Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-22
The Eastern conundrum.

II
made. frieed the opinions appear &c
| be about as relia BILE as and conflict but
| little if any mere than the reports
| from the field of operations. 1t is said
that all dispatches sent out from
Athens are under strict censorship and
| are highly oelored to favor the Greeks
While those sent from the Turkish
Headquarters are not. Whether that Is
strictly true or not it is certain that the
correspondents with the Turks are III
sympathy with them. That pathetic
If true, report of the tender solicitude
with which the Turkish troops handled
the bodies of tine dead Greeks indicates
as much as that. AT the time of writ
ing, however, one cannot avoid the i'm
preston that on the east the Turks are
driving the Greeks back. AT several
outnumEer the Greeks more than two
to che and along the whole line it is
said the Turks have 10000 troops while
opposed to them are but $4,000 Greeks.
for the most very poorly armed.
The latter. however, are fighting or
their own soil. 1t is said that Turkey
can put million men into the field.
She can't put third of that number
into the field against Greece. though,
url.ces the Powers guarantee her
against an uprising in her provinces as
they are sta do.ne in. Crete. The face
that the Powers are still holding Crete
fer Turkey when if left alone it would
undoubtedly be wen to Greece and
shows what their purpose up to date is,
They want Greece whipped and the
territorial situation left just as it is.
But if they allow Turkey to occupy
Athens their concert" will need to be
stronger than it has shown itself in
order to make her relinquish all she
has gained.
They do not appear to be worrying
|about any uprising in the Balkan
states. Probably there will be none
unless Greece can win a decisive vic
tory. Even then it is doubtful Rou-
mania, the chief of these states, is out
of it. Bulgaria hates Greece, is prac
tically a Russian province and will no..
mix in the mu6d!e unless she sees
neighbor states dong so ard takes d
hand in order to share in the spoil. l.,
sion of affairs likely to result in gen
eral war. But none Of those neighb0rs
seem to lie Itching for bloodshed
Servia feels the restraining influence Of
Austria Hungary and While it is pos
sble that she may be drawn into such
conflict it does not now seem prob
able. The little state of Montenegro
lying at the northeastern corner of the
Turkish possessions on the peninsular.
full of fight and DESTROYS of extending
her territory into Albania, is likely to
take a hand. for her people like fight
ing and have always made quite good
success of it. The Macedonians if they
fight at all will probably fight among
allowed TO provide themselves with
arms they are not likely to prove for
midable. The Albanians at best arc
brigands and might prove very annoy
ing to the Turks should they turn their
attention to them. There are scat
tered throughout the Sultan's domin
ions many thousands of Greeks whJ
will bear watching. They are capable
of making trouble even in CONSTANT
nople. Should Greece win a great vic
tory the elements she relies upon for
assistance would doubtless show d
good deal of activity.
No one seems to know in just what
condition the Turkish navy may be.
sells as Greece. but If half that has been
said Of the corruption of the officials in
charge of building and caring for it be
true it cannot be half as effective as
the navy of Greece, which numbers in
all IS vessels, though some of those
are of obsolete types. Every depart
ment OF the Turkish service is honey
combed by the corruption of officials.
The Turks are fighters, though. and
thoroughly in earnest about whipping
the Greeks so perhaps the weakness OF
Turkish corruption may not show it.
self as it otherwise would. Besides she
is in a better way to get what money
| she may need than is Greece, though
| both are in bad enough financial con-
dition. Greece has been unable to pay
| the interest on her debt and has 4
stock of money only in the amount OF
about fifty-siX millions, a large part OF
which Is paper. While her annual in
come of twenty millions is more than
consumed by ordinary expenses. 1t is
| difficult to say just what Turkeys stock
of money amounts to but it is some
thing less than billion dollars.