The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-25
THE CRETAN IuBRO6LIO-TtSE
FOR THE cRETtNS.

vailed In the Chan-elisrtes and diplomats
ciTclt~ % Europe than az the pr~Svnt mo-
m-ni Fseltas. u b, true. ran high IN iss.
Eheu The actions % BULGARIA ami of Austria
HUNGARY. technically in the NronE. rSissd
a storm % protest IN southern and western
Europe. bu' then uhs actors on the one
side acre Po~erful. either IN their oSn
T'er-ohs OF In those Of their friends aud
Oscker- The questions a. issue we're also
ioleTably clear and precise Bulgaria had
the strong atm Of the central kuTopesa
Powers upon which 20 lean. and probably
! that Of Russia also Austria Hungary VAS
in it-elf powerful enough to dictate terms
10 distracted Turkey and to bOmbastIc
SerNia Greece Nas OF it, own fault "
| too parlous q state 20 do more than look on
/ IN wondeTmen, az the rcsuseltAtion Of H-
more poweT'rl asiGhbor. The benevolent
and nisrcenr e.! ftere-t which parliamentary
Turkey inspired In the culture nations Of
Europe presaRed at least the adlournment
! OF any questions al issue between these pep
piles and the Ottoman Empire. and very
wisely the Young Turks refused TO he drawn
into the discussion of other than immediate
problems. Tepudlating the attempt Of the
| Egyptian Nationalist To eInbToil them with
England
Two questions. however. did require
some immediate settlement. the Macedo-
man and the Cretan. but the first of the-e
/
Macedonia - still an integral part Of the
Ottoman Empire It's problems can he dealt
with either In an administrative and legis-
la'iv" manner Questions Of churches and
schools ar with the help Of the sword
ALBANIAN insurrec,ionI. should no, care
to Minimize tho importance Of the diricul-
ties which The neS regime has encountered
here. but they are difficulties which the
healing hand Of time and the gradual trans-
formation Of Turkey into modern state
may lessen -ensibly The Cretan question.
however. brooks no delay In its fnal Eolu-
ton. and such . final solution -. I am
sure. desired a. ArdeDtly by Ottoman
statesmen a. It Is by some OF tho Cretan
leaders themselves Unfortunately not
only are Turkey and Greece Interested In
the outcome behind them stand all the
European great Powers, whose divergent
interests In the edterrsnean may at any
moment clash in Crete Never has a politi-
cal question been complicated more sadly
by both negligence and de-ign than has
this u looks ~ N tho fates themselves
we're IN league with Satan 10 darken coun-
sci. and almost in whatever direction YOU
turn the way out OF the labyrinth seems
barrei
Crete j. the classic homo Of insurrections,
a. least since I77o For the last half cen
fury every tenth wear has chronicled one or
more but II would he wrong 10 Law this
10 the blame Of tho Crsians and tn Judge
them p-ychologically unfit To lead a Iuie,
and peaceful existence They have heen
placed net Neen the grinding tyranny Of the
Ottoman power. which they must for tha,
reason n for no other dete-t cordially. and /
the Veak ConnivAnCe Of Greece which they :
must despi-e. however much they vaunt n- :
glorie- The continued oppression of Turk .
isb pashas and bows has aroused in them .
sorge Of their bas~r passions and u Is no I
M al NnF hat IAn nil 10
has offered they have taken leaf out Of |
their opprs--or's hook aud have massacred ,
and robbed thor Moha mmedAn fellow
Ireians in tho most approved manner
That the CreiAn- almost Ia q man desire
union with Greece. and desire ~ ar,iently
cannot for a moment he doubted az the
three hundred odd thousand inhabitants
In the island there are nov not more than
10 go Moha NINE fans in ISL there we're
- 2.tI largely the Descendants Of rene
gade~. whose Mohammetansm y only a
hin disguise and who are verv often both
circumci-ei and baptized u 10 quito
natural that the great Christian population
should 'urn toward union with Power
10 which hey are also bound hy religious
lies crete ~a- also the original home Of
Greek culture and their patriotic aspira-
ions for q re hVenat ion Of ancient Hellenic
greatness can easily bs understood They
have aiken every occasion 10 proclaim their >
InLon with what they call their mother
fourteen times since 1850 Val.
ant fighters for Hellenic freedom in 1871
hey sent Representatives ~ the Pan.
Hellenic Assembly 81 Is3? and for i've I
uii wears they acre 10 all inien,s and pur- }
poses MON beers 81 The Greek Confederation D
Tie desire ~ n people - direct ii~ own Q
,oiitIcll and cultural orienratIon j. auiie I
cc~piHh' m IA" abstract and n politics r
i"ali IN Ah-ira'' IDEAS q solution Of tho I
4.
aspirations would have been arrived A.
many wears ago Unfortunately politics IL =
'nly ton concrete and 'h~re Is probably no n
;fea' Power that would dare 10 say that Z
u,h principle u \ Fundamental doctrine .
Il public International law for there r. Il
lot one ~ Them rhs' doc not hold some 4
ace or people IN unwilling subject ion and a
he shoe would pinch most ~ them more a
.cVieiy than n would the Turkish foot r
The trct,ns have more solid ground n
han this upun which 10 stand They assert =
nj With Terie = truth. that since February q
!, 1897, when the -four protecting Powers :
.nzisnd. France. Russia and ltalv. sent =
heir Adm'rHl- to 'an~a and Vittually took "
barge Of the island IN place " Tur Key. they + b
ave gone step by step nearer 10 a complete v
eparsiion from Turkey and u junction With /,
'ree"e. so that now not more than = silksn / 2
bread. and hardly that. binds them to Con \
'An'Inopl" This j. tvue aud II - worth
ihile 20 note the various steps that have y
cen taken toward this end On March Is =
Z that wear the Admiral- repre@enting n
heir respective Governments proclaimed 1
he autonomy Of crete under Turkish (,
u1"ranty nv the end Of November II
very Turkish ofiicer and soldier a. well a. !
n osD Mohammedsn inha brants had LEFT y
he island on November - the Powers h
ppo,nted Prince George NJ Greece. second q
on OF the King Of the Hellene- to be Conn .
is-ioner-t General. thus symbolicalIy unit. n
ne the island with Greece under the C;r.ci,n r
rovn. and LEFT 2oo Of their own soldier. -
D keep the peace on the northern coast n
u 1901 Crete became . member Of the Postal q
mon. quite independent Of Turkey, and In n
sps The Ambassadors Of the four protecting n
overs IN Rome drew mp . Constitution for /,
rete giving virtually to the Commissioner n
eneral sovereign powers More than th,. n
he Commissioned 4 'enerAl vas to he an q
oint~d nv the King Of Greece himself and m
iihout any reference Whatever to the Sui n
IN ~ the representative Of the -suzsratn ri
over With view Of withdra wing grad q
ally the con'inRen,s left ny the Power. a
Crete the Admirals commenced TO reor- u