The herald., 1897-04-14
COERCION
OF GREECE
Will Cease When War Is
Declared
ORDERS T0ST0P IRRECULARS
ARE NOT oBEYED FOR LACK OF
SPARE" MEN
Movements Are skillfully Conducted,
and the Turkish Army Will Be
Cut or From Supplies
Associated Press Special Wire.


ST. PETERSBURG, April 13.-The No
voc Vreemya declares that all coercion
of Greece upon the part Of the powers
will cease as soon as war Is declared,
because otherwise 1t would bear the
character of pro-Turkish intervention.
THE NEXT MOVE.
ATHENS, April 13.-The next import
ant move which will be heard will be
from the Greek headquarters at
Arta. where the banks and principal
stores etc, are closing and removing
into the interior ,and every other prepa-
ration possible is being made to get out
of harms way before the war begins in
earnest.
At Arta, It is well known here, force
of about 1000 men, organized by the
Ethnike Hetairia, has either started for
Turkish territory or is making final
preparations for so doing. This body
will he divided into six separate detach-
ments, each ably directed, and having
a separate destination, with the view OF
raising the flag of Greece in certain
locality, increasing its numbers as much
as possible, and harassing the rear OF
the Turkish force, which will be directed
from Janina against the Greek regulars.
who will operate against the Turks
from Arta. The Greek government has
given strict orders to stop the departure
of this force of irregulars, but it is semi
officially explained that the Greek COM
mander at Arta, Col. Vassos, Is unable
to spare men to intercept them" No
body ever expected he would be able to
spare men" to do 50. The Ethnike He
tairia probably counts him among it's
devoted members, as 1t does nearly all
the officers in the Greek army, and the
colonel can be counted upon not to in
terfere with the carefully prepared plans
of the national league, which will make
Greece country worthy of its glorious
traditions or perish bravely struggling
to the last In its efforts to bring about
n realization Of the dream for which its
members have sworn to sacrifice their
lives and all their belongings, IL need be.
The Greeks position in the vicinity Of
Arta is much stronger than that of the
Turks, who, owing to the recent heavy
rains and bad roads. will have much
difficulty in communicating with their
DaSe OIL SupPllcS at 'NH' - ~--~
Greek "irregulars" are not in their rear
for the purpose of preventing them from
so doing.
The Greeks are able to reach Arta from
Athens in twenty-four hours, giving
them a fine base Of supplies, an i'm
mense advantage in campaign such az
the one planned by the Greek leaders.
The volunteers from this city have al
ready reached Arta, and more are on
their way there. 1t is the intention of
the Greeks, when all Is ready, to attack
and capture Janina, which. according to
the treaty Of Berlin, rightfully belongs
to Greece.
Finally, another foce Of irregulars is
preparing to cut off Turkish commune
cation with Salonika. from where the
Turks at Elaseona derive their supplies.
If the attempt is successful, the three
Turkish army divisions. the eastern near
Salonika, the central Elassona and
the western at Janina, in addition to the
army corpe at Grevena. will be cut off
from communication with each other.
In addition the Creek fleet proposes
to make things lively off Salonika in
order to prevent the landing of any sup
plies there. A strong fleet is off Arta,
ready to render effective service in this
direction. Another Greek fleet is off the
island Of Skiathos, prepared to strike at
Salonika and the Greek fleet is off the
leland of Skyro, prepared to attack the
Turkish Islands in the AEGEAN sea.
When the communications of the Turk
ish division at Janina are cut off, its
position will be precarious. especially in
the event of rising Of the Albanians in
its rear, which is one of the objects
which the Ethnike Hetairia has in view.
A significant fact. pointing to the way
the wind is blowing, is that the Greek
government has telegraphed to Col.
Berthes, who has promised to bring with
him 1000 Italian volunteers, telling him
to hold himself and his men in readiness
to come here at any moment.
All the Greek deputies have been sum-
moned to attend the next meeting Of the
boule. when an important pronuncia-
mento is expected.
The powers, however are still trying
to effect a move with little prospect of
success. 1t is stated that the French
ambassador, M. Gambon. has been in
to draft an autonomous consti-
tuition for the island of Crete, allowing
the Cretans to choose their own govern
or and providing for a simultaneous
Greek and Turkish evacuation of the
island. 1t Is feared these efforts will
turn out to have been made too late.
LONDON, April ia special dis
patch from Constantinople alleges tha.
the Greek plan is 10 stir up a rebellion in
Macedonia, to blockade Salonica and TO
attack Prevesa (the town on the Turkish
side of the entrance of the Gulf OF Arta)
and Smyrna-by-th the-Sea, as we'll as to
endeavor to force the passage of the
Dardanelles with the torpedo division OF
the Greek fleet. Edhem Pasha. the Turk
ish commander-in-chief in Macedonia,
the dispatch adds. has reported to his
government that the Creek insurgents
attacked the Turkish forces simulta-