Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-31
UNREST IN ISLAND Of CRETE
AUTONOMOUS STATE AFTER
LONG FIGHT WITH TURKEY.
Seventy Years Rebellion Against
Ottoman Government - Little
Country's Ancient History.
From the London Telegraph.

From the London Telegraph.
Surprise and regret will be general
throughout Europe that the unrest in the
Balkan states is finding a sympathetic
echo among the Cretans. 1t was only
as recently as 1898 that Great Britain.
Russia, France and Italy, after long hest
tation and heart searching. took it upon
themselves to lay these uneasy spirits of
the Mediterranean. From seventy years
of almost incessant rebellion against the
Ottoman government Crete emerged
through the smoke OF the guns of British
'battleships an autonomous state the
powers believing then that her national
aspirations would not be heard of again
for long time. Apparently the old
spirit of unrest. however, is awakened
anew by the war flame on the mainland,
and section of the islanders is willing
to disturb the peace of the Mediterranean
and set aside the arrangement of ten
years ago, in which England took a lead
ing part. for the sake of calling their
country an integral part Of the Greek
kingdom.
Not at Salomis.
The Cretans were not always eager thus
to share Hellenic fortunes. When they
were invited to take part with the Greeks
In the Persian campaign they replied that
they were busy at home and with equal
decision they declined to assist in the
Peloponnesan war. The islands his
tory through subsequent ages consisted
of a constant change of masters. and long
spells of rebellion. varied by intervals of
uneasy repose. 1t was in 1869 that Can
dia. to give the locality its more modern
name, first came under the Ottoman
power, and with a single interval o. ten
1T QOyernad a Turkish
viayet until the Intervention OF Europe.
when long msrule had become intolera BILE,
constituted the island an Independent
state. under high commissioner Of the
powers. the titular sovereignty of the
porte being still preserved. In 1906 the
right of the King of the HelIenes to name
the high commissioner was recognized by
the protecting powers. and since then the
gendarmerie and militia have been off,
cered frdom the neighboring mainland.
The present high commissioner, Alexander
Zaimis. was formerly prime minister at
Athens, his five years appointment in
Crete dating from September %. 1903.
Possibly those who seek to upset the
status quo count on his active sympathies.
There is a national assembly in the island
consisting of sixty-five deputies. 1t is
concerned, however, with local affairs
only.
The Cretan Cities.
Gambia itself is about 100 miles in
length. and from ) to 30 in breadth, the
total area being 1896 square miles. Ac-
cording to the last census the inhabitants
numbered 10000. Of whom 10000 were
Christians. the Mussulmans numbering
only $4,000. representatives of European
nations being almost exclusively con-
fined to the harbors. The chief towns
arc Canea, the capital. Rethymo and
Gambia. Agriculture Is the main indus
try he i,fn bait all, ~;l
partly exported and partly used In the
manufacture of soap. The annual yield
OF oil averages about $1,000 tons. Other
products are dry and fresh fruits. wine,
which Is largely sent to Malta. chestnuts,
hides and leather. cheese and silk. There
are about 100000 sheep and 10000 goats.
besides other live stock in the island.
The Cretans, who once shared with the
Phoenicans the credit of being the best
sailors in the world do not now traffic
far from their own coasts. Most of their
merchandise passes to Greece or Turkey,
but the United Kingdom Is a fairly large
year. according to the latest returns.
olive oil to the value of f10OOOO, and
exporting to Crete merchandise of many
sorts. of which the largest item Is cot
ton in one form or another.
Remnant Of Classic Race.
A leading characteristic of the noun
tain region, running without interruption
from east to west, is the occurrence Of
depressed valleys or basins at consid-
cradle height above the sea, forming
crater-like hollows without any outlet
for their waters, and inclosing plains OF
considerable extent. which afford admir-
able pasturage In spring and early sum-
mer. The largest of these upland basins
contains within its rock walls no less
than fifteen villages and a population Of
1000 souls. The soil of the lower valleys
is also Of great richness. and skilfully
utilized might, there can be no doubt,
make the island one of the most prosper
Gus in the Mediterranean. All that re-
mains of the ancient Cretan population
is now known as the Sfakiots tribe. in
habiting the highest uplands. These peo-
pie still wear the high leathern boots
noticed by classic writer's, and have only
lately lost that skill in the use of bow
and arrows which made them valuable
auxiliaries as long ago as the time of
the Venetian republic.