Evening star., 1897-04-12
TROUBLES OF CRETE
Causes for the Revolt Against the
Sultan.
NINTH OUTBREAK ON TIE ISLAND
Turkeys Double Dealing Displeased
Both Sides.
PART TAKEN BY GREECE

The present insurrection of the Cretan
Christians is the ninth since that island
came into the possession of the Turks in
1868, says the New York Sun in a narra-
tion of the troubles in Crete ard the dis
pute between Greece ard Turkey. In 1871
Crete, with the other Greek islands. re-
volted against the rule of the sultan; but
when by the treaty of London in 1890
Greece became an inde pendent kingdom
the island was handed back to Turkey.
Since that time rebellions have been periodi
cal for the reason that Greece has been
always one of the worst governed of the
Ottoman provinces. In 1910 the island
was handed over to Mehemet Ali of Egypt
but shortly afterward the Turks regained
it, and exercised such oppression as to
provoke, In 1866, a formidable uprising,
which lasted over two years. Had it not
been for the mutual distrust of the Euro
pean powers, the islanders would have then
attained their end, which was union with
Greece. The suppression of that insur-
rection imposed upon the Turkish treas
ury an outlay of over thirty million dollars,
or more than the cost to the Ottoman en-
pre of the Crimean war.
Toward the close of 1868 new organic
law for the island was published, which
promised some liberal concessions to the
Cretan Christians. These concessions were
currence Of the old discomfort and an
archy.
The Berlin Congress-.
At the Berlin congress, an earnest appeal
having been made by the Cretans through
the Greek delegate, the following article
was inserted in the Berlin treaty: THE
sublime porte undertakes to apply scrupu-
lously to the island of Crete the organic
law of 1868 while introducing into it the
,Nd{f {firaf ffnpc htp1, ha oil
visable." The Turks signed the treaty but.
as they took no steps to execute the clause
quoted. a fresh insurrection broke out.
Thereupon. the porte sent Mukhtar Pasha
to Crete, with power to grant certain prlvi-
leges in pursuance of the law of 1868. Ne
gotiations took place between the Turkish
commissioner and delegates of the Chris
tians, and the outcome was the socalled
treaty of Halepa, signed October 10, 1873.
The Treaty of HaIepa.
BY the terms of this agreement the gov
| ernor of the island was to be Christian,
and limited measure of autonomy was
granted The new regime, however. would
not work, for it was not intended by the
Turks to work. A Christian governor, in
deed, was appointed but, simultaneously, a
military governor was sent who had the
command of the troops and could act in
dependently. The position of the former
thus became untenable, and. after the ap
pointment of one or two more Christian
governors. Mohammedan took their
place. The concessions of the Halepa
treaty were all withdrawn, one after an
other, until the instrument became a dead
letter
The resultant insurrection of 1889 caused
the sultan even TO abolish formally the
Halepa pact In July. 1886. however when
hostlities again broke oIt between Mo-
hammedans and Christians. the porte,
pressed by the ambassadors of the powers,
promulgated a new trade providing that
the governor general of the island should
be Christian appointed by the sultan,
with the approval of the powers: that
taxes should be levied by national as
sembiy. and that public offices should be
distributed in the proportion of two-thirds
to Christians and one-third to Mohamme-
dams. An organic law embodying these
concessions was accepted by the delegates
of the Cretan Christians on September 3,
1896
lnsurrectiun of 1896.
The porte. nevertheless. put all sorts of
i'm pediments in the way of the fulfillnent
of the reforms; the Mohammedans of Crete
were enraged at the privileges granted to
the Christians: the foreign consuls, who
had acted Intermediates in the nego-
tations, looked on passively, and took no
measures to assure the execution of the
agreement. Hence the renewal of the
scenes of pillage. massacre and incendiar-
ism, eliminating in the slaughter of Chris
tans at Canea, which forced the European
question.
Greece Discouraged Insurgents.
With regard to the charge that Greece
fomented the insurrection of July, 1896,
and secretly gave help to the insurgents,
Consul Botassi of New York declares, in
an article in the April North American
Review, that nothing is further from the
truth. Had the Athens government then
encouraged the Cretan revolutiOniStS,
things would not have come to the danger
Gus point they have now reached. AS
matter of fact, Greece, through her consuls
at Canea and Heraklion, urged the in
surgents to stop the aggressive war, prom
ising to use her influence with the great
powers to obtain from the sultan the
forms desired. 1t was the butchery of the
Christians at Canea which rendered the
position of King George and his cabinet
well night untenable. The whole Greek ma
ton had risen like one man, clamoring
for armed Intervention in Crete; no human
power could stem the current of opinion.
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