The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-09
THE REPLY OF GREECE.
She Stands Between Christian and
Fanatic Turk.

London, March S-The Chronicle to-
morrow will publish dispatch from
Athens giving the full text of the reply of
Greecn to the powers After "A brief pre-
amble, the reply continues:
I'm view OF the extraordinary gravity
OF the results which will follow, his mnj.
esty's government considers it its duty
to submit to the powers its opinion of
the measures decided upon, IN opinion
which is the result of long experience and
profound acquaintance with the situn-
tion in Crete
Impressed by the sentiments which
animate the powers aud their solcitude
for general peace, the Greek government
will not fail in it's duty, since Greece also
arGently desires to contribute TO the mnin-
tenaDcc of peace and to save from utter
ruin the population of the island put to
so severe II trial ana so often decinuted
we believe that the new regime of au-
tonomy adopted by the powers unhappily
cannot correspond to the noble intentions
that inspire it, and that II will --su Ter the
fate OF the different notwithstanding sys.
TENS which at various times and without
success have been tried Lv Crete
This is not the first time that Crete
iinus herself III Il state of insurrection
In recent times, the horrors cf anarchy
have SHAKEN and imperled her existence.
lf, then. the new regime, with which it
is proposed to endow her. is not calcula.
ted to rc-establish order in IL dcfinitive
manner, the Greek government cannot
doubt the impossiblity of putting an
end by means of il 70 the present state OF
revolution. Anarchy will continue to
raragc the country with fire and sword
in its hand. Blind fanaticism will con.
time its destructive work of exterminat
ing Il people which assurehy does not de
serve such IL fate
Bclore such prospect our RESPONSE.
bi!ity would he enormous if we did not
mos; earnestly urge the powers not to in
siSt upon the scheme of autonomy pro
posed, ,but rather to restore to Crete
what she already had ut the time of the
acknowledgements of the other provinces
which form the kingdom of Greece. and
to lead her hack to Greece. to which she
belonged since Capriodis was PRESIDENT
In the presence of the recent period
OF massacre, pillage and connagration in
Canca, in the presence of the frghtful
anguish To which the inhabitants of Crete
have been exposed and .menaced by the
boundless fury of the Mussulman popula-
ton, who prevented The departure of
Christian families for Greece, which has
always been providential refuge for all
these miserable beings, our whole country
was torn with remorsc for the RESPONSE
bllity it assumed last year, i'm inducing.
the Cretans to lay down their arms The
misfort'lnes that RESULTED forbid JUS to
undertake once more such task and if
we had attempted it our voice would GER
tanly have been feeble
Its echo would not have reached the
Cretan people
1t being the case therefore. that Il
new regime of autonomy could not fulfill
the noble ann of the powers, it is obvious
what would be the situation -of the I'M
happy island from to-day until the estnb.
lishment of this regime.
'',f the powers believe It to be their
ruty to perSeverc in their resolutions
with the above views and in-.the oonan,e of
humanity, as well as in interest of the
island, the pacication of which is the
unique object of the solicitude of the DOW
crs, we do not hesitate to appeal to them
on the subjects of the other measures
namely, the recall OF our military forces.
Indeed, IT because of the presence of the
united sQuadrons in Cretan waters and in
the conviction that these squadrons will
not permit Turkish troops TO discmbark
ON the island; the presence also of all the
shlps OF the Greek fleet off Crete is iudned
TO ie unnecessary. the presence of TIE
Greek army on the island is he rel theless
shown to he desirable alike from senti
ments of humanity and in the interests of
the definitive re establishment of order.
Our duty specially forbids us to abam-
don the Cretan people to the mercy of
Mussulman fnnaticism and the Turkish
army. which at all times has deliberate
~ and Intentionally participated in the
aggressive acts of the populnce against the
Christians. Above all, If our people on
n hn nv. e
hdence of the powers, have received Il
mandate to pacify the country, their de.
slres and intentions would have received
promptly the most perfect satisfaction
1t would he then after the re-establish-
ment OF order that..it would be possible to
learn the desires freely expressed bv the
Cretan people for IL decision as to their
fate.
The sorrows which have required rec
ularly in Crete for many decades past not
only do not occur without profoundly ag.
itating the Hellenic people, but they also
interrupt social activity and gravelv dis.
turb the economy and finances of the
state. Even if we admit that it would
dc possible To forget for an instant that
we share the common religion OF Crete.
that we are of the same race, aud bound
by the cause of blood, we could not in 81
lcnce allow tile powers to assume that the
Greek nation is able any longer to resist
such.-shocks.
For this reason we appeal to the gem
erous sentiments animating the powers
ana beg them to permit the Cretan people
themselves to declare how they desire to
he govcrned.'
HAS MADE NO PLANS.
Washington, March x-Secretarv
Carlisle has made no definite plans for the