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Show Greece Placed Under Strong Dictatorship Martial Law Declared By .Metaxas, New Strong Man, To Stop Strikes held in barracks ready for action. Citizens of Athens as they went to work this morning road in public pub-lic squares and all principal street posters on which the paste was not yet dry announcing the government's gov-ernment's action. Morning newspapers did not appear. Metaxas learned that Communists Commun-ists declared a general strike in the Athens area and at Piraeus, the port of Athens, in protest against a, government decision de-cision to enforce compulsory arbitration arbi-tration of all labor disputes. Metaxas, as premier, called an emergency cabinet meeting and drafted the decrees. He went to the royal palace and told the King, whose complete confidence he enjoys, en-joys, of the situation. King George at once approved the decrees mid they were promulgated officially. It was announced that the government's gov-ernment's drastic action had a pacifying effect and that order was established throughout the country. Metaxas said he intended to maintain the emergency state only until public order is assured. BY ANTHONY KEDKAS United Press Staff Correspondent (Copyright 1986 by United Press) ATHENS, Aug. 5 (U.R) Greece joined today the roster of Europe's Eur-ope's "strong man'1 states. Gen. John Metaxas, born on Ithaca Island which was the birthplace birth-place of Ulysses, became dictator to Greece's 6,750,000 people, under un-der and with the approval of King George II. In a terse series of decrees, Metaxas declared martial law, dissolved dis-solved parliament, postponed elections elec-tions indefinitely and mobilized all workers in essential services such as railways in order that, called to the colors, they would be directly under government con-i tfol. Legal Coup The action, approximating in its force a legal coup, was taken, it was announced, because of the declaration by communists of a general strike that seemed likely to lead to serious disturbances and bloodshed. Strong guards were mounted at power stations, gas works and other vital points and all soldiers and police not on guard duty were |