The times., 1897-03-22

| Oh marine, 10 Admiral AnQrele1I, COM
mander of the Russian squadron, in the
Mediterranean, to take his squadron to the
Piraeus and aw ait orders from the Russian
minister at Athens, who was to present
| an ultimatum from the three imperial
powers.
This precipitation Is understood to have
been averted more by the representations
Of France than by any regard on the part
| OF the czar's government, for the I1ain-
tenance OF the concert 1t had Ihe
| effect, and perhaps it was SO designed,
| offorcing the hand OF NJ Hanotaux French
| minister Of foreign affairs, who was re-
| luetant to offend French feeling by strik-
ing at Greece. and at the same time dis
| inclined TO hold aloOf from Frances ally.
| While the kaiser, like the cZar, has been
1 all for action first and parleying after
| ward, Lord Salisbury's tentative policy
| has been directly the reverse.
Probably the kaiser would not have
| hesitated at direct rupture of the con-
cert. The hesitation came from st. Peters
| burg, whether due to secret court nnu-
ences or to the delay of decision on the
part of France, or to both combined, is
matter of surmise.
Greece has obtaLncd a pause, which, by
all accounts, was badly required. Out of
most contradictory reports as to the state
OF the Greek treasury and the Greek army
which have been received here, it is .iiffi-
cult to ascertain the exact truth. Putting
! aside the obviously unreliable and ficti-
tiouS reports from Greek sources, which
credit the government with having or
ganized perfectly-equipped force OF
$4,000 troops, most OF which are now OH
the frontier, the statments from quarters
friendly TO Greece, credit her war office
with managing to send 70 the front an
effective force OF about $4,000 men, in
Guiding the best of the reserves. There
are, besides. about 80, 900 men under Grill,
but a small portion Of which force could
be relied upon for service in the field,
though they could take part in irregular
warfare.
The enthusiasm of the reserves appears
to have cooled down and many Of them
have returned to their homes AT all
events, they are no longer with the colors.
What happened in 1886 when the Greek
army was modified has occurred again.
AT that tune there was fair rush of men
on the first call. The enthusiasm spent
itself rapidly. Out of the so, 600 men that
the war office counted upon, not half
came under drill and deSertions became
numerous Gendarmes and troops had To
hunt up the reluctant in every district and
at one time nearly 25 900 men were on
the police rolls as being wanted for evad-
ing service. The men called to the ranks
may not want patriotism and courage, but
wretched pa yment, miserable food and the
needs of their work at home have put q
strain on their patriotism AS TO the treas
ury, it was announced as ready for war
with only f750,000 sterling in the chest
and no credit in Europe. The troops on
the frontier are mostly barefooted and
hardly clad.
The advices of the Vienna CorrespO
Politiquc, generally unbiased nd fairly
accurate, describes the condition of the
Turkish troops o. the frontier as bad, but
assert that the equipment OF the troops,
so far as war material is concerned, is
excellent. These considerations must weigh
with the Greek government in rendering
it adverse to risking war. These dis
patches last week announced Il Ser!io Bull
garian alliance, but since then 1t has
B transpircd that the Athens cabinet had
merely hoped for effective and imme
diate aid against Turkey from these
Balkan States. 1t is now known that
they are rather against Greece than with
her. The personal equation has come in
again, and to the disadvantage Of Greece
In the spring of last year King Alexander
OF Seryia visited Athens in connection
with his proposed marriage TO the only
daughter OF King Ge OTge. The then
premier of Servia, NJ Noyakovitch, pan
HeIenist, projected this matriul onial alli-
ance, but King George had no liking for
it. King Alexander returned to Belgrade
where a new ministry under NJ Siuitch
was formed, aimingat the Bulgarian
entente now concl uded. The princess
Marie, OF Greece, has been bethrothed to
O grand duke of Russia, and the King OF
Servia has become a willing instrument
in settling the arrangement with Bulgaria
No encouragement to Henenism is main
point in the Balkan-Slavonic alliance.
A seni-offlcial denial was recently given
to the report that eX-Minister OF War
Gen. Bronsart Won Schellendorf, would
stand for the Reichstag in the Meckien-
burg-Gustrow district. in the Agra rian in
terest in the coming elections. The de
NAL was made IN such q form as to con-
firm the belief that he intends to become
a candidate for some constituency. Gen.
Bronsart Won SChIlendorf would be very
uncomfortable critic in the Reichstag for
his late colleagues. Ministers Boetticher
and Marschall Won Bieberstein. He is just
the man to pour out his pent-up wrath
upon them, so all means are being used to
Influence the kaiser to prevent him from