The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-23
WAR IN EUROPE.

1t looks now that as Turkey has for
mal1v declared war against Greece
that the other powers might be involv-
nd soon or late. 1t would be dreadful
and Hateful if this was to upper
Turkey is a formidable fighting power
and il Europe stands off 1T Will soon
clean up little Greece. The Turk Is IA
natical in the extreme and is a fighter
of great pluck and vim. Turkey can
Outnumber Greece very greatly-hVe to
one perhaps, or even more. II a gen
eral European war should follow the
ha5ty attitude of Greece it will prove
most direful in results. If all the great
powers would unite and see that the
MOslem did not wipe out he Greeks
as thew have tens of thousands of Ar
menians-if the Crescent shall not tri-
umph again over the Cross through the
silence or Vaccinations or connivance
of certain European nations then there
would be some atOnement for the con-
duct Of the so-called Christian peoples
in standing aloOf and letting 1.-The un-
speakable Turk butcher the old and
the young, the men and women of Ar
menia who have accepted Christianity
and rejected Mohammedanism.
Of course the great powers have not
been blind as to passing events. They
have seen an angry wal cloud gather
ing for months. They have allowed
Greece and Turkey to drift into a war
the magnitude of which no prophet
can f~oretell today. IT is useless to say
var could not have been prevented. If
all the strong nations in Europe had
agreed as to the policy to he pursued,
the belligerency of Greece would have
been toned down and the brutalities of
Turkey could no longer have continued.
The island Of Crete could have been
given to Greece, to which it r~ightfully
belongs rather han to Turkey, and in
stead of the war drum and the ann
there would be the notes of peace and
the furling of banners.
Perhaps both Greece and Turkey
have been hoping for aid from certain
powers, and this may "a aggravated
off Jnces and invited extremes. If the
report as to Russia is true-that the two
nations must not be interfered with,
bat be permitted to fight it out then
it shows that the half-civilized Russia
is willing for me Turk to gain all he
can at the expense of a civilized small
Christian kingdom. But will the
other powers dot Will they stand by
consenting to the overthrow of Greece
and the Cutting of Turkish revenge?
Greece will not only seek to have
Crete, but she has wider plans and
more grasping desires. She has 4 great
ICaging to be in possession of Constan-
lie. This is absurd for Russia
would never agree to it if the other
nations did. There is no sentiment
about Russia. In fact there is no ar
dent friendship and .rue sentiment in
many, if any, nations. Russia is pre-
pared with fleets and her army to move
in at the right time. Her army is only
two days away from Erzeroum. 1t is
reported that Russia has fortified
Mount Athos and has 1000 veterans
there. 1t is said. that "as Mount Athos
bears very mush the relation to the
Thracian and Macedonian coasts which
Gibraltar bears to the coasts Of the
Western Mediterranean, the IMPORT
ance of the Russian occupation of
Mount Athos and the meaning of it
become very clear"
1t is stated that soldiers were sent
from time to time as Greek priests to
the old convent on Mount Athos, and
VI quietly worked until it became a strong
fortificatiOn.