LAD 29

TheBritish Embassy told the U.S. State Department officials that Great Britain could no longer provide financial aid to the governments of Greece and Turkey. America had been monitoring Greece's crumbling economic and political conditions. The United States had also been following events in Turkey, When Britain announced that it would withdraw aid to Greece and Turkey, the responsibility was passed on to the United States. President Truman stressed the severity of the crisis in an address to Congress. March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman asked for $400 million in assistance for Greece and Turkey and established a doctrine, aptly characterized the Truman Doctrine. Basically it said that the United States will help any country in fear of a ommunist takover.