New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-16
INTERVENTION IN CRETE.

The expected seems strangely enough, 10 pe
happening in Crete The Great Powers '''e
interviewed to preserve peace; Ie' u W "op''
not 70 upboId tyranny Turkey has been 'oiu
that she has no need to get eXcited or 10 sus-
pond tho work of administrative reform. lor
Creece will not be allowed to make war upon
bor Greece has been told that she must re-
strain her belicose ardor and sit still while
bor bigger neighbors settle affairs for hef: WIN
q nromse. il Is limited, that If she Is Obedieht
sbo shall have Crete one Of these days. All Oh
which is. as we have already pointed cut ell
,irelv logical The Great Powers are RESPONSE
ble for the Cretan problem. and they ought 10
fulfil the duty of solving it, finally and eIufa-
bly. Whether they will do so or not remains
n no seen Mr. Gladstone reminds them that
tbev have characters to lose. If they do not
want TO lose them, they should take some
prompt and positive action in Crete that Will
satisfy the lust demands Of nationality and OF
humanity. If instead they merely salve the
matter over and postpone the day OF se''"-
mcnt. their characters may not be ruined, but
they will be marred
It is well. thus far that they have interviewed
In so doing they have probably prevented
war between Greece and Turkey. and thus have
Il
with consequences more dreadful than the COM
plete humiliation of Crete would be. Inc!
have indeed done great kindness To Greece
herself II is all very well for the Greek "o'-
eminent to proclaim to the world tlia' IL as
sumcs full responsibility for its acts ana FOR the
! annexation of Crete and it is all very me TOT
that spirited little nation to let slip inc uoSs
of war; against n Power ten times rs Dig as
itself But it is also fOolhardy. Every one
knows perfectly well that if left to themselves
| to fight it out Turkey would thrash Greece OH
the map of Europe in about three moh'hs' ana
that Greece. in her extremity. would appear 10
the Great Powers for aid and rescue, ana they
would have to intervene and save her. or sui
fer the shame of seeing the little Christian and
European nation crushed by the Mosem ana
Asiatic Power The Greek army Of 100000 men,
even if led by another Palacoogus or Bozzaris.
| could not hope to stand again / turkish
| army four times as large, led by the mighty Us
| nan or one of his peers.
| There ought TO be no danger Of such catas-
| trophe as a Turkish invasion of Thessaly. ana
| there ought to be no pcrpctuation or TURKISH
| abuses in Crete. If the Powers are sincere III
| their desire for both peace and justice they can
| make both secure. The problem was solved III
| Samos long ago. when that island was made
| autonomous under a Prince Of its own, with
only a shadow Of Turkish SuZcrainty remain
ing similar arrangement might be effected
| in Crete and would doubtless prove satisfac-
| tory to all parties concerned. 1t would, OF
| course be recognized merely tentative, an
| nexation TO Greece being the ultimate destiny
| of the island. But just ut present there is need
of some such tentative arrangement that Will
serve until the greater questions of Turkish
| reform. which are now under consideration at
Constantinople, are settled Crete ought TO
have good government and the legitimate as
pirations of the Greek race ought to he realized,
but not at the needless cost Of a great Euro
ppan war