Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-21
THE cpErAS COMPLICATION.

In many respects the situation growing
out of the Graeco- Cretan trouble Is pc
coming more complicated every day. me
concert of the Powers presents the para
dox OF not concerning, and u ID eVioent
that 10 the protest OF the Powers
which promised such an carry set''s-
ment OF the matter, there are Attached
several strings.
There "a no doubt that the sympathies
Of Great Britain and Italy are WIN Tue
Greeks. but Germany is antagohisuc 10
them. as IS shown by her proposition
which was rejected by Great Britain 10
coop up the Greek feet at the Piraeus' 'he
port OF Athens. Russia. we are given 10
understand, SIDES with Germany, wn'ie
France is non-committal. ana Austria-
Hungary, owing to the especially great
interests she would have at stake In the
event of a general war, is hedging
In the mean time. pluclxy little Greece
continues to maintain defiant attitude.
She declares that she will not reverse
her Cretan policy. which means that she
will not be satisfied with anything snort
OF the annexation of Crete. and although
some of the Powers have made a snow
of preventing her from landing troops
on the island. that show has been quite
feeble. Indeed in this matter the
Powers have appeared TO be engageu
more in n game of feeling one another ;
hands than in serious attempt to inter-
fere with Greek operations in Crete.
So far as Crete is Immediately con-
cerned. events and conditions would
on their face appear to point to the
conclusion that. annexation to Greece
will become an accomplished fact. But
the more far-reaching results are IN
volved I'm the gravest uncertainty. III
the war fever in Greece could be con-
fined to the kingdom and to bearing
solely upon the Cretan problem, the
trouble would probably end with the
adjustment of the original question at
issue. But the fever is spreading 10
the Christians in the Turkish posses
sions bordering Greece, and the SYM
pathies Of the Greeks are turning to
these as well as TO the Cretan Chris
tians. Moreover. Greece's ambition Is
expanding proportionately as she makes
Roadway in the Cretan movement.
This ambition is a direct menace 70
the Austro- Hungarian policy in South
eastern Europe, and, although, as above
stated. Russia has given out that she
supports the German policy in respect
of the Cretan complication, she is still
suspected OF being engaged in some un-
derground work What Is 10 Austria
Hungary's interest touching the little
eastern question into which the Cretan
question has broadened is against Rus
sia's interest, and there would be no
occasion for surprise should it be dis
covered that while Russia has been
frowning upon the Hellenes in public
she has been smiling upon them IN pri-
vate. Considering these facts, the evil
dences that Greece believes she is stand
ing on solid ground in forcing con-
illusions regarding Crete, the delicacy
with which Great Britain is handling
the Greeks, and the vigorous measures
advocated by Germany, the probabilities
are that It will yet take some unusually
skilful diplomatic steering to avoid
bringing the whole little eastern COM
plioation TO crisis so acute as TO
precipltate general hostilities.