The San Francisco call., 1897-03-29
II King George Recalls His Army
1t Will March to Athens
and Dethrone Him.
INSURGENT FIRE UPON THE
BOATS OF POWERS.
Cretans Made Furious by the NEEDLE
some Blockad Assail British
Naval Officers

AONDON, Eng, March 2S,-Ihe Graphic
tomorrow will give prominence to a state
ment which it claims to have received
from an unquestionable source to the
effect that the Greek situation is extremely
grave. IL says that with the departure of
Crown Prince Constantine from Athens to
take command of the troops in Thessaly
the die seems to have been cast.
War would be inevitable if Greece re-
called her army. It would march to
Athens and dethrone the King. The
most serious element of the situation is
the undoubted fact, despite denials. that
the concert of the powers is no longer
solid. There has not been actual rupture,
but the members have come to the con-
clusion that concerted action is a failure.
If the so-ealled concert continues for q
week 1t cannot continue longer.
The statement ascribes the position to
the i'm patience of the powers with Greece's
reckless conduct and Great Britain's re-
lUcIance to coerce her. The powers will
not accept Lord Salisbury's proposal for
wide on either sids of the Turko- Grecian
boundary, because Turkey holds all the
best strategic positions on the frontier,
and fears that if she withdraws her troops
the Greeks will find pretext later TO re-
turn and occupy the positions, which
would enable her to invade Turkey. This
would prevent the powers from loeaizing
the war, would set all the Balkans ahame,
induce general brigandage in Turkey, IN
duce Austria and Russia to interfere and
blow up The European mine.
The Telegraph will tomorrow publish q
dispatch from Suda, Crete, stating that
the insurgents to-day fired upon Russian
torpedo-boat which replied to the fire.
The dispatch adds it is fe ared that a war
without quarter will shortly begin with
the Cretan Christians pitted against the
Turks and Europeans. The dispatch con-
firms the reports concerning the desperate
feeling that exists in the island.
The Times has a dispatch from its cor
respondent at Canea, who describes the
Greek troops and insurgents as becoming
absolutely desperate. The insurgents
were utterly astounded at the fleets bonn
bardment of Malaxa on Thursday.
The Smelling Began at the moment when
the Turkish garrison having yielded, the
blockhouse was fulI OF rebels and forty
three prisoners. The first shell destroyed
one wall OF the blockhouse and kill ed
three men. The victors speedily vacated
the pace, taking with them their prisoners,
who are now at Alkianu. The insur-
gents again attacked the Aptora block
house, near Izzedin to-day, but they were
driven back by the. Italians Russians and
English.
The British warship Dryad found yester-
day four caiques that were landing con-
tra5and. She sank two of the boats and
captured the other two. Most of the
cargo from the boats had already been
landed. The insurgents were furious
against the British ana fred on boat in
which were Amlral Harris and Lieutenant
Butler, both uf whom were in uniform.
The Times tomorrow will publish dis
patch from Athens saying that those e1-
ercising the greatest influence upon pub-
lie opinion seem bent upoI war. The
dispatch adds that communication has
been established between the Greek Off
Gals and Colonel Vassos in Crete By means
of fash signals by way of the island of
Anticythera, south of Cerigo.
ATHENS, GREECE. March 2S.-A band
of Armenians. Cretans and Turks have
boarded an Egyptian steamer at the Pi-
rGus and forcibly released an Armenian
prisoner who was being conveyed from
Syria to Constantinople. The incident Is
likely 10 cause com plications.
Reports from various places IN Crete
show that there Is not the sligh test i'm
provement in the condition of affairs in
that island. The fighting between the
Moslems and the Christians continues and
the burning of villages is matter of daily
occurrence.
There is no prospect of betterment in
the situation 1t is apparent that the
lombard ment of the Christians by the
foreign warships is merely a waste of shot
and she'll When the insurgents are
scattered by the fire from the warships
they disperse, only to reappear shortly
in some other place in the vicinity.
1t has been learned that several mem
bers of the Turkish garrison at Mslaxa,
who were supposed to have been killed
when the Turks were compelled to evacu-
ate the block-house at that place, were
captured by the insurgents. The prison
ers were conveyed to the camp of Colonel
Vassos. the commander of the Greek
army of occupation
Yesterdays 90 armed Cretans and Greeks
suddenly boarded the steamer Heraklion,