The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-03-09
CONCItIATORY REPLY.
Greece Does Not Assume Belligerent
Attitude Toward Powers.
Prospects Point to Further
Negotiations.


CABINET TO the powers, III respoise "
the identical note delivered last Thurs
day:
The government of his majesty, King
George, having examined with the clos
est attention the points whereon the
great powers are agreed. believes II a
duty to submit to the powers its own
opinion on the measure proposed Dy
them, an opinion which Is She outcome
| OF long experience and profound knowl-
edge OF the Cretan situation.
Moved profoundly by the senujnents
| animatng the powers and their solici-
| tude for the general peace, the Greek
government will not fan IN its duty, be-
cause Greece also has - ardent desire
to contribute to the maintenance or
| peace and to preserve from complete
| ruin islanders so long and sorely tried
and so often decimated. Ave believe
| that the proposed autonomy Will un-
| fortunately fail to respond TO the nobler
| intentions which inspire II, and will suf-
| fer the same fate as many previous un-
successful experiments tl Crete.
The reply then refers TO six previous
| Instructions in Crete, and argues the
unlikelihood that the present proposals
of the powers will terminate a state or
revolution. 1t continues:
Anarchy will ravage the country; fire
and sword in the hands Of blind fanatic
| ism will decimate people who do not
| deserve such a fate. In the lace or sucn
| q prospect our responsibility would be
enormous, If we failed earnestly to urge
| the powers to restore to Crete what she
already had at the time of the enfran-
chisement OF the other Greek provinces
| and to lead her back to Greece, to whom
she properly belonged since Capo Is
triaS vas president.
In the presence of the recent scenes
| of massacres and Dillaee. the burning
h.a It~isr rl.f ftll q IN 9 nf
| the Cretans, exposed to and menaced
| by the boundless fury of Mussulmans,
our whole country was torn with re-
| morse for its own responsibility. 1t as
| Sumed last year to persuade the Cretans
| TO lay down their arms, Out the mis-
| fortunes which followed forbid us again
| to undertake such task. Even had we
| attempted it our voice would have been
| only feeble echo and would not have
reached the Cretan people.
AS autonomy would not fulfill the
| noble aim of the powers it is obvious
what must be the situation of the un-
happy island from today until the estab-
| lishment of autonomy. If the powers
| persevere in their decisions in the face
| of the foregoing views, then the name
| of humanity, as well as in the interests
| of Crete, the pacifying of which Is the
| unique object of the solicitude of the
powers, we do not hesitate to appeal to
them on the subject of another measure
| proposed by them, namely the recall Of
| our troops.
| Indeed, IL the presence of the foreign
squadrons and the conviction that they
| prevent the landing OF Turkish troops
| are deemed to render unnecessary the
| presence Of the Greek fleet In Cretan
| waters, the presence of the Greek army
| in Crete Is nevertheless shown to be
| desirable alike from sentiments of hu-
| manity and In the interest of a definite
| restoration of order. -t.
Duty forbids us to abandon the Gre
tans to the mercy Of Mussulman IA
| naticism and to the Turkish army, which
| always deliberately end Intentionally
has shared in the aggressive acts of the
populace against the Christians. More
! over. if our own troops, which are worthy
| the fullest confidence Of the powers,
| had received a mandate to pacify the
| island, their desires and intentions
| would have been promptly received
! With the most perfect satisfaction. The
| order being restored, it would be pos
sible to ascertain the freely expressed
desires Of the Cretans for a decision as
to their fate. The sorrows which have
| regularly recurred in Crete for many de-
cades, not only profoundly agitate the
Hellenic people, but interrupt also all
social activity and gravely disturb our
| domestic economy and the finances of
F! the state. Even IL we admit the possi-
| bility of forgetting for q single instant
our community with the Cretans in re-
| ligion, race and blood, we could not in
| silence allow the great powers to as
| sumo that the Greek state is able longer
| to resist such shocks.
Therefore, we appeal to the generous
| sentiments animating the powers, and
we beg them to permit the Cretan peo-
| pie themselves to declare how they de-
| sire to be governed.
| (Signed) Skouzes.
/ ~
| known through the city the populace
| exhibited great excitement, and on all
sides there was heated discussion of the
consequences likely to follow.
| The iwarship Hydra has already been
recalled from Cretan waters, leaving
| only two small Greek vessels in that
| quarter. This is regarded as virtual
yielding to the powers so far as the fleet
is concerned. 1t is held, however that
the powers cannot now shut the door
against further negotiations. The cab
| met, it Is understood. was unanimous
as to the terms of the reply the text of
| which was the personal work of the
king.
| The offer to place the Greek forces In
| Crete under q foreign general indicates
| the readiness of the government to re-
| gard the forces as gen darmie to assist
| the foreign marines In restoring order.
| London Newspaper Opinions.
| London, March 9.-Parliamentary pa
| pers have been issued containing the full
text of the notes of the powers to Turkey
| and Greece. The first note TO Turkey
made no mention of the withdrawal of
| Turkish troops from Crete. but the Sec
ond explained that the scheme Of au-
tonomy implied progressive reduction
| Of the Ottoman forces In the island. and
that, therefore, after the Hellenic evacu-
alton the Turkish troops must be with
drawn to the occupied towns.
The Daily News thinks that the reply
| furnishes q reasonable basis for further
| negotiations. II Is stated that Admiral
| Canevaro of the Italian feet. and in
+, command Of the combined squadrons,
proposed as first step I'm the event OF n
negative reply from Greece that all the
powers should recall their ministers
from Athens.
Probably IL will be decided to enforce
| a non oafttl hIockade appIying only TO