know I cannot do this. I would have a revolution on my hands."

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