The morning times., 1897-03-01
CHANCES OF GREECE In WAR
Competent Military Opinion Declares
Turkey Gould Easily Overwhelm
the Hellenes-Internati Con-
gress on Labor Legislation Com
sui General DE kay's Fechtverein.

hhOiO I-ttGttlh lOllAg anu liSpiith p1 IL
desire TO maintain the European peace
The home papers, which insinuate, and
the foreign papers, which openly affirm,
that family affairs have been any element
in influencing the kaiser, choose to ig-
more facts. There is no feud or ill-will
now existing between the kaiser and his
sister, the Duchess of SPARTA, wife of
the Greek heir apparent. The uncon-
cealed disfavor with which he treated
her conversion from the Lutheran to the
Greek Church is Il matter of past history
The empress mother was the medium
OF early reconciliation and the harmony
of affection between the kaiser and his
favurite sister has long since been re-
stored
The kaiser can be expected to know low
far the fact that King George is brother
OF the dowager cZarina would affect Rus
sian policy. The history of our own time
affords an Illustration. When Prussia,
in sec, despoiled the Grand Duke OF
Hesse- Darmstadt, brother of the then
cZaTina, the Car Alexander ii declined
tointerfere privately or through diplomacy,
andwhen Prussia annexed lolstein- -Cotturp,
long associated with the Russian dynasty,
nothing was said from St Petersburg
That the dowager czarina has personally
interfered on behalf OF King George is
beyond all probability. The telegram of
encouragement and sympathy from her
TO the king, which has gone the rounds OF
the European press, was fabrication and
events since have proved that czar and
kaiser alike are guided by motives in which
! family relations play no important part.
| The actual truth S that SO far as the kaiser
! has taken any lead in the Cretan diff
| Guilty, his aim had been to prevent, or at all
! events TO postpone, the break up of Turkey
| and to stop Greece from entering upon
war which, unless accompanied by
general conflagration in the Balkan PENN
! sula, might involve the devastation If
| Greece and the overthrow OF King George.
| The kaiser has been i'll consultation with
| German officers who have served in the re-
organization of the Turkish army, and
| has obtained during the present crisis re-
| ports from the German staff still con-
! nected with the sultan's forces Their
reports concur in stating that the posi-
ton of Greece. il assailed ny land, is ab-
| solutely hopeless. The Turks are inn
| measureably better prepared for an i'm
mediate campaign on the TheSsalian from
| tier The porte seems to have anticipated
/ apossible outbreak OF war with Greece, and
| got ready for it, Early in the current
| month they had 20 900 troops around the
| base Of Olympia, and We're prepared 10
! direct that force in two columns from the
| Olympus and EIassona districts upon
| Larissa This army has been re-enforced
to 40 900. Against them, the Greeks have
| but a feeble force between Larissa and
| Pharsalia. and only began when the war
storm seemed gathering TO throw up some
works around Larissa. These Turkish
frontier troops are well supplied with
artillery, the infantry are armed with the
| Peabody Martini rifle, and they are well
| led. and altogether, in good trim
The total war strength OF Greece would
count for something only if Turkey had
simultaneously to suppress insurrection in
| Macedonia and to meet in the field the
combined forces of Servia, Bulgaria and
| Montenegro. Even then, if none of the
| great powers interviewed, military opinion
| here believes that the Turks would hold
! their own.
The defenseless condition of Greece and
| the awful consequences of unchaining war
and rapine in European Turkey were un-
| doubtedly the weightiest conditions with
| Itle k5iiStI. ming htbEEc may YET HdNc
to thank German policy for the safety
of himself and his kingdom.
During the Graz o-Cretan negotiations at
StamEoul last Week Baron Saurma Won
| JeItsch took 10 obtTusive part. The sultan
| has sometimes been in direct cOmmuni-
| cation by wire with the kaiser, and has
Consulted Baron Won Jeltsch, it is said,
| on every important development. The
| entente between the kaiser and the sultan,
| however, has no element OF hostility to
| Greece The Berlin government supports
the powers in any solution that will
avert general war. The creation Of an
| autonomous Crete, under a Greek Irince,
| with the sultan as suZerain, or with Prince
| Mav1ocordatos a s governor, has had hack
| ing from German diplomacy. 1t ought,
| however, to be frankly stated that the
| union of the island TO Greece has not the
entire approval of Germany. 1t is feared
and believed that Crete under Greek rule
| would continue to be the seat of chronic
| insurrection and disorder.
An international congress on legislation
| for the working classes meets here in Sep
tember next. The program for discussion
| as now prepared has specific reference to
| German legislation, but includes also ques-
| tions relating to the workers Of other
| countries. The congress will consider first
| what useful changes in legislation for the
workers have occurred in each country
since the congress in Berlin in 1890. Then
| follows the general questions: Ought work
| men to he submitted to protective regime
! and how far is protection beneficial? Are
international protective measures for work
| men possible and desirable? Ought inter
| national bureauX for the collection and
| distribution OF trades statistics be eStab-
! Iished? The program covers, besides, mat
ters relating to protection Of miners, the
duties of inspectors Of mines and factories
| and other cognate subjects.
The Berlin Fecht Club, under the presi-
dency of United States Consul General De
Kay, is forming a German fechterbund on
lines similar to the fencing union organ
lied in America by Mr.. De Kay some years
ago. The first meeting of the bund win
be held on March 6 in the hall Of the Ber-
lin Fccht Club. Mr.. De Kay will deliver
the opening address On the evening of
March Z the hund win hold fencing con-
test, followed by dinner.
Sporting circles are still deeply con-
| cerned in the question what is 90 be done
with the mare, Nellie Kneebs. alias
| Bethel" which was confiscated by the
| Prussian state after the arrest Of Bob
| Kneebs. the American trotting horse
| owner, on charges OF ringing and was
| condemned to be sold to cover the ex-
penses Of Kneebs' prosecution. A protest
has now been lodged by kneebs' son-in.
| law against the enforced sale of the mare
| by auction, his plea being that he is the