The Washington herald., 1910-01-09

|
word in a position to make az excellent
showing as the army Of Bulgaria the
government at Athens could easily have
taken advantage of the opportunity Of
fered by the revolution at Constantinople
to annex Crete.
They fell to abusing one another, en-
deavoring to appOrtion the blame for the
military weakness, the strife ensuing re-
calling wildly 10 mind the old adage as
20 what happens when Greek meets
Greek"
They denounced the King and the
princes Of the royal house, the Boule.
with all its sterile eloquence; the cor
ruption and ineficiency OF the admins
tration, the Incompetence and absence
OF all initiative Of the government. and
the indiscipline and DISCRIMINATION OF
the armed forces Of the kingdom
In the midst Of all this a number Of
officers Of the army formed themselves
into a military league. which. thanks to
the fidelity OF three Or four regiments Of
/ the metropolitan garrison to their I'm
mediate commanders. was able 70 in
/ augurate something akin TO a military
/ oligarchy with the powers Of a dictator.
/
J The King was compelled by the league
TO deprive the crown prince and his
other sons OF their commissions and TO
order them to leave the country on the
pretext that they were to blame for the
condition of the army. All sorts Of OK
travagant demands were made upon the
/ cabinet. which offering little or no re-
sistance, submitted tamely TO the dlcta-
ton Of the league. the latest call which
It has made upon the King and upon
| Prime Minister NJ MavromichaIis being
for the abolition OF all diplomatic repre-
sentatiOn abroad as superfiuous and as
source Of needless expense
Another demand Of the league. but
which the government has been power
less TO grant. IS the provision Of enough
money 10 enable the army TO be in
| creased forthwith to quarter Of a mil
lion men and its equipment with a view
to enable IL to take the field against Tur-
key In connection with the Cretan cues
ton
]
! the people are either unable or unwilling
10 pay their taxes, their reluctance being
perhaps due also 10 their contempt for
the weakness OF the administration and
their lack Of confidence in the continu-
ance of the present regime.
Attempts have been made to borrow
money abroad, but the negotiations have
met with the most ignominious failure.
The refusal TO lend money comes with
particular force from those powers who
are more especially interested in the con-
servation Of King George and Of his
dynasty on the throne OF Greece the
powers at whose pressing instance alone
George has consented to retain the Hell
lenic crown despite the humiliations and
affronts to which he has been subjected
by the league, the government, and the
people az Athens during the past few
months.
In this attitude OF the foreign money
markets. which are known. OF course, 10
by taking their cue from their respective
governments, the Military League now sees
a maneuver OF the court to defeat and de-
~
TO publicly accuse the monarch Of insti-
eating the foreign powers to withhold
any sort Of financial assistance 70 the
Greek treasury as long as he has not re-
| covered his complete sway and author
ity and eliminated the Military League
out Of existance
Greeks. in fact. are bringing against
their sovereign charges akin TO those on
the strength of which the French revoIu-
tionists in the last decade OF the eight
| oenth century sent Louis XVI and Queen
Marie Antoinette to the scaffold, namely.
that OF intriguing with foreign govern
/ ments. to the detriment OF their own
| country, with a view to the recovery Of
| their authority and power.
| Not that King George is likely 10 be
guillotined; but he runs a very fair
| chance OF being assassinated By some
hot-headed fanatic who has been taught
/ TO see in him a traitor to the national
cause and an obstacle to the fulfIIment
| Of national aspirations, or else he may
| be deposed and turned out Of the coun-
/ try by the league.
1t has been suggested that the failure
| Of the loan negotiations might have the
result Of bringing about the victory OF
the King over the league. But this is
improbable, for the reason that George
Is known to constitute under existing
circumstances an obstruction to the in
corporation OF Crete into Greece. an in
corporation upon which all Greece and
Crete are determined. coute que coute.
tha
these national aspirations no matter
how much the people may object 10 its
methods and TO its tyranny.
Matters are bound 70 come to head
this month at Athens. and those who
have made most careful study OF the
situation are convinced that the league
viii carry the day. that II viii force
upon the government the acceptance OF
the Cretan declaration OF union. that
war between Turkey and Greece will I'M
mediately follow. and that the confagra-
ton viii spread to other nations.
one thing is certain, namely, that Tur-
key is no longer disposed to be coerced
by the great powers. as during the reign
Of Abdul Hamid, nor are the powers any
longer as ready as formerly 70 bulldose
her. For the matter Of that, there IS no
longer any concert among them
Sooner than consent TO the alienation
Of one rood OF Ottoman territory the en-
tire Turkish people Will rise in arms
Turkish temper in this connection has
been shown quite recently in a very re-
markable way in connection with the So
called Lynch affair" on the Tigris, and
what is more. the Turks will no longer
permit themselves to be despoiled Of the
fruits Of their victory by the great pow
ers without a fight, as was the case at
the close OF their war fifteen years ago
with Greece