The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-14
SEATTLE, SUNDAY, FEB. IA.


The fsaaa struggle Ter ths complete dis
rnsgnbsrmeut q che Turkish empire in
Europe seerns as hard, an8 uniess there
4 q sudden change 81 the situation Greece
ard Turkey will be az actual war over the
possession % the island OF Crete before
Hsaay cayH have yassec. II the Euro
fruan power 10 not interfere. Greece f.
bognd By patriotism. kindred ties and ira
s3tl0a g. assist the CFetans la tle var for
indepenGeIoe Eshich his commenced. and
there r. no reason 70 be8eve tfsat Greece
has any Intention o. shlrkiug the struggle.
Crete was the last portion OF Europe 10
Gal under the controi % the Mohammedan
poser. Rad . portion Of the population.
tho Sphakiots mountaineers, have never
acknowledge the Turkish rule 20 this day.
The island has been devastated and inn
povsrlshed by Turkish mlSrale and futile
4nsurreetions ever since IL became Tur-
kish province.
The Greek conquest and settlement OF
the island OF Crete ocsa1rred about the
year 1919 n. c. II WAS conquered ny the
Romans in G. +. c. In the partition Of
the empire 81 fell to the East. and vas
held until a. d. So. when Il eas taken By
the saraeons. bat reeoaquered BY the
Byzantine emperor Ia 81. Ca the con-
quest Of constantinoplo BY tha Crusaders
it waS allotted TO Honlface Marquis OF
Moatferraf. who sold II 10 the vsneti4ns
in izA That repaalls retained dominion
over four centuries. II was not until 1886
fb..t fta sytt.-axw x-sss .-ss< s.ts.xra .sssg-,s
TO conquef the island. bat IN that year
sswo troops were sent 10 the island. and
the war OF conquest commenced. which
did not terminate IN favor OF the Turks
uutil isss. Daring twenty years OF that
time the city OF Gambia was r. a constant
state Of siege by tire Turks until It finally
Sell.
From that time on Instructions have
been numerous. and Crete has enjoyed the
diatinctiou Of being the worst governed
province Of the Turkish empire At the
time OF the Greelan war Of Independence
IN 1871. the Crefans raised the standard OF
iBsurreetion. and soon made Themselves
masters 81 the whole oY,en country. div
tex the Turks aud 8lohamnadans TO take
refuse in the fortified cities. which the
Insurgents were unable 70 capture. Ia
$50 the allied powers. France. England
aad Russia. who had iutorxercd IN the
FtrugEie between Crecce and Turkey
mhile SHOWING tho Greeks independence,
eompcBed Crete % remain under Turkish
rule but Transferred TIE actual govern
nlent Ia The ahediye OF Egypt. who re-
stored the leland 10 the Porte in Isu.
A rev i.surrectisn broke oat in lSss. and
continued for ten years. almost the entire
chFistiaR population being engaged In the
general struggle asainst Turkish rife.
which was only terminated uRaer pressure
81 the great powers in favor % Turkey
As m the present struKgie. the Greeks
seneral1y sympathize3 eith the Cretaus
sua vnr between Greece and Turkey vas
narrowly avsyted over the incident
rhe whole population OF the island Is bat
sso.eoo. 81 whlch ~, 80 sre Greek Chris
tlans ard - SO Nohammsasnz. the re-
mainaer os the population being made ~
81 Jews ans foreigners. or n. NOLAN
ueasa population. fae great majority are
OF native Cretan origin. descendants 81
Greeks who embraced me Nohammaaan
reigion in the sarly DAYS 81 the conquest.
creek IS the language spokea by al
classes.
II Is = singular commentary upoa the
governments % Europe that the great
Christian powers Should have twice luter-
posed whon sae brave Cretaus had prac-
tieaiiy conquered an Independence. 10
force ;hem back 20 azala undergo the
shameful uisgovernment ot Turkey. ana
there are indications that this Ng,l occur
axaia