New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-06
TWO RAIDS.
THE GREEK INVASION OF CRETE AND
THE EUROPEAN CONCERT Mr.
RHODES AS WITNEsS-THE
TRANSVAAL'S DISCRED-
TIED CLAIMS

TIED CLAIMS.
London. February 20
Mysterious are the amenities Of international
etiquette! The Greeks in landing troops On
Turkish soil and in besiegIng the Sultan's garri.
sons In Crete have committed an overt act Of
war. 1t may be justIfable or 1t may be inds.
feasible, but 1t is essentially an act OF agsres.
sion and Is equivalent 10 n declaration OF war.
The European Powers. however. instead Of TAX
Ing practical, common sense view Of the Greek
invasion Of Crete. have united In a concert OF Ell.
quette. by which illusions are substituted for
facts.
The Powers refuse to admit that there Is IN
existing state Of war. even a remote probabilt.
ty OF the outbreak OF hostilities They have con.
WINGED the Sultan that there Is no necessity to-
sending reinforcements to the island. They ac-
cept his invitation and occupy the ports them
selves as to prevent their capture BY the
Greeks They are idle spectators. while Greek
reinforcements are pouring into the island and
the Government at Athens Is making arrange
ments for permanent occupation and conquest.
They menace the Greeks with n blockade OF the
Piraeus II Turkish vessels are fired upon. and
vaguely threaten Intervention in Macedonia
the Sultans army be sent into Tnessaly. They
promise to keep both Greeks and Turks under
systematic observation to forestall the possibiIi
ty of armed conflict the mainland and on the
island and in due time to hold conference for
the amicable settlement Of the Cretan question.
Meanwhile the invasion Of the island continues.
and Is tolerated by the Powers. and hostile
armies are rapidly gathering on either side OF the
frontier dividing Greece from Macedonia.
The Powers, after maintaining a concert OF IN.
action for two years. during which nassacres
more appalling and prosecutions more wanton
than any OF the early Christian centuries or the
fanatical Middle Ages have been unchecked and
unpublished are attempting to Keep the
peace Of Europe by coercing combatants with
arms in their hands, or rather by pretending that
they will do so as last resource War has not
been formally declared, yet the Greeks are In
Crete and the Turks are not allowed 70 expel
them; and. In an extremity. the only practica
method Of Intervention on the mainland will be q
military alliance with one combatant or the
other This IL the last step on which the Powers
are ever likely to agree Meanwhile. the inscru-
table concert Of international etiquette Is main.
tanned and not one Of the Powers Will refer 10
general war as within the range OF probabilities
mo scandal about Queen Elizabeth. l hope"
SAYS Sheer 20. Lud no, no." replies Pun NO
scandal about European peace? inquiries Eng
land. "O Lud. no, no." answer Russia ana
France In one breath.
COERCION IMPRACTICABLE.
Six flags above the ramparts OF Canea and SIX
s1uadrons at anchor of the coast OF Crete seem
to Indicate that the diplomacy Of Europe ID not
powerless. The Powers are apparently acting
together and prepared TO resist Greek conquSs
OF the island; but 1t is merely policy OF shilly-
shally and make believe. The Greek troops AZ
in the island. and the mass OF the Cretan populae
ton has accepted them as deliverers The civA
administration Of the island Is passing rapidly
into the hands OF the Greeks. They are restoring
order In Crete and they cannot be expelled WIN"
out European coercion and II Is hardly credible
that this will ever be employed. The first Eu-
ropean ship that fires upon the Greek nag VIII
have an unenyiable distinction in Chrstendom.
The blockade OF the Piraeus would be unpopular
alike in London Paris and Rome. The enforced
expulsion of the Greeks from Crete and the sur.
render OF the island to the Turkish Pachas wouio
be crimes agains, civilization for which no Eu-
ropean Government not absolutely autocrst'e
could accept responsibility The Greeks may b
threatened with discipline, but they are not likely
to be coerced into abandoning work OF mercy
which commands the sympathy Of the Christian
world.
The Turks in their turn cannot be coerced into
submission to a campaign Of aggression on the
part Of the little maritime Kingdom without suf'
fering a fatal loss Of prestige In the Manometan
world. They may not be able to hit pack IN
Crete when their ironclads are so rusty from
disuse that II Is hardly possible to SEND them
to sea- but they can concentrate a powerful
army in Macedonia for military operations on
the mainland, and 1t is difficult to understand
on what grounds European coercion IL TO Do
justified. The Greeks are taking away vau'
able Turkish province, and the Powers are not
prepared to compel them 10 desst. The Powers
In their turn cannot complain il the Turks refuse
to give up Crete without fight In Thessaly. IL
war once begins. the Powers cannot bring 1t to
an end without military Intervention. which
would be more likely to produce European
conflict than to "localize" existing hostilittes.
What paralyzes European action Is uncertainty
respecting Russia's secret motives and purposes
The royal family at Athens is intimately related
with the imperial family at st. Petersburg. The
Car owes his life to Prince George. his cousin.
who commands the Greek fleet and Is now the
hero and idol OF Crete. Russia and Greece are
bound together by religious ties, and have com.
mon interests In the ultimate partition OF the
Turkish Empire II Is scarcely credible that the
King OF Greece would have sent his fleet 10 Crete
and modified his army for active service IN
Thessaly and Macedonia unless he had been a..
sured in advance that he could depend upon the
moral support OF Russia. The existence OF a Sc
cret understanding between the royal families
at Athens and 81. Petersburg is favorite theory
In diplomatic circles, because II explains every
thing that is now happening and enables the
dullest observer to forecast what is impending ID
the Near East 1t may be an erroneous conjecture
but 1t seems to be entertained seriously In the
Foreign Offices Of London Paris. Berlin Vienna
| and Rome. and creates distrust Of all concerted
action on the part OF the Powers.
Meanwhile. whateyer may be the secret MS
tory OF Greek Intervention in Crete. II Is gener'
Gus in motive and chvalrous In deed. Cynlcs
assert with a sneer that the Greeks have been
careful to strike the Turks In crete. where they