Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-12
TURKEYS PROTEST ABOUT CRETE.

protest circular note to the pro-
u.;o.a tectiye powers inviting at
tention to the hybrid re-
gime existing in Crete, the daily assaults
upon the rights of Turkey and. among
these, the change made in the post
stamps the reference of judicial questions
to the court of cessation at Athens, the
oath of the executive committee to the
King of Greece, the presence Of Greek Of
ficers at the head of the Cretan militia
the proposed increase of the military and
of armament "a menace to Turkey and
finally the unIriendy attitude of Greece.
The circular note, the text of which has
not yet been published, concludes that
Turkey will maintain her rights of SOW
ereignty in Crete intact and rejects ener-
getically all open or disguised participa-
ton of a third power, meaning Greece, in
the administration of Crete.
The protective powers. Russia, Great
Britain France and Italy, are at their
wits end to determine their joint response
to Turkeys protestation. Turkeys note
was communicated on the 10th of NoVem-
ber first to Russia, and Immediately
thereafter 1t was announced that Nj. Is
volsky after conference with the am
bassadors of the Interested powers, left
for Liyadia to confer with the ear
There is but little doubt that the pro-
tective powers will adopt the policy or
making haste slowly. \ correspondent
from Rome. referring to the reception or
the Turkish note there. confeSseS that:
THE powers find themselves for a fact
between the anvil and the hammer; that
is. between Greece and Crete. whose as
pirations are respectable, and Turkey.
whose rights are incontestable.'
NJ. Mayromchalis, declared to repre-
sentative of the Berliner
Greece's Lokalanzeiger that they
-. had avoided with care
FOSltloH. everything which might
tend to wound Turkey; in the nee
essary reorganization of the army they
had been obliged to convoke the untrain-
ed reserves for period of fifteen days
in order to give them the rudments of
instruction. The minister was under the
impression that the action Of the porte
was due to the desire to make conces-
sions to certain parliamentary influences.
| 1t is undenable that Turkey is the
recognized sovereign of Crete. The pow
/ ers guaranteed that sovereignty ten
years ago and later still Turkey conceded
Cretes autonomy, but she does not adnlt
that under the name OF autonomy creek
I
| island Then Turkey must take into ac-
count the national feeling which was
manifested on the meeting of parliament.
On the other hand If Greece and Crete
have been given as II not the
tecting power, who designated the son
of the King of Greece as the commissioner
general of Greece in 1897? was / not
the same who later recognized IN hlhs
George the right to designate successor?
Was il not the same power finally which
permitted Greek officers to take service
in Crete? 49,
The Temps suggests that the Turkish
note asks much In the hope of obtaining
something however small. Have the
| Turks on the other hand, asks the
Temps with manifest dread, the after
thought to maintain their note by rorce
of arms? They know the limitation OF
the war would be highly problematical
and il generalized Turkey would be ex,
posed to great danger both within ana
without And the Temps concludes that
the negotiations will continue and leao
finally to an amicable settlement
* x
Diplomatic circles have been discussing
the recent visit of the former minister of
war OF France. Gen. Pic
picnnart's quart, to Athens and the
audience accorded him by
VlslJ. King George. The French
press have ascribed the visit as inspired
by NJ Clemenceau, who. 1t Is said, desired
to explain to the king why certain prom
ises made to the king during his admins
tration had not been fulfilled. NJ. Clemen-
ceau has emphatically denied the alega-
ton. The visit of Gen. Picquart Is, never
theless, an undisputed fact. and it is sug-
gested in other circles that 1t may nave
been at the request of the king himself,
anxious to secure competent counsel on
the subject of reforms in the reorganiZa-
ton of the army.
The reforms in the Greek admlnlstra-
tions which failed to be acted upon by
the chamber, and especially those IN the
army, provoked the unfortunate manifes-
t:tions in the army and navy. Prior, IN
deed to this ebullitiCn the question was
seriously considered of overturning the
Mavromichalis cabinet and replacing 1t by
military dictatorship. At that moment
Lieut. Tybaldos came to the front.
In the month of August he took a
prominent part in the military move
ment, minister Of marine. members OF
parliament and committees discussed
questions of state with him, and Ty al
dos so grew in self-esteem that he de-
manded the portfolio of the nav WITH
dictatorial powers. The government,
until now blindly unconscious of the
abyss on which it was standing, awoke
only to find the energetic Tyhaldos a. the
head of an armed revolt of the navy.
October 20 the revolt was stified.
A correspondent from Athens writes
from behind the scenes and permits US
To appreciate to certain extent the
serio-comedy enacted in Greece.
K
The Military League, which for q fact
is the real power in Greece. is repre-
scented by reformist as
Military panied at the compare
son between the Greek
LeaS ue. and Young Turk revolt.
The Greeks. it is charged. rose against
the constitutional regime, the Turks
against despotism. For those who see
the matter from the outside the argu-
ment appears very strong. Near. alas!
Il will be seen that parliamentary re-
eime may be as bad a regime as that
of the sultan's; il is little less despotic.
but it is nearly as corrupt. More than
that. while Abdul Hamid gave to Tur-
kew an army strong and victorious,
Greece after the defeat of 1897 adopted
a system of culpable inertia
1t was necessary. in view of the abuses
which rendered Greece weak, within and
without, that the army should take the
initiative and end 1t. According to the
reformist If the army had not taken
the initiative the movement would have
commenced from the bottom. In such
case there would have been sort of
commune which would have surely
overthrown the monarchy and perhaps