The San Francisco call., 1897-03-01

Germans oct in the Cretan Trouble Hith

Germans act in the Cretan Trouble Hith
That PietO.
BERLIN, GERMANY, Feb. 2S.-W hatever
may be thought or said outside of Ger
many as to the Kaiser's line of action in
the Graco-Cre an imbroglio, the DOM
inant, if not the unanimous, opinion in
Germany is that 1t has been consistent
with his whole eastern policy, and in
spired By desire to maintain peace. The
home papers which insinuate and the for
eign papers which openly affirm that fam
lily affairs have been any element in infu-
encing the Kaiser choose to ignore facts
which ought by this time to be open to
the world. There is no feud or ill-will
now existing between the Kaiser and his
sister, the Duchess Of Sparta, wife of the
Greek heir apparent. The unconcealed
disfavor with which he treated her CONVEX
sion from the Lutheran to the Greek
church is a matter OF past history. The
Emperor's mother was the medium of
early reconciliation, and the harmony of
affection between the Kaiser and his
favorite sister has long been restored.
That the Kaiser sought, first of all, the
support OF Russia for his proposal to
blockade the Pireus should dispose of the
report that family considerations weighed
largely with the Car.
The Kaiser can be expected to know
how far the fact that King George is
brother of the Dowager Czarina would af-
feet Russian policy. The history of our
own time affords an illustration. When
Prussia in 1866 despoiled the Grand Duke
OF Hesse- Darmstadt, brother of the then
Czarina, the Gar Alexander II, declined
10 interfere privately or through diplo-
macy, and when Prussia annexed Hol-
stein-Gottorp. long associated With the
Russian oynasty, nothing was said from
81. Petersburg.
That the Dowager Czarina has person.
ally interfered on behalf of King George
is 5evond all probability. The telegram
of encouragement and sympathy from her
TO the King which has gone the rounds Of
the European press was a fs fsbrication, and
events since have proved that Gear and
Kaiser alike are guided, by motives IN
which family relations play no i'm mportant
part. The actual truth, so far as the
Kaiser has taken any lead upon the
Cretan difficulty, is that his aim has been
to prevent or a all hazards to postpone
the breaking up of Turkey aud to stop
Greece from entering upon a war which,
unless accompanied by general confla-
grafton in the Balkan peninsula, might
involve the devastation of Greece and the
overthrow of King George.
h. The Kaiser has been in consultation
with German officers who have served in
the reorganization Of tie Turkish army
and has obtained during the present crisis
reports from the German staff still con-
nected with the Turkish forces. Their re-
ports concur in stating that the position
of Greece, if assafled by land, is abso-
lutely hopeless. The Turks are immeas-
urapiy better prepared for an immediate
campaign on the Thessalian frontier.
The Porte seems to have anticipated a
possible outbreak of war with Greece and
got ready for it. Early in the month they
had 20 600 troops around the base of Olym-
pus and were prepared to direct that force
in two columns from the Olympus and
Elassona districts. upon ThessaIia. The
Turkish army is reinforced 10 As 600.
Against them the Greeks have but fee BILE
force between Larissa and Pharaessa, and
only began when the storm seemed gath