New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-28
A CRY FOR BREAD.
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND STARVING
REFUGEES IN GREECE.
PROFESSOR wHEELER's REPRESENTATION of
STATE OF AFFAIRS CALLING FOR AL

STATE OF AFFAIRS CALLING FOR AL
LEvIATIoN-A siIIPLoAD OF
FLOUR ASKED FOR.
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The Western world has unquestionaoy
given it's recent lively interest In Greek affairs
sudden burial The unfortunate war. with It's more
unfortunate developments and its most unfortu-
nate results, has turned sympathy TO disgust Inc
circumstances under which the war came about
the odious weakness OF the Powers in crete, al
mos, forcing the poor Greeks to desperation; the
time-servlng and vacillation Of a Ministry too
weak to guide or restrain the popular current. and
the unexplained attitude OF Germany In batting
Turkey on to war-all these have yet to be under-
stood in their proper value. Meantime, there
ought to be room for pity. when the fear:ully dis
iresscd condition of the little country Is appre-
cated
In addition to the burdens of an already over
whelming debt. tho country has now to face the
costs of war the loss from the stoppage OF trade.
from the decline of revenues. and from the iaiiure
to gather the Thessaan crops, and, above all this.
the necessity Of caring for great mass OF fugi-
tlves whom the fear OF the Turks has driven
within the Greek lines. have recently received a
letter from Mr.. Dcmetras Blkeas, one of the first
citizens of Athens and a man Of international
reputation author which contains the fol-
lowing:
thousand refugees from Crete, who cannot go back
to their destroyed homes before being made quite
sure that they will not be massacrcd by the Ma
hometans. Besides these refug. (and we had the
Armenians before them we have had to sustain tan
care for our wounded: now we have some one
hundred thousand refugees from Thessaiy Wh he
advancing Turks to save their women and children
WI" have sought refuge IL The adjoining provinces,
in Eubpa, In the Sporades, and here They are are
When Thessay is coded back to us they will
want money to go back TO rebuild their burned
A letter from Mr.. Alexander. for the last four
years United States Minister to Greece, dated July
9 and received to-day contains the following:
1t is safe to say that there are now In Greece
and children. from Crete. Thessaly. Epirus, Asia
Minor and other parts, of Turkey, nearly all Ut,
good in its way and more or less has been sen,
from America. but it seems to me that shipiopad
Of flour would do more good than anything that
could be sent.
Mr.. Alexander inclosed extract from letter
he had received from Colonel c. B. lie Mesurer,
couched in the Coloners effective English.
and cannot do better than to give 1t just as 1t
IS tho account Of eyewitness:
Regarding the exodus OF the Creek population
from Thessaly and the number OF fugit'es VINO mo
retirement of the Greek Army and the advance Of
the Turks an absolute panic tSok and UI
homesteads hey stood Win nothing bg, what III
hEE G " ca na 0 Se ck Of ponies sa
their b Vines and hren afa
matter where. from the enemy. Their general
to tSas nSnG
and m sent e hf as 10 ns anS 10
Eubna. where they are chiefly congregated at the
port of Oreus. at Xerochori and In the villages near
the Mainland taking refuge in the mountains about
Agrapha yPat and along the range ab0Gys
MIR to The PrHs and IA, Ath sos to
the island of Trikeri found over two thousand
and mot Bsss of F5ea me to this
a q ReIIef icommittte was formed at Athens.
sissns ssmsd "S a ons laden s n
tbuted II TO the many groups % a fro one one
nlare and dropping them AT another where the
Of their have Of get to r0
had beer separated. and in several In ns'a 49,
mohefs o had The saer r With
visions have been continued up to date one start,
mag IRON ,hink Ave- rips relieving some nifty thou;
sand fugitves at each f froo what ef' saw myself
what they wsnt /. an Sn, If h ,hsy d Ths
til that ,d the b 5Hndi m6 Sasy have N
h or another atf Gnf hree weeks and
them on average slo The matter rd Is mos 80
them they can live on that and it can't go astray
They have their cooking rots, and can MAKE an an
t 1be'' Central Committee in Athens to local com,
mttee the SPOT where the hsone a rspr 9
wnich eaoT rbs insures a fair distribution among
them. We started this system from h me fg 6sEe
I,s, tSa Quantities sent and will take care that
fheir Representatives obtain their fair share OF
'"sss n the total number Of these fugitves. II Is
oni,e impossible 10 quote with any certainW s ~
,n,it,ee do their best ascertain what nunnner
roaiV require to Re fed and from all can gather
this may be put down at hfty thoYsa Gsrr an that Of
wno Of their men are now returning 70 Thessaly
for the harvest under the TURKISH guaaa reman
bahnd until IL has been evacuated, and that may
| vet he far off. In the mean time they MUST oe
| provided for ,,s,.. aon-
The situation here described is undoubtedly gem
| u,no II will not be essentially changed by the
withdrawal Of the Turks from Thess ag Ior inc
tbara 70 cat IT is cry for bread VIII yom not
I'LL I'LL ~ ~ hsard, BENJAMIN IDE WHEELER
Ithaca ~ Y. July 25 1921
THE MEETING DID TAKE PLACE.