The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-04-26

a constitutional monarchy. and gave
striking proof OF this by electing Prince
Alfred king of Greece. This choice was
determined by universal suffrage. ard OUT
OF PAL 202 Greek citizens who voted I'D
Ole recorded their votes in favor or the
English prince. The vote meant simply
that the Greek people were tired OF I'M
constitutional princes. and hoped that they
would end their troubles IL they hau 4
prince accustomed to see parliamentary
government respected and enforced. The
three protecting powers-England. France
and Russia-had. however. bound them
selves to allow no one related TO their
own ruling families to become KihS OF
Greece. When the Greek people received
this news they begged England 10 name
king. and after several refusialS EhSiahd
found one in Prince William, OF SchieswiS-
Holstein. son of the king Of Denmark
The Greek people accepted him. and in
1863 he became king with the name OF
George I. Britain added the Ionian ISLANDS
to his kingdom. In 1879 the ministry gave
great offense to the Greek people by us
unconstitutional procedure. but the KING
persisted In standing by Il. The people
however persevcred in the Use of legit-
mate means To Gust the ministry, the kihg
at last prudently yielded ana thus reNO-
luton was prevented. The effort or the
Greeks to extend their boundaries is the
last phase Of their history, and is still IN
progress IN 1853 when the Crimean war
broke out the Greeks sided with the Rus
slams. and in 1854 they made inroads into
Thessaly and Epirus. but English and
French troops landed ut the Piraeus ard
forcibly put an end to the Russian alliance
and to Greek ideas OF acquiring additional
territory. In 1850 and lS9 the Cretans
struggled bravey but unsuccessfully To
throw off the Turkish yoke and become a
part of the Greek kingdom Ana recently,
when the Russians made war on the Turks.
the Greeks were eager 70 ent"r Ihessaiy
and Epirus to aid their w-cOuntrymen
in asserting their freedom But England
interfered with the promise that Greece
would gain more by maintaining a peace
full attitude.
A Striking Parallel.
The present situation strikingly resembles
that which existed eleven years ago. wnen
the little kingdom was striving TO extend
her rule northward At that time how
ever the Greek position was In some re-
spects stronger than II is today. From the
diplomatic point Of view Greece mad il no
color of title. at least plausible claim
The Berlin congress of 1s5S had recon-
mended the cession 10 Greece Of Thessaly
and OF 4 considerable part Of EpliuS. the
siSnatOry powers had promised. In fae
Berlin treaty. to facilitate by their media
ton the negotiations with the porte but
after several fruitleSs conferences and cost
~ preparations for war. Greece had been
forced. in 1881 to content herself with
something less than the whole of Thessaly
and a mere corner Of EpiruS- The ministry
that accepted this compromise was over
thrown and CtuSuTcd in the following
year. and IN 1888 Greece demanded again
the frontier promised az Berlin. For her
present movement against Turkish rule IN
Crete she has no such diplomatic warrant
As recently as toS1. when she requested the
powers to secure from the porte some con-
cessious to the Cretan Christians she re-
ceived from governmental Europe the IMAM
imous reply that she had 10 right To- in
terfere in the internal affairs OF Iur-
key.
In 1855 again. Greece was able to alege
a MIA ISL fH
action than she can now produce The
revolution IN Rouhelia and the union of That
province with Bulgaria. she urged had dis
turbed the balance of power. in the BHiNin
peninsula" II was the Bugarians. not the
Greeks. who We're breaking treaties and
jeOparding the peace of Europe. Nor was
Greece the only distUrDer even in the Sec
ond instance. for in November. lSs9 SolVla
declared war against Bulgaria. IN lN. TIE
relation is reversed. If Servia and Busa-
ria are arming. ~ is because tAr 'Fttehs
have made war possible. and 40 other state
has a. yet moved 50 far toward war IS
Greece.
Eleven years ago. finally. the general po-
llticaI situation was more favorable - me
Greeks than II seems To be now. The FROM
tier Which they claimed had been proposed
at Berlin by the French pleuipptcutitrlts.
and il was souet hing like point OF honor
for the French government 70 support the
claim In England the elections OF Novcu-
hor 1855. had resulted in t3c defeat ot THE
conservatives who had pursued a policy
hostile to Greek aspirations and mad
brought the pnilneilenlc Gladstone into
power again.
IN spite or these advantages Greece's Ven
ture was unsuccessful. ana Il is ct pr sent
interest To recall briefly The events ~
1Ss5-6 In the autumn of 1855 Greece su~-
pended the specie payments which she hat
resumed in 1851. emitted more le@al tender
paper contracted new foreign loan and
began 90 push troops toward tne tsltSS.tlian
frontier I'm December the Hretau Chris
tians demanded annexation 10 Greece IA
January. 1896 the powers called unnn
roDeau fleet assembled IN Crttau waters,
the ships of the other powers receiving or
derl to cooperate with those OF England
In March r. was reported t0at Greece had
- 600 men under arms iu Taesslly and 3d..
0o0 more in reserve. The strength of the
opposing Turkish forces was SAID 70 Ice
20. 600
In April the powers asain demanded that
Greece should disarm. lu this month q
partial breach occurred in the European
concert France addressed separate pto-
uOsals To Greece with the purpose. appt-
rcutN. Of facilitatius Greece's withdrawal
from an unteoohle position Greece eagerly
accepted the French proposals. aud France
rrfraned from further measures of coer-
ciou. The five remaining powers. however,
pronounced the Greek concessions made
qutte and pursued their prcarrs n-s'-i
course OF action On the 26th Of Auril th-y
dcTnl udeG disarmament within eight DAYS.
an me a-th their war sfins entered line
Pira"uS. on The 9TH Of May i block tde WIS
proclaimed. extending over thc entire e-sl-
ern coast of Greece and the entrance 10
the Gulf OF Corinth. In April skirmishes
had taken place on the Tne~Sal!an frontier
in May there was sharp fighting for a few
days with the loss of several hundred
Greek and Turkish lives Then Greece sue-
demobiiize On the Ith OF June the block
ade was raised. Greece had increased her
debt. demoralized her newly re-est abolished
finances injured her commerce and indus
try and she hal uoth hing to show for il all.
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