New-York tribune., 1909-08-16
TURKEY WANTS TO FIGHT.
Greek Consul Thinks Only the
Po1cers Can Auert Hostiities.

Denetrius N Botassi Greek Consul General az
New York. discussed the cretan situation in some
detail yesterday War is Inevitable in his opinion
unless the powers intervene again Immediately be-
tween Greece and Turkey.
The cretans are safe. at all events" he said.
FOR the Turks would dare put 10 sea I'm
their antiquated hulks In the face OF the new
Greek navy Thessaly, however. is open 10 attack
through Macedonia. which is a part Of the Turkish
Empire. The war, II IL comes. will be on land
and the invasion Will probably follow the route by
which the armies of the Orient have come since
the days OF Xerxes
The Young Turks unquestionably trying
desperately force their country into war Their
motive is obvious; nothing in the world can so
consolidate the jarring elements OF their new state
as victorious war. Without some such stinulant
10 the spirit Of national solidarity their government
is likely 10 topple down their heads. They have
stirred the press OF Constantinople 20 pitch OF
violence and lingo sensationalism such as | have
never known elsewhere
The newspaper attacks upon Greece are saw
age and incessant, and / suspect that the
foreign dispatches which find their way to this
country strongly colored the dctation OF the
Young Turk leaders. The recent reports for in
stance, that the Albsnians are urging the govern
ment 10 turn them loose the Greeks and give
them chance 10 fight, me grossly exag-
gerated. since the Albanians largely friendly
10 the Greeks.
WON'T GRANT TURKS DEMAND
There will surely be war think II the powers
do not Interfere. hope and believe however that
they will do They surely will not acouiesce in
the recent Turkish demand that Greece pledge
herself never 10 admit Crete TO her soyereign,v
That would be absurd Crete will inevitably he
ours some day. and that day is not al once bu.
II is certainly far OF.
Turkey has been swept OF the isand absolutely,
except for two signs. The island IS stii mentioned
in news dispatches and in the dplouatIc core
spondenee OF the powers as under Turkish suze-
rainty' ana on barren island in suda Bay there
Is a sheet OF bare tin nailed 10 a stan II Was
once painted 20 represent a Turkish flag and was
eft there when eight soldiers the last who were
left on the island. were called home some eight or
nine years ago.
I'm race, faith sympathy md tradition the ,s,
and is Greek. OF the three hundred thousand IN
habitants all but thirty thousand are Greek Catho-
lies The Mosems. who form the rest OF the nonr
lation' are as patriotic and loyal 10 Greece as
their fellow countrymen. They all speak Greek
and many do not know a word Of Turkish bevond
their PRAYERS and a few sentences from ,he Koran
These people determined 10 be annexed IN
Greece as soon as possible. The King recently in
formed the Prime Minister. NJ. Rails that he was
at liberty 10 dissolve parliament al any time he
pleased. Although II might have been desirable 20
do for several reasons the Minister did not dare
for. as soon the proclamation calling for a new
election was issued. Crete would surely hold cleo
tons choose representatives serve in the parlia
mcnt, and send them up 10 Athens That would be
an exceedingly embarrassing situation for certainly
Greece would not turn away the men who have
been so loyal 70 her. and yet 10 admit them would
almost Inevitably cause with Turkey
PRIVILEGES cURTAILED
There is unquestionably some IN feeling IN
Srefce against the Young Turk government One
OF the causes OF discomfort grows out OF the curta
nent OF the powers vested I'm the Patriarch of the
Greek Church When Mohammed IL wrested Con-
stantnople from the Byzantine Empire in 1453 and
mace u MS capital he coneiated his subjects
by granting 10 the Christians and the Patriarch
certain privileges having 10 10 with the questions
OF divorce school management. religious courts and
the appointment OF bishops
since that day every Sultan upon his accession
mas issued a proclamation continuing these grants
10 the Church The Young Turks contend thar now
turkey Is limited monarchy such grants may
come only from parliament But neither the new
parliament nor the new Sultan has yet issued the
proclamation.
Crete is historic ground II was great and sour
ishing when Athens struggling aud weak 7,
was there that King Minos aourished into whose
labyrinth TheseGs pursued the Minotaur and killed
him. guiding himself by the thread which Arladne