Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-17
WHAT GREECE WILL FIGHT FOR.

charity.
WHAT GREECE WILL FIGHT FOR.
The old north boundary of Greece be-
| gan on the gulf of Arta, and running half
across the peninsula eastward a quarter of
degree north of the thirty ninth parallel
| Of latitude, descended to that line and fol-
lowed it practically to the gulf of Volo.
opening out of the A8gean Sea. The ex-
IRENE northern boundary within which
Greek is spoken extends from the head of
the Kgean, near Saloniki, westward in a
general but tortuous course to point
short distance above the junction of the
west boundary and the fortieth parallel of
latitude. In 1878 Greece claimed anorth-
ern boundary beginning on the Egean Sea
Just above Mavronero, and running thence
southwesterly in slightly irregular line
to Kratzova, and thence westerly to Quar-
antru, on the Corfuan channel The Berlin
Conference agreed upon northern bound
airy to begin on the west border of the
4Egean at Letokhori, less than ten miles
above the shore junction with the fortieth
parallel. 1t ran thence due west to and
over Mount Olympus, diverged to the
north slightly, and then, pursuing west
erly and southwesterly course past Kratz-
ova and Metsoro and along the Kalamas
river to its mouth in the channel of Corfu
The present boundary of Greece, and over
which the present trouble arises, begins on
the Egean at the fortieth parallel, runs
almost due west to the Salamvria, turns to
the south, and by nearly a direct line
reaches the Gulf of Arta at the point
where the old boundary, first detailed, be-
gan. Those curious to note the very small
amount of territory involved between
these lines, can locate them from these
descriptions with tolerable accuracy upon
an ordinary atlas. The Berlin Conference
agreed most solemnly that Greece was en-
titled to the boundary beginning somewhat
Turkey and Greece to locate that frontier.
The two States could not agree, and asked
for new conference, and it was held in
1880, when the Powers fixed the boundary
beginning at Letokhori and ending at Kala-
mas. Greece accepted the award, but
Turkey declined, by her silence. The
conference reassembled and advised a more
southerlya frontier, and though it sheared
Greece of valuable territory, she accepted,
reserying, however, her rights. Thus the
matter has rested for four years, Turkey
stubbornly refusing to accede. Now Greece
demands the territory within the frontier
line first agreed upon by the conference,
that is, the line beginning on the Egean
shore at Letokhori and ending at the
mouth of the Kalamas 1t is, as any will
see who take the trouble to even roughly
trace the lines, a small territorial area that
is involved, but stragetically it is of very
great importance to Greece, while by every
natural right the region belongs to her,
and commonest justice fortifes her demand
for it. This is the case, as the Greek
Premier, NJ. Delyannis, puts it, and he ap-
peals to the sense of justice throughout the
world to judge his country. The appeal is
a strong one. Conscience, common right
and the most ordinary spirit of fairness
enlist sympathy for Greece. She has
better navy by far than Turkey, but her
land forces are not more than one-third as
numerous as those Turkey now has upon
the frontier. If the Powers would keep
hands of, the topography of the country
being to her advantage and the water serv-
ice greatly favorable to her, Greece could,
in all probabilities, make it of interest to
| the Porte to come to an agreement The
| Macedonians and the Greeks of the sea
isles would certainly rise if war were de-
clared, and this would, of course, be highly
advantageous to Greece, but even armed
with the right, it is not probable that the
Hellenic State could contend on land for any
great length of time against the numbers
Turkey could eventually throw into the
detiles of the frontier. The hope of Greece,
therefore, is in her ability for aggressive
acts upon water, and in the interest of the
Powers to intervene and prevent the i'm
perilling of the peace of the East. Eng
land, Germany and Austria say to her I:
You must suffer wrong rather than
assume an attitude that may set us all by
the ears" Russia is non-committal, but
will seize any opportune advantage to get
nearer to the seat of the Porte. France,
on the other hand, is known to be ex-
tremely favorable to Greece, and to be
giving her all the encouragement that can
flow from sympathy and refusal to take
part in the late naval demonstration As