The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-03
TROUBLES OF CRETANS.
Famous in Greek Mythology as the
Home of the Minotaur--Once Il
Country of Small Republics, After
wards the Prey of the Romans, the
Saracens and the Turks Respec-
tively--A Century of fInsurrcciiOn.
From the Philadelphia Times.

SaracenS and the Turks Respec-
tively--A Century of Insurreciion.
From the Philadelphia Times,
The turbulent state of affairs in Crete
recalls the fact that this island has
been the scene of perpetual discord and
strife from time immemorial.
To go back as far as one can, that is,
to the legendary period of Grecian
mythology, it was first celebrated, un-
der the rule of King Minos,as the home
of Daedalus, who constructed among
the tOrtuous and rocky inlets of its
coast the famous labyrinth in which
the Minotaur was concealed. About
1000 Is. G.. the Dorlans established sew
eral small republics on the island mod
eled after the fashion or the Spartans.
The Cretan archers were renowned at
that time for their skill as archers and
were in great request as mercenares
in foreign armies. In 81 b. c. the popu-
lation had greatly decreased and the
island fell an easy prey to the Romans,
who added it to their colonial possess
siOns. Upon the collapse of the Roman
empire and it's subsequent dismember-
ment, Crete became a part of the By
zantine empire, until A. d. 1923, when it
was taken by the ,SaraCens who held
! it until 961. On the conquest of Con-
stantinople by the Crusaders the ISL
| and was allotted to Boniface, Marquis
of Montferrat, who sold it to the Vene-
! tians in 1904. In the thirteenth and
! fourteenth centuries it was subjected
to a constant succession of assaults by
the Genoese and Turks, but these at
| tacks were successfully resisted until
| the close of the seventeenth century,
|
| to the Turks after a prOtracted siege.
! For the next hundred years the island
was impoverished by oppression and
| devastated by repeated attempts at in
| surrecton.' In 1880 it was ceded to the
! viceroy of Egypt, but restored to the
| porte again in 1S41. Insurrection
against the Turkish rule broke out once
more in 1858. but made slow headway
until 1866, when the whole Christian
population rose up in arms against the
Mussulmans. Vigorous fighting took
! place in 1867 between the insurgents
and the Turkish troops, under Omer
| Pasha, and the hostilities continued for
| three years, Notwithstanding frequent
| efforts on the part of the great powers
to bring about a settlement of the diff
| hculties. Finally, in February, 1869,
| the inSurgent leaders surrendered to
| the Turkish government, but the de-
| mandS of the Cretan assembly for eX-
emption for several years from imposts,
for the establishment of banks to de-
| Nelop and foster agriculture and other
measures of relief were granted.
Since then the island, though nomi-
nally a Turkish vilayet, has had prac-
tical autonomy. 1t is divided into five
provinces which are again sub-divided
into twenty districts, each district
sending four members to the general
assembly elected by the people. The
assembly sits forty days in each year
and is presided over by the governor
who is invariably a native or a Greek
Christian. No tribute is paid to the
| Turkish government.
In the insurreCtion of 1866, the Greeks
united by the ties Of kinship and relig-
iOn strongly sympathized with their
Cretan brethren; the same spirit is
strongly expressed today, and it is this
determination to assist the islanders
in their effort to shake off the suzer-
ainty of Turkey that at tie present
moment is endangering the peace of
Europe.
The island Of Crete is 100 milas long
and averages from z to 30 in width. In
| lllG CtIllIe q Clldll Ol mountains some
5000 feet in height runs the entire
length, sending out spurs north and
south. TO the south these spurs ter
inmate IN rocky bluffs, which render
the coast dangerous and inhOspitable
but towards the north the spurs gradu-
ally slope to a low coast, forming sew
eral good harbOrs, of which the prn-
clpal are Canea, Retimo, Gambia and
Suda, There are no rivers worthy the
name and but a small portion of the
available land IS cultivated, owing, il
is said, largely to the laziness of the
+ inhabitants. Silk, however. of a good
= quality, is exported in considerabl,
| quantities and it is the home of tht
famous Kajabulbul, the favOrlte birt
l of the Turks.
OF these 2S0,00O inhabitants, almos
: all of whom are of Greek descent
p about one-third are Mohammedans,a ,an(
I the other two-thirds, with the excep
ton of 700 Jews are Christ ianS