The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-03-13
Text of the Reply.

ATHENS, March 8.-The correspondent
reply of Greece to the Powers was sent
to the foreign legations this afternoon.
The cabinet sat all night in council, the
ministers not returning to their homes
until after daybreak today. The reply.
after acknowledging the receipt of the
identical notes of the Powers and recog
nizing the extreme gravity of possible
results bound up in the situation, pro-
ceeds as follows;
1.-THE government of his majesty King
George, having examined with the closest
attention the points whereon the great
Powers agreed, are believes it duty to
submit to the Powers it's own opinion of
the measures proposed by them. an opin-
ion which is the outcome OF long expert
ence and profound knowledge of the Gre
tan situation.
Moved profoundly by the sentiments
animating the powers and their solicit
tude for the general peace, the Greek
government will not fail in it's duty. be-
cause Greece also has an ardent desire
to contribute to the maintenance OF
peace and to preserve from complete
ruin islanders so long and so sorely tried
and so often decimated. We believe
that the proposed autonomy will unfor-
tunately fail to respond to the nobler in
tentions which inspire it, and will suffer
the same fate as many previous unsuc
cessful experiments in Crete"
Lesson Learned by Experience.
The reply then refers to six previous
instructions in Crete, and argues the
likelihood that the present proposals of
the Powers will terminate in state of
revolution. 1t continues:
Anarchy will ravage the country: fire
and sword in the hands of blind fanatics
will decimate people who do not deserve
such fate. In the face of such pros
pect, our responsibility would be enorm-
GUS if we failed earnestly to urge the
Powers to restore to Crete what she al
ready had at the time OF the enfranchise.
ment of the other Greek provinces, and
to lead her back to Greece, to whom she
has properly belonged since Capo Istrias
was president.
"In the presence of the recent scenes
of massacre and pillage. the burning of
Canea and the frightful anguish of the
Cretans, exposed to and menaced by
the boundless fury of Mussulmans, our
whole country was torn with remorse
for its own responsibility. 1t assumed
last year to persuade the Cretans to
lay down their arms, but the misfor-
tunes 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.
viii Not Abandon the Cretans
CAS- autonomy would not fulfill the
noble aim of the Powers. it is obvious
what must be the situation of the I'M
happy islanders from today until the es-
tablishment of autonomy Ii the Powers
persevere in their decisions in the face
of the foregoing views, then, in 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 feet in Cretan
waters, the presence of the Greek army
in Crete is nevertheless show to be de-
sirable alike from sentiments of human
ity and in the interest of definite res.
toration of order
DUTY forbids US to abandon the Gre
tans to the mercy of Mussulman fanati-
cism and to the Turkish army, which
always deliberately and Intentionally