Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-03-28
nLONG LIFE TO KING GEORGE
Graphic Description of Affairs in
Crete.
NO AUTONOMY WANTED
And Only Greece viii Satisfy the Christians
Cold Facts Give Out by an Eng
lish Correspondent.

(Copyright 1897 by the Sun Printing and
Publishing Association)
London, March H.-The powers began
Smelling the Christians this afternoon at
2 O'Clock That is the latest news about
the Cretan situation, as given to Chris
Tian England today in the laconic lam
guage of the Canea correspondent of the
Times.
Christian England, it should be added,
is now so accustomed to the news of
the shedding of Christian blood by one
agency or another that it ate its break
fas. with it's usual appetite. l cannot
imagine however that the most callous
and cynical of this so-ealled Christian
nation could read today's dispatch from
the correspondents of the Telegraph who
has just returned from the interior OF
Crete without a serious disturbance OF
his equanimity. 1t was high time that
the reply of Crete to the policy which
Europe is enforcing by shells and. star
vation should be made known to the
world The answer comes today in Ian
suage, simple, graphic and convincing,
that i. should rouse even the effete man
hood of European civilization to cry
against the infamy OF the present policy.
The correspondent, disguised as Cretnn
priest, Joined the insurgents at AlIrotir
and was one of the bands of Gre ans who
visit the interior with the object of sub
mitting to the people the proclamac ion of
the admirals in regard to the future of
the island. At Avamos, an insurgent doc
tor named Venzelos, mounted a ladder
and read in a loud voice the proclama-
ton explaining The meaning of autono-
my and demanding the views of the peo-
pie. Shouts of indignation resulted and
scores of men began to speak together.
The mayor of Avamos said: 1--WE are
nU or wi a anti =
protection of law and order In the interior
of Crete and would enjoy it throughout
the island If Europe would let us alone.
We refuse autonomy and will never CO.
operate In establishing it. We will op-
pose 1t so long as our powder and ball
last. Thai is our view, and that of all
Cretans."
Ex-Deputy Pasppadkis said: Europe
has not understood the Cretan question
and is therefore ON the wrong truck We
know what we want and why we
want IT.. Our reasons are not merely sem
timental, but economical. We are decided
to maintain the union with Greece at all
costs"
The writer continues: when the pop
ular passion had somewhat subsided. I
witnessed scene which l shall not for
get. An old man, 75 years of age. for
merly of the Cretan bank, said: we all
want union with Greece On this point
there are no dissemts Europe may an
nihilatesus but can't change our convic-
tions. So long a s one Cretan lives we
will exclaim as we do now, union or
death
My son George was killed at Attriti
fortnight ago. I loved him dearly
but gave him up willingly and am ready
to sacrifice my family and myself, as
protest against autonomy. We have
lost our property and care naught for
our lives
THE crowd shouted: we care naught
for our lives. Suddenly a strong arm
was tugging at me, and turning,'I saw
handsome man, armed, but dressed in
clerical garb., His eyes were rolling
with passion. He shouted You, sir,
shall see what value we Cretans set upon
our lives. You may go back and tell
Europe that you saw me do this and he
seized long white handled dagger from
None of the by-stander's belts and one
second later would have cut his own
throat from ear to ear had not I and
others held back his arm in the nick of
time With extreme difficulty the dag
ger was wrestled from his grasp He was
ultimately arrested
After this a written reply was SUBJ
mitted to the people, which was vocifer-
ously applauded and crowding around
me exclaimed: Our answer to Europe
is union with Greece or death, long life
to King George
"The scenes in other villages and prov
inces so closely resembled this that their
detailed description would be superf1u-
ous Everywhere enthusiasm unanim-
ity and determine ton wero displayed and
as the Cretans are intelligent, obstin-
ate, fearless and fanaticaf 1t is difficult to
understand by what process known to
admirals, generals or dplomatists, au-
tonomy can be imposed upon them
against their own will
Great Indignation was expressed by
Christians at the marked favor mani
tested by European admirals towards the
Moslems who are allowed to send rein
forcements not merely of regulars but
of irregulars, including Mohammedans
recently rescued by Col. Vassas at Can
danos, despite the express written prom
Use of the British consul that effective
measures would be taken TO hinder them
from fighting against the Cretans in the
island. Having seen with my own eyes
this promise in the British consups hand
writing I assured the people that the res
cued Moslems were not allowed to en-
gage in the combat. They replied:
Come up tomorrow by daylight and you
will see those same Moslems reaching
from Canea.' They spoke the truth I
have since seen them and must say that
nothing could damage more materially
the authority of the adntrals and the
good faith of Europe in tNa eyes of the
Cretans than the line of conduct which
makes the European fleets appear in
the role of Turkeys allies. The Chris
tians adso bitterly complained, and with
truth, that Turkish warship in Suda
bay was allowed to lombard HALVES,
although 1t is under European protection.
This bombardment occurred twice in my
presence, as did also the shelling of the
village of Kontopoulo, when was stay
ing there. Moreover, every two-oared
boat crossing Suda bay has been fired
at by the Turkish battleship before the
eyes of the admirals.
1.-THE Turkish fortified barracks called
block houses around Canea constitute q
source of chronic danger. The soldiers,
fresh from Atrne mia, shoot az passing
Christians in sport and do not even re-
spect a white flag. ], myself, have been
frequently fired upon and once nearly
hit and have been for the past three
days absolutely cut off from Cenea by
the Turkish block houses. In the noun
tains, at a place called Stilefarango we
heard voices across a deep, impossible
ravne, issuing apparently from the bow
els of the earth. We stopped and through
field glasses saw emaciated women and
children issuing from a cave high up in
the mountain on the opposite side of the
cleft They were the wives, widows and