The times., 1897-03-20


have our government pinned to their
aprons? The sense of this nation is for
them non-existent, and the German en-
peruT wouIu lie Wen within nisliiiIus s.noild
he deign to say to us. Turkey | know,
ana tie concert | know. but who are ye?'
AT tue heels of this concert we have
plodded patiently for two years, ana what
has it done FOR us-done for us, not in pro-
noting Justice and humanity, for that ques-
uon has long ago been answered, but In
securing peace | affirm that, with all it's
pretension and It's power, 1t has worsened
and not bcttered the situation. When we
pointed to the treat Y obligations and treaty
rights which soenlnly and separately bound
us to stop the Armenian niassacres, we
were threatened, by the credulity OF some
and the hypocrisy OF others, with Euro
pean war as a certain consequences OF any
coerclve measure, however diSintercstcd,
which we might adopt for checking crimes
sufricicnt to make the stones cryout.
Without hesitation or qualification, Mr..
Gladstone glorifies Greece for the stand she
has taken in supporting the cause of her
Greek brethren in Crete. He writes:
new actor. governed by new temper.
mas appeared upon the stage, not one
equipped with powerful fleets, large armies
and DoundleSs treasures. supplied by un-
counted lions. hut petty power. hardly
counted N the list of European states sud
denly takes its place midway in the con-
flict betWeen Turkey and its Cretan in
surgents. But 1t is q rower representing
the race that had fought the battles OF
Thermopylae and Salams and had hurled
back the hordeS OF Asia from European
shores. In the heroic age OF Greece, as
Homer tells u.s. there was a champion who
was small of stature. but full of fight.
he hat i II his little body great soul, and
he seems TO have been reproduced in the
recent and marvelously gallant action of
Greece.
1t is sad TO reflect that we have also
before us the reverse OF the picture in the
SIX powers who offer to the world { he most
conspicuous example of the reverse and
present to US huge body, animated, or
have them before us, 1T is literally true, a
David facing six Goliaths.
He declares that in taking the stand she
has Greece confers u great and positive
benefit upon Europe; that she is justified
in refusing such solution as the ex-
pulsion of the Greek troops from Crete
and their replacement by the Turkish
battalions that did the fiendish work Of
the massacre in Armenia He believes with
Greece, that the least she could accept
or that Europe should allow, would be
Cretan autonomy under Greek auspices
with nominal Turkish suzerainty. Greece
this question as we paltered with the
blOod-stained question Of Armenia She has
eXtricated it from the neshes Of diplomacy
and placed it on the order OF the day
for definiuve solution
Finally. Mr. Gladstone refuses to accent
the idea that Greece is To be cnerced
and punished. He says: II hardly like
TO sully the page on which l write by
the mention of an alternative so detest-
able And again Let it be borne in
mind that in this unhappy business all
along, under cover OF the concert of
Europe power and speech have been the
monopoly of the governments and their
organs, while the people have been shut
out I do not believe there is d
European people whose judgment, could it
be had, would ordain or tolerate the in
Fiction of punishment upon Greece for
the good decd she has recently performed"
This magnificent emanation from one of
the greatest statesmen of the cen tury
must produce a profound impression
throughout Europe. AS we have limited,
it may lead to the downfall OF the Tory
English ministry; it may sound the signal
for violent rupture of the concert; 1t
cannot fail TO make serious trouble in
regard to current relations between Great
Britain and Germany, and the friction
may extend to those with Russia 1t pre-
sumably is certain to bring results of some
kind.