The herald., 1897-03-06
Nor Will the Cretans Accept
Autonomy
PROSPERITY IS IMPOSSIBLE
Until Crete Secures Freedom From
Turkish Domination
Greece Would Prefer to Be Wiped From
the Map Rather Than Submit
to the Powers
Associated Press Special Wire


day is probably a forecast of the reply
Greece will make to the identical notes
of the powers insisting upon the with
drawal of the Greek fleet and troops
from Crete within six days from Mon
day last, the time the notes were de-
livered.
His majesty said: "The Greek nation
is unable to bear any longer the strain
and excitement caused by the constant
Cretan revolutions, and our finances Will
not permit us to support refugees who
now number about II, 900. Nothing Will
prosper in Greece until the question is
definitely settled. The autonomy or
Crete is out of the question, because the
Cretans reject it and have lost faith in
the promises of the powers. They pre-
fer to die in their own defense rather
than be slaughtered like the Armenians.
The recall of the Greek troops from
Crete would mean a signal for new
massacres on a large scale, owing to the
fierce fanaticism of the Mussulmans.
who gee they have the support of the six
great powers, since the latter covered
the Turkish attack on the Christians
and shelled the victorious Cretans,
fighting for freedom and the cross, and
at a moment when the Turks were COM
PEELED to retire"
Premier Delyannis in an interview is
reported to have reiterated that the
Greek troops would not be Withdrawn
from Crete, and expressed the fear that
the national clamor would compel the
government to invade Turkey. Greece,
he is quoted as saying, had not accepted
the scheme for the autonomy of Crete
proposed by the powers. The premier
asked that plebiscite of the Cretans be
taken, and added that Greece would pre-
fer to disappear from the map rather
than to withdraw her forces from Crete
in the face of threats.
The Greek government has protested
against the silence of the admirals in
command of the foreign fleets in Cretan
waters, with reference to the demand
of the Greek comodore, Sachtouris, that
he be allowed to communicate the orders
of King George to Col. Vassos, in COM
mand of the Greek army of occupation,
and requesting that he be allowed 10
go to the assistance of the besieged
Turks at Candiamo.
The government has sent a dispatch
to its representatives abroad, COM
municating the above facts to them.
and adding that the Greek cabinet be-
lieves that since the admirals and the
consuls have witnessed the failure of
their efforts to raise the siege, II is
their desire to place every obstacle IN
the way of the Greek efforts to do SO,
but that in the event of a massacre they
! will be able to throw the responsibility
upon the shoulders of the Greeks.
The dispatch continues: I'VE nave In
structed our consul at Canea to inform
the Turks who requested his interyen-
ton of the hindrance created by the
foreigners"
In view of the continued arrival of
Turkish troops on the frontier. it is be-
lieved Greece will call out the remainder
of her reserves.
RUSSIA'S HOPE.
ST. PETERSBURG, March 5-The
emi-official Journal de st. Petersour
publishes a long statement to the e1-
feet that the imperial cabinet is ami
mated by an ardent desire to expedite
the work of Cretan appeasement and to
take the initiative in promoting the
scheme formulated in the Identical notes
to Turkey and Greece.
The statement concludes as follows:
"Thre is reason to hope that further
difficulties will not arise and that Greece
will prove her wisdom by bowling to the
mighty will of united Europe. In the
common interests of peace and legality
it cannot desire to endanger her future
by acts of imprudence calculated to
compromise It, The Greeks may be
happy in the knowledge that their Gre
tan kinsmen will hereafter enjoy loca.
autonomy, ensuring their welfare and
tranquility. Russia, who has ever had
at heart the interests of the Christian
people of the east. will regard the sug-
gested solution with all the greater sat
isfaction as 1t is in harmony with her
desire for universal appeasement and
is in the spirit of tranquility with which
the imperial government Is constantly
inspired.
WAR is IMMINENT.
LONDON, March SIT is generally
believed here that war between Greece
and Turkey is imminent. The decision
to defy the powers Is confirmed on all
sides 1t is generally felt in England
that the dispatch signed by one hundred
Liberal and Irish National members of
the house of commons, sent last evening
to the king of Greece, expressing SYM
pathy with the efforts of the Greek ma
tion and government in behalf of Crete,
was a great mistake, and will only mis-
lead the king and the nation into the
belief that Great Britain will not join
the other powers in coercive measures.
A dispatch, from Constantinople to the
Daily Mail says that Mr.. Terrell, the
American minister, was refused admis-
sion to the ceremony of I.eleie Kadir,
at the mosque of ST. Sophia. to which
Europeans have hitherto had free ac-
ces=. On this occasion it was feared
their presence might arouse fanaticism
and lead to bloodshed.
TURKEY TEMPORIZES.
ONSTANTINOPLE, March 5-The
Turkish government has called the at
tention of the ambassadors of the pow
ers to two declarations contained in
their note to the effect that Crete will
not be ANNEXED to Greece "at the pres
ent juncture" and that an "autono-
nous regime" will be conferred upon
the land The Turkish minister wished
further explanation of the words pres
ent juncture," and autonomous re-
gime." They want the precise defini-
tion of these terms.
formal satisfaction for the firing of a
shot across the bows of the Italian mail
steamer while passing through the
straits of Dardaneles Tuesday evening
by the Turkish fort, although the vessel
displayed the usual signals and had OBJ
tained pratique.
CRETAN SITUATION.
LONDON. March 5-The attitude nf
the Greek officials in London is not de-
termined The consul general for
Greece, NJ Leon Messinesi in an inter
view with representative of the As
ISOLATED Press today said there was not
the slightest probability of Greece yield
ing to the demands of the powers. He
added that the fact that another 100, 900
men were to be called out shows that
Greece intends to end the present situ-
alton. Greece, he continued, has re-
captJv ,renf largo S11ypc nm Tho froy, RI ay.