The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-28
SALISBURY'S PLAY
His Recent Friendly Advances
to France.
PNTL MAN N@~IInN ~nr-r
BOTH MAY OCCUPY CRETE
CRETANS WANT "AUTONOMY''
DEFINITELY EXPLAINED.
Women and Children Starving and
Living Upon Roots---Famishing
People, Once Rich, Now Beg
glng for Food.

| People, Once Rich, Now Beg
glng for Food.
| Copyright 1897 by the Associated Press)
| London, March 27.-The conference
which the Marquis Of Salisbury had in
| Paris yesterday with NJ. Hanotaux, the
| French minister for foreign affairs, is
| regarded as most important, not only
with reference to the eastern situation,
| but, as bearing upon the general relations
| between Great Britain and France. 1t
| was noticed that Mr.. Hanotaux greeted
| Lord Salisbury cordially when he arrived
| and that their parting was even more
| cordial, indicating that the conference
was satisfactory to both parties. What
| actually passed is not known but the
Figaro believes that Lord Salisbury sug-
| gested that the island of Crete be oc-
cupied by two powers, one of them being
| Great Britain and the other France or
Russia. Other French newspapers and
| the British press opine that the confer
| ences are a sign of improved relations
and are especially significant as following
| the visits of Queen Victoria and the
Prince of Wales to President Faure.
The British Premier whose health is
much shaken, is expected to remain on
| the Riviera until after easter.
In spite of the warlike preparations,
the prospect in the Levant has certainly
l. a.,
and there are indications that the diff
ficulty may be solved by the powers in
ducing the Sultan to withdraw the
| Turkish troops from Crete. The situa-
| ton in Canea is a powerful argument
in favor of the withdrawal of the Turks.
| They are being driven in from the out
| lying posts and the newspapers to-day
are asking of what use are the Turks
| if the foreign forces are compelled to
| do their work, as in the case of the
| foreign occupation of Malaxa fort, COM
mandng Suda and Canea, from which
| the Turks were driven out.
The reason for the Cretan resistance
| to the decision of the powers appears
| to be the vagueness of the so-called
| autonomy scheme. Many competent
| judges who are on the scene declare
| that the Cretans would submit if given
details showing the reality of the
autonomy scheme. This is the view of
| the ambassadors at Constantinople who
have telegrahed to their respective gov
| ernments urging that the details be now
| determined upon and that a practical
| scheme of government be presented to
| the Cretans, and also declaring that the
| prolonging of the. condition of uncer
| tainty inspires great anxiety and leaves
| the door open to events calculated to
seriously endanger the situation, such as
| yesterdays affair at MalaXa.
| 1t is stated from Kissamo that the
| Cretan leaders there want annexation to
| Greece under the impression that autono-
| my will not repay them for the losses of
| their property, while Greece would pay
| them an indemnity in full This idea
| shows that the money question lies at the
| root of the whole complication.
In the meanwhile advices from the in
| terror of Crete indicate that the inhabi-
tants are already feeling the pinch of
| famine. A special correspondent who
has just visited the camp of Col Vassos,
| the commander of the Greek army of oc-
| cupation, describes the journey He says
| that in the mountains, at a place called
| Stilofaramgo, be heard weird voices a.
cross a deep impossible ravine, issuing
apparently from the bowels of the earth,
| and adds: "We stopped and through our
field glasses saw emaciated women and
children emerging from cave high up
in the mountains. They were the wives
and children of Christians, refugeeing
from the Turks and living upon roots
when we reached Col. Vassos camp
ot A Iilxionn vya of fo, icb;
people, once rich, who came begging
for food. Several of them had not eat
EN- for three or four days and hundreds of
others were in the same condition. The
distress was heart-rending and disease
has now supervened."
1t has been limited in various quarters
that Germany has virtually withdrawn
from the concert of the powers and one
of the French newspapers even asserted
that Emperor William aims at Turkish
Greek war with the object of recovering
on the conclusion of peace the 00,O0O, 900
francs which Greece owes her German
creditors A semi-officiaI denial of this
statement was issued in Berlin to-day.
emphatically repudia tiRg any such inten-
tion.
PANAMA SCANDAL REVIVED.
The Panama scandals have been reviv-
ed and form the leading topic for dis
cussion everywhere in Paris. 1t is stat
ed that Emile Arton, the Panama lob
byst, who was extradited last year from
England, has furnished proofs against
forty-nine deputies and Senators whom
he bribed.
ExDeputy st. Martin, for whose arrest
warrant was issued and who was be-
lieved to have fed, presented himself be-
fore the examining magistrate this after
noon. 1t is stated that Charles DeLasseps
is now in London preparing doc sents