The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-09
THE GREEKS REPLY.
An Able Answer to the Dem and Of
! of the Powers. ,..-.
IT IS NOT A WARLIKE DOCUMENT,

But n Fervid Plea for the Right to Aid
the Stricken Cretans In Their Struggles
Against the Bloodthirsty Turks-Groat
Exsitcment in Athens.
4 Athens, Marcel 9.-The reply OF Greece
TO the powers was finally drafted yes
,terday and was sent to the foreign le-
sat all night In council. the ministers
not returning to their homes until after
fdaybreak.
The reply. after acknowledging the
y receipt of the identical notes of the
powers and recognizing the extreme
gravity of possible results bound up in
the situation, proceeds as follows:
"The government of his majesty
King George, having examined with
the closest attention the points whero-
on the great powers are agreed, be-
aieve 1t duty to submit to the powers
lts own opinion on the measures pro-
posed by them, an opinion which IS
Z the outcome Of long experience and
profound knowledge of the Cretan sit
,uation.
"Moved profoundly by these senti-
ments animating the powers and their
rssolicitude for the general peace, the
Greek government will not fail in its
duty, because Greece also has an ar
dent desire to contribute to the main
tenance Of peace and to preserve from
! Ahoonlplete- ruin islanders 50 long and
eerely tried and SO often decimated.
WE believe that the proposed auton-
pmy will unfortunately fall to respond
to the nobler intentions which inspired
It, and will suffer the same fate as
many previous unsuccessful experi-
.ments in Crete"
The reply then refers to six previous
Instructions in Crete, and argues tho
unlikelihood that the present propos-
.sais of the powers will terminate a
state of revolution. 1t continues:
Anarchy will ravase the country:
fire and sword in the hands of blind
fanatioism will decmate people who
do not deserve such a fate. In the
face of such prospect our responsi-
6ility would be enormous If we failed
earnestly to urge the powers to restore
to Crete what she already had at the
time Of the enfranchisement of the
Dther Greek provinces, and to lead her
back to Greece, TO whom she has prop
rsnrly belonged since Capo Istrias was
president.
'In the presence of the recent scenes
Df massacre and pillage. the burning of
Csnea. and the frightful anguish of
the Cretans exposed to and menaced
10y the boundless fury of Mussulmans,
our whole country was torn with re-
morse for Its own responsibility. 1t
assumed last year to persuade the Gre
tans to lay down their arms but the
,misfortunas which followed forbid us
again to undertake such task. Even
mad we attempted 1t our voice would
,have been only feeble echo, and
would not have reached the Cretan
people
"As autonomy would not fulfill the
noble aim of the powers, 1t Is obvious
what must be the situation of the un-
happy island from today until the es-
thblishment Of autonomy. If the pow
tsrs perSeyere in their decisions, in the
faGe of the foregoing views, then in the
name of humanity, as well as in the
interests of Crete, the pacifying of
which is the unique object of the sollci-
,fude of the powers, we do not hesitate
n appeal to them on .the subject of
another measure proposed by them,
namely, the recall OF our troops.
Indeed, If the presence of the for
eign squadrons and the conviction that
they prevent the landing of Turkish
troops are deemed to render unneces-
sary the presence of the Greek fleet in
,CIetan waters, the presence of the
Greek army In Crete is nevertheless
nj tn lnl ,1f
Dents Of humanity and in the interest
'of definite restoration Of order.
Duty forbids us to abandon the Gre
tans to the mercy Of the Mussulman
and to the Turkish army, which al
ways deliberately and Intentionally had
shared in the aggressive acts of the
pOpuace against the Christians. More
orer, if our own troops, which are
worthy the fullest confidence Of the
powers. had received a mandate to
pacify the island their desires and in
tentions would have been promptly re-
'ceived with the most perfect satisfac-
ton. Then, order being restored, it
would be possible to ascertain the free
ty expire ssed desire of the Cretans for q
decision as to their fate.
"These horrors, which have regular
iy recurred in Crete for many decades,
not only profoundly agitate the Hell
iehic people, but interrupt also all So
cia1 activity and gravely disturb our
democratic economy and the finances
sDf the state If we admit the possibil-
lty of forgetting for a single instant
Neur community with the Cretans In re-
Ggion, race and blood we could not in
Ysflence allow the great powers to as
.surne that the Greek state Is able long
or to resist such shocks.
Therefore, we appeal to the gen.
erous sentiments animating the pow
,ers, and beg them to permit the Gre
tan people themselves to declare how
they desire to be governed"
On the text of the reply becoming
generally known through the city the
populace exhibited great excitement,
and on all sides there was heated dis
cusson of the consequences likely to
follow.
The warship Hydra has already
been recalled from Cretan waters.
leaving only Two small Greek vessels
In that quarter. This is regarded as a
virtual yielding to the powers so far
rs the feet Is concerned. 1t is held,
however, that the powers cannot now
, shut the. door against further negotia-
tons. The cabinet, 1t is understood,
was unanimous as to the terms of the
reply, the text Of which was the per-
sonal work Of the king.
: The offer to place the Greek forces
ln Crete under a foreign general indI-
Gates the readiness of the government
to regard the forces as gendarmerie,
- assist the foreign marines In restor-
6ng order
NJ Buffers Extradition Papers Signed.
II Washington, March o. Secretary
llCl. ~