Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-19
CRETE SHOULD BE REDEEMED

| George of Greece is reported having
visited the Roman capital that day I'm the
strictest incognito. He Is announced as
having had an interview with King Vic
OF the four protective powers. take the
lntative in proposing the immediate dec
, laration of the annexation OF Crete TO
Greece. This ambition" insisted King
George. lis the ideal OF Crete and Greece
and the only possible solution OF the
question:
The Austrian as we'll as the German
press manifest little IL any sympathy
With either Greece or Crete.
according to the former. the protective
powers must take measures against
crete. The cabinets of Parts. London.
Rome and st. Petersburg may decide
| that there is reason to debark detach-
| ments OF international troops again in
the island and even dissolve the Cretan
| assembly. These suggestions indicate a
decided unfriendliness toward Crete and
the contrary for Turkey.
80
such action would re-establish the sit
uation which existed prior to July. 1907.
1t was to complete the
CrlSlS autonomy Of Crete which
Imminent the protective powers had
promised that they with
| drew international troops in 1909 IL
would be a recoil. The dissolution OF the
''a'iohai assembly would be a very grave
measure. 1t would constitute a direct
attack against Cretan autonomy and
would mark an interference with the In
.erior aHairs OF the island from which
the cabinets OF the powers have until
now abstained.
Inc Independence Beige does not &C.
cept such rumors with confidence. 1t IS
true that the cabinets of Berlin and
vienna nave done nothing to helm the
| settlement OF the Cretan and Greek
questions But it is remarked as omi-
/ .; that the same pessmistic declara-
! ions published in the capitals ~ c.
many and Austria have been reiterat.a
| IN turkey. where il is said the nro,er
i've powers will soon take measures 10
prevent the Cretans from sending depu-
ues 10 the National Greek Assembly,"
NJ. Raymond Recouly writes I'm the
Figaro that he has interviewed his axcei~
| lency Rifaat Pasha. minister of foreign
anairs or Turkey, returning from the
tuherai ceremonies of King Edward. Ri
ES "a. rasha has had interviews with Sir
EaWard Grey i'm London and with M.
rlchon In Paris. The Turkish minister
| expressed confidence that the two govern
ments. English and French, were doing
4 99hetnihg 10 solve the Cretan question
I he noted both at London and Paris a
| Keeling OF irritation against the Cretans
| VINO remain insensible to the counseIs Of
| the powers. We Turks" said Rifsat
rasha' have given proof of great pa
| tience. There is a public opinion i'm TIM
Key OF which our government IS Obliged
10 take note We desire absolutely that the
! relgious, civil and political rights of Cre-
| tan Mussulmans should not receive tn /.
! least attack and that the rights OF SOY
| erelgnty of the sultan over Crete NAV he
\ respected On that point all Turks are
! unanimous The divers solutions which
| had been proposed lacked clearness and
| solidity. No good will be Accomplished
| except by treating the question with a
| view TO the legal status of the island
| That solution is the autonomy OF Crete
| with a governor who may be a Christian
suD'ect or the Ottoman empire. Greek.
| TOT example, or even a Cretan There
can be found many such.'
! II is possible, even probable that RI
faat Pasha may have had in mind the
nomination of the Cretan
VenezeloS member Of the assembly,
Sarv;ce M. Eenezelos. NJ Vene-
zelos, 1t is recalled. was
| invited by the Military League at Athens
| TO go there and smooth out the tangled
| relations OF the Athens government and
| It's military and marine forces i'm revolt
\ NJ. Nenezeios, SO far as we have been
permitted TO judge, accomplished that obs
Ject and set the Greek governments .in
| running order. If M. Venezelos did so
much for Athens. why may he not do a
| like service for Canea?
NJ. Venezelos was recently reported as
having presented to the Cretan assembly
a program of action. 1.-The Cretan gov
eminent" he said should do everything
| TO win the sympathy of the profecfive
in,
ana In protecting efficaciously the Mus
sulman minority. 1t was vital to crete
| that there should exist no doubt upon thai
point. Tor II order was troubled i'm the
lSiand, or II the Mussulman population
was sacrificed under the autonomous re
gime as the Christian population had been
sacrlhced under the ancient Ottoman re-
gime. the protective powers could with
olmculty keep their engagements with the
Cretan people. 1t was necessary that the
Cretane should understand that their fate
depended solely upon the protective now
ers and that without that support Crete
would risk to fall again under the woke or
Turkey
NJ. VeneZeos, referring to the interior
point or view. developed a complete and
sunlclent program. He would introduce
reform in all the administrative branches:
the fusion of the state bank with the
National Greek bank and the extension
to six months of the length of service un-
der arms of the militia Much more was
proposed py NJ. NeneZeloS, who is fully
aware that Crete alone can perform
but a very small part of the proposed re-
forms because of her lack of money. NJ
Venezeios doubtless looks to the protect
I've powers for the means. and Justly So
for Crete ic. after all, the child of these
powers.
IL mas been proposed as a solution that
the protective powers re-establish the
statu quo i'm the island by
C0luCl0n the international occupa-
D..J ton and the denomination
by the King OF Greece of
NJ Zaimis as high commissioner Such a
solution is no longer possible, because OF
the hesitations of ne powers and the in
PRODUCTION in the interval of a new factor
public opinion in Turkey. In place OF
avoiding a conflict. such action would not
only be confession of incapacity of the
powers but would render a conflict in
evitable.
In the actual situation Europe, repre-
sented by the cabinets at London Paris
st. Petersburg and Rome, is confronted
by a positive discredit in it's failure TO
arrange this Cretan question, which now
appears to be real danger, when II was
only partially SO in July, 1909, when
Turkey with greater prescience pleaded
that the International troops should not
be withdrawn from Crete.
1t is the unanimous sentiment of the
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