The San Francisco call., 1897-03-14
in the concert, Italy may hold aloof from

that time on.
nsuch a case the three imperial powers,
Russia, Germany and Austria. will pro-
ceed against Greece by themselves. It is
the belief that the breaking up of the con-
cert of the powers is imminent, that Rus
sia has brought forward Boso Petrovich
as candidate for the governorship
OF Crete, and the ST. Petersburg
Government must certainly know that
Greece will never assent to his appoint
ment to the office, as it would forever
blast her hopes Of acquiring Crete. Solar
as the ultimate fate of the island is con-
cerned there has not been a single word
given out by the diplomats conducting
the negotiations that furnishes the slight
est indication of what the end will be. In
any event it is known tina. neither the
Gear nor the Kaiser will permit a plebi-
scite or any other reference of the question
to popular vote of the Cretans.
LONDON, Eng, March 13.-Gleaning
opinions upon Lord Salisbury's Greco
Cream policy from all possible quarters, it
is discovered that the balance of opinion
in the lobbies of the House of Commo ons.
in the leading London and provincial clubs
BILE, is decisively in his favor. Even among
the Radicals, who naturally contend that
the English Government might have taken
q better way to satisfy the prevalent feel
ing of the Greeks, it is admitted that Lord
Salisbury is acting with infinite tact and
prudence.
] His own sentiments are known to be
more with Greece than Turkev, and if all
the difficulties he has had to meet and
continues to encounter were publicly
known he would get most credit for states
mansh p, which is at once Christian and
polite. His own and Mr. Curzon's s
declarations in Parliament are necessarily
lacking in respect OF some OF the most i'm
portant diplomatic developme nts arising
since the Greco Cretan situation became
acute.
The Cretan blue book disclosed negotia-
tions only up to the end of Septe M Der
ana many of the most vital matters on
which Lord Salisbury and the chiefs OF
the European powers have been at issue
since then receive no official declaration.
The Foreign Office has, however, permitted
some part of the past and pending nego-
tiatlons to transpire which lights some
hidden corners of the European ''con-
cert policy, and if the British Gov
ernment could publish blue book up
to date it would be showntnat Lord Sails
bury has been endeavoring to get the best
terms for Greece compatible with any pos
sible maintenance of the so-called concert,
and that his main and most uncompro-
mising opponent has been the German
Emperor.
Lord Salisbury desired that the Greek
troops should not be Withdrawn from
Crete until the scheme OF autonomy was
promulgated and partly acted upon, and
tnas the withdrawal Of the Turkish troops
should be sim ult:neous.
The Kaiser took the init iative in insist
ing upon the Greek troops Withdrawing
upon no pledge as to the abolition OF the
Turkish regime or the retirement of the
Suit ans soldiers.
Lord Salisbury suggested that the
scheme of autonomy should include the
appointment of a Greek Prince-Prince
George or some other--as Governor of
Crete, with power to appoint his own
Council and conduct the administration,
and again on the initiative of Germany
the proposition has been practically re-
jected.
In official quarters here it is believed
that if the European powers can be got to
leave Greecs to the tender mercies of the
Turk, the powers will form ring around
Greco. and let King Georges small army
fight 1t out with the overwhelming forces
which the Porte can bring into the field.
The Liberal leaders in Parliament are
not ignorant OF these facts and know that
they are paralyzed in attacking Lord
Salisbury on the ground that he lacks
sympathy with Greece. If they ventured
upon challenging his policy, a tentative
and prudent one. by . vote OF censure
they would fail to get the support o.