Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-03-17
PLAN A BLOCKADE.
Semi-Official Statement Regarding
Greece is Issued at
Paris,
Copyrighted, 1897, by the Associated Press

Copyrighted, 1897, by the Associated Press.
Paris, March 1.-THE following semi
official announcement was made this aft
ernoon:
"The powers, while united in principle,
have not yet been able to reach solu-
ton of the Cretan question. Proposals
and objections are being exchanged
hourly"
The programme drawn up by the ad-
miralS in Cretan waters is as follows:
1. A blockade of the island of Crete.
2. A blockade of the Piraeus and some
Of the other Greek ports.
3. The seizure by a detachment Of the
fleet of the telegraph offices at Syria.
4. Any Greek warships encountered
are to be taken to the island of Milo and
kept there.
5. Any Greek warships firing on any
warships are to be sunk, the act to be
considered caucus belli.
8. Any Greek torpedo boat nearing a
foreign warship is to be fired at.
z. AS the blockade of Greece will re-
quire all the crews of the foreign war
ships, each power is to send to Crete a
battalion of infantry not less than 600
men in number.
Each Of the foreign admirals tcle-
graphed copy of these proposals to his
government.
Germany Immediately telegraphad to
seventh in principle, but she has not a
battalion available.
Austria wired the powers that she
would accept the whole Of the proposals
Of the adinirals, but as Emperor Francis
Joseph was at Cap Martin she must
have time to consult with his majesty.
Italy telegraphed her acceptance of all
the proposals. but it was added they
must be submitted to the cabinet council,
which would be done within three days.
Russia, Great Britain and France were
silent for time, and then Great Britain
proposed that gendarmeric be organ
lied in Crete by utilizing the Greek
troops not using the Greek flag and not
using the Greek officers in this conncc-
ton.
Russia eventually answered that as the
powers had presented their ultimatum to
Greece and as Greece had replied by Of
fering to withdraw her feet, the answer
vas conciliat0ry and partly satisfactory.
therefore Russia proposed further
collective note demanding the withdrawal
of the Greek troops from Crete. France
seconded the reply of RUSSIA.
During the pour parlers a general
agreement was suggested in that the
powers should each advance certain
sum for the pay of the gendarmerie and
for the expense of organizing the autono-
nous government of Crete.
This was Immediately objected to by
Germany on the ground that she was
not willing to spend a pfennig for this
purpose.
France this afternoon proposed to the
British foreign office that the powers pro-
coed Immediately to organize the gendar-
merle, naming governor of Crete from
Holland, Belgium or perhaps from
Switzerland. Several names were sug-
gested and considered.
Great Britain points out the semi-of-
fetal announcement and concludes that
the members of the previous Cretan
cendarmerie ran away and mutinied and
that the Greek troops are the best avail
able for this purpose.
Consequently this proposal will proba-
bly, be modus vivendi by which the
situation will he solved. as there is no
doubt the Greeks will accept it.