Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06
GREECE AND CRETE MENACE PEACE

capricious. He has qualities and defects
that charm. He does not possess the per-
severance that tfiumphs ovsf obstacles,
nor the, reason that inepires submission.
sary to the life Of the state. Thus. yxhe-
ever the chief who presides over the. deS-
TIMES of Greece. whether MavromichaHs.
Dragoumis or even yenezelos, he will AZ
and agitafed nation, more disposed 10
blame than tospraiee subject to all tlso
changes which great acts require without
possessing the faculty TO accomplish
them.
Unfortunately. everything that happens
In Greece assumes international ifmpor-
tance. There have been dis
Ministry sensions between the newly
A<%eck.6 appointed cabinet and par
s"Ne~' lament The cabinet was
formed October is. since when its chief.
N. Venezelos, has been constantly at
tackled by the members Of the national
assembly. NJ. Fenezeios resigned. but tho
king refused to accept his resignation. Il
was then. as proof of the assembly's pola-
fiIity, the chamber passed a vote OF con-
fdence in the government. but the pre-
mier was not satisfied. believing that tho
vote was one of complaisance rather than
an indication OF, real support and he in
sisted upon dissolution. Accordingly ths
KING issued a decree on the 18th OF o.
tober dissolving the, assembly the cleo
We may briefly recall the military pro-
nunciamento OF last year which has
done so much TO depreciste Greece I'm
the esteem OF Europe. NJ Nenezelos dur
N t,xsr~ Ar
scene at Athens and submitted his plan
Tor national assembly revisionist. The
Military League was finally dissolved, and
the assembly elected the concention Of
M; Nenezelos. the first question was.
Should it preserve the character oriei-
nally attributed II by the Cretan leader.
constituant?''
The situation in the new assembly stood
thus: Of the JOS seats the bloc rhailyistS
and theotokists obtained 19S. the Mavro-
mlchalfs group. 30: the socialist group,
led by NJ Plato Dracoulis 10; the agra
rlans. who favored a program of ex-
appropriation in favor of the peasants OF
fhessaly. 30; the independents. who ia
vor the constituent and who are firmly
decided to combat any tendency to revert
to the anarchy and disorder OF the last
year, So These latter favor the sul5sti-
tuition In the constitutional machine ac-
tually existing of some, changes for
articles deemed inadequate. The parti-
sans OF complete change pretend, on the
contrary, that no normal working OF a
political organization can be expected
with charter revised only in it's nom
fundamental clauses.
hs e..' : tls5.
How these groups may be classed in
the new assembly no one may predict
at this moment. The in
Second dependents announce that
rh.uh.r they will propose the
creation of a second
chamber, the Hellenic parliament at
present consisting Of a single chamber.
NJ. Venezelos has SO far dominated the
assembly and has shown himself a capa-
BILE leader, while the chiefs of the old
parties are discredited by their failure TO
cope with the military revolt of last
year. 1t is u happy circumstance for
Greece that when the culminating point
Of the national crisis should have been
reached strong man has beer found
50 opportunely TO direct the unsteady
ship Of state Tits is all the more for
tunate that NJ. Venezelos is Cretan br
birth and education. and Greek. of cours..
as Is every Cretan, by instinct and ut.
traction. 49, -.
The Cretan question is inseparable from
that of Greece; Q. sort of malady Of the
tain at no distant day to be entirely
cured. That Crete will be joined insep-
arably to Greece 10 manifest hsetiny. .Ths
eoyerhment OF the, porte II - 'admitted
q .tot or little OF fits rights OF sovereignty
over the island. but 1t may finally CON
clude to do so IL the protecting powers
should propose q 'fair financ a. compehsa-
Sn whsn o mark 81 s Ss1 ' ss1 , 70
not the powers offer to advance thai. sum
In whole or part payment for Crete! 1t is
certain that Turkey will never take so
much money from Crete. which pays no
tribute and il practically free and I'm
dependent of Turkey IN all SAVE the name.
Turkey possessed, unfit 1901 the rnonep-
oily Of salt in Crete. but In that year con-
coded this right to the island govern.
ment for the sum of I 800 200 ir4achuiaf or
francs. Of which she owed still in Sep
TENDER. 1906. 1.31O.59a francs This unpaid
balance might be added by the protecting
powers to the $30,0O.O00 Turkey has
been so anxiously seeking IN France.
81
1t is useless to deny that the Turks in
the Cretan question possess rights OF
sovereignty which are
Turkish confessed by the protect
~n.unAs ing powers. A rap
0ASAts. prechement between Bull
ly effected, and 1t is said. Is. even now
being considered, would be more than a
set off for the recent Turoo-Roumanian
convention. 1t would have the effect OF
rendering Turkey approachable on the
subject of Crete.
The Turco-Hellenie relations are so bad
at this moment as to excite alarm lest
a spark from the several Balkan powder
magazines cause n disastrous explosion.
Such firebrands of the Turkish press as
famine Ikdam. Yeni-Gazeta Tesvari.
Efkiar. declare that the protective pow
ers must settle the Cretan question NOV,
or the government Of -the- porte. Wifi do
So" .:''s. : 9s--
repeat that Turkeys dnanciaI disA
tress places powerful weapon in the
hands of the protective powers If Used
with promptness and decision. The want
of money is the stumbling block of ali
orientals, Turkey at the head. and il may
be added ii will be thus until the end of
time. Let the protective powers propose
the purchase of Crete, first satisfying the
pride of the Young Turk, and there is
every reason to believe that the PROPOSE
ton Of: thirty millions or less will prove
an "open sesame" to the Turkish heart
~