The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-21

Berlin, Feb. 20.-The proposals of the
emperor to blockade the Piraeus, the
port of Athens, which various papers,
especially the English journals, yester-
day characterized as having failed
completely, are on the verge of pro-
visional acceptance by England. Italy
and France. Prior to the kaiser's
starting on a shooting trip to Huber
tusstock last evening, his majesty re-
ceived dispatches from London and
Rome, conveying the information that
the British and Italian governments
had assented to the proposal to block
ade the coast of Greece in the event of
persistence Of the king of the Hellenes
in going TO war with Turkey unless
Crete should be called to Greece. The
request made by Lord Salisbury that
Greece be allowed time to pause and
consider the effect of her headstrong
action has been virtually conceded by
the powers, and if King George de-
cideS upon cessation of Warlike oper-
ations the ending of hoStilities and the
union of Crete with Greece must be
made consistent. Should the king de-
eide otherwise, Germany, Russia and
Austria, with or without the co-opera-
-
take 10 coerce Greece into submission
to the wishes of the European govern
mentS. 1t is expected in official quar-
terS here that the negotiations with
the government at Athens will be con-
cluded and a decision reached one way
or the other by Tuesday, and ii is also
believed here that England and Italy
will Join the other powers in a block
ade of the Pireaus if such action is
decided upon
The emperor has been much blamed
for taking precipitate action against
Greece, but there is good reason for
stating that his majestys sudden deter
mination is largely due to the receipt
OF concurrent dispatches from ConStan-
tinople and Athens representing the
imminence of the danger of Turkish
invasion of Greece, which the Greek
forces are utterly Unprepared to resist.
King George has practically asked
Russia and Germany to prevent the
porte from making war upon the Greek
frontier While Greece used her land
and sea forces to acquire possession of
Crete, but this extremely bold request
was not complied with. The emperors
policy is not by any means guided by
public opinion, but the weight of public
opinion in this case is certainly on the
side of approval of the emperors policy
of intervention to restrain Greece from
plunging into war. Only few Liberal
newspapers. which are biased by senti-
ment favorable TO Greece. protest
against the hlockading of the Piraeus.
Nevertheless, German popular feeling
is in nOwise in sympathy with the
Turk. The policy of the emperor is re
ceiYing popular support, because ii is
generally recognized as being most
opportune and prudent.
The Cologne Gazette expresses the
drift of the best current opinion by
saving that the powers must counter
balance the pressure of Turkey by
checking. with severity, the schemes of
Greece. The same paper also asserts
that Germany viii insist that Greece
must evacuate Crete before the powers
consider the matter of the administra-
tion of the island. The actual position
of the negotiations on the subject at
present shows, however. that this as
sertion is not correct. as the powers are
now discussing the scheme of admin
istration proposed by Lord Salisbury.
which permits the Greek troops which
are ALREADY IN Crete to remain on the
island until a settlement of the Cretan
difficulty is COMPLETED.
There is = profound conviction in
political circles here that Greece viii
submit 70 the wishes of the powers,
and that an extension of the war is
highly improbable.