Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-04-29
WHY THEY FIGHT.
A Brief Account Covering the Differ
ences Between Turkey and
Greece-Their Allies.

and Turkey has begun, with vast
consequences looming up on the hori-
zon of possibility, 1t Is worth while for
each of us to answer for himself as
intelligently as may be, the question:
"What is it all about? What brought
it on7 What are they fighting for?
What do they expect to gain?"
The more intelligent and reason
able our answers to these questions,
the more interesting and ineligible
will be to us the news of the war as
that news shall develop from day to
day.
What is 1t all about2
1t is all about the territorial ag-
grandizement of Greece at the ex-
pense of Turkey. Greece is fighting
to wrest territory from Turkey. Tur-
key is fighting to retain 1t.
1t must BIZ remembered that the
Greeks number s,20o, 900, of whom but
2, ,2O0, 900 reside in Greece. OF the
other 5000, 900, about 2,oOo, 900 reside
in Asiatic Turkey, about $500, 900 in
European Turkey, and about 100000
in Crete, Cypress and other Turkish
islands. 1t must be remembered also
that King George calls himself, not
King of Greece, but King OF the
Greeks.
Now, If you will turn to your map
Of Turkey in Europe, you will see
lying Immediately north and north
east OF Greece, the three Turkish
provinces OF Albania Con the Adriat-
ic), Monaster and Salonica. We must
remember that these three provinces
were a part of Ancient Greece, after
the days of Philip Of Macedon, and of
his greater son, Alexander. Albania
is the ancient Epirus. Monster and
Salonica are the. ancient Thessaiia
and Macedonia. They numerously
are inhabited by Greeks. Their Sctal
population (Albania 203, 600, Monastel
664 600, Salonica $50, ,oOO) is about one
half Greek and the other half Alban-
ian and Turkish. Hence Greece, evel
since she attained her own quasi In
dependence in 1880, has claimed these
three provinces,a as together constitut.
ing a Greece, as yet unredeemed
Furthermore, either Greece is to have
no further continental expansion
whatever, or further continental ex.
pansion must be begun by acquisition
of these provinces. On the south also
the island OF Crete forms less i'm.
portant part of the historical Gree
cairredenta.
| What is the war about?
The war is abont the possession oi
the Island of Crete, and the Provinces
of Albania, Monster and Salonica
Greece Is fighting to win them. Tur'
key to keep them.
What brought the war on this timei
Following the Armenian massacrei
in Asia Minor, a year ago or more
the six so-called "great powers" o
Europe Russia, Germany, Austria
England, France and Italy, directed
their Ambassadors at Constantiroplt
to form themselves into sort of over
court to devise such q scheme Of re-
forms Of the Turkish government a
should protect effectually all the sub
jects thereof and incidentally fortify'
ing the financial basis Of the greai
debt owed by Turkey to French, Ger.
man and British financiers.
After months Of deliberations, the
scheme OF reforms ut length got I'm
ished In the closing days OF 1895. II
was decided thereupon by the "greal
powerB,' that II necessary they woulc
forcibiy compel the Sultan to adop'
and enforce the scheme. OF course
the details Of the scheme and even Ii
outlines are mot known outside ths
lchanceIeries Of Europe.