Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-03
PATRIOTISM OF
CREEK IS SHOWN
STORY OF THE LOVE OF THEIR
NATIVE LAND TOLD BY A
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER.
SELF DENIAL is SHOWN
Lenn Personal and financial Aid to Re-
Iieve Distress; Bulgarian Cruelty
Is Alleged in War.

is Alleged IN war.
An article of three columns appear
ing in Tuesdays issue of the Atlantis
a Greek national daily published ir
New York tells the story of the love
for the land of their birth felt by the
sons of Greece. The article alludes tt
the Bulgarians who were allies o.
Greece in the Balkan war and is no,
complimentary in its treatment of the
Bulgars as a nation. The following eX
Cerpts of the Atlantis article show
something of the patriotism of the
Greek in America:
From the sad spectacle Of a nation
calling for material help to foreign
lands we beg you to turn to the in
spring vision of the nation silently
bearing her burdens and intelligent
ly repairing her losses. with unani
nous effort that unites prince and
peasant, colonial immigrant and the
worker at home. We invite you tC
consider not only the selfdenial of the
Greeks of America, who gave their
savings, often their all, to aid their
country. but also the patriotism of the
young men, who, even now, are leav'
ing their lucrative employments and
the safe home Of their adoption to re.
turn to Greece and enlist in the army
that will toll not alone in it's military
| capacity but as the workmen who must
slave to construct where restriction
has passed and to bring prosperity
once more to the waste places left
desolate by massacre and pillage.
| According to Bulgaria's description
of her needs, one must infer that she
alone fought all the wars, she alone
extended open arms to all the refugees.
The fact is her refugees are compare
lively few. During the second war,
| Bulgaria closed her boundaries against
all who sought admission. To no one
not even her own people, would she
! give protection. This is a matter OF
public record and was we'll known in
| America at the time. 1t is not men,
| toned now. The refugees for whom
she may legitimately ask aims are a
few thousand from Dobroutsa. the pro-
vince allotted to Roumania. These left
the new control, not because of any
persecution on the part of their mas
tiers, but because Of affiliations of Ian
| SudSe dlu udLlOudllIy. uc bulSetl lobii
pensioners from the new provinces of
Greece are not in any true sense fugi-
tives, except from justice. They are
for the most part the "comitadjies,'
mountaineer bandits, calling them
selves "irregulars,' who cooperated
with the Bulgarian army, and for
whom court-martial waited, as the re-
suit of their outrages. Knowing the
| country an dthe personnel of its inhab-
| itants, they were of great service to
the looters, gaining not little from
! the private enterprise of abduction for
| ransom. The same type, in short. who
| were responsible for the kidnapping Of
the we'll known missionary, Miss Stone
Or has America forgotten its $780,
600 purchase of her liberty? With the
establishment of the Greek rule, these
bandits sought the protection Of those
! who were equally blood stained, but
the spoils they took with them should
have been more than ample to prevent
their becoming public charges.
Let us now consider the position
of Greece with regard to her refugees
Greeks. Turks. Jews and Bulgarians,
destitute because of Bulgarian savag-
cry rushed to her for aid. When
peace was declared after the second
Balkan war, $4,000 refugees of four
nationalities and three religions had
already poured into Greek territory.
Many Of these had escaped from the
regions allotted to Bulgaria, upon
hearing of their annexation. They
knew only too we'll what to expect
from their new protectors
Oron within hor hOrdprc Greece
ceived and sheltered the unfortunates
who thus threw themselves upon her
mercy. She gave them food, tents we're
provided, literally "cties of refuge" ap-
peared in the land. Before the bitter
winds Of winter came, wooden struc-
lures were erected and the government
engineers were busy with plans for
towns and cities where these home
less families could be established in
permanent settlements. So much for
the refugees Of the last war with Bull
garia. The $4,000 just mentioned do
not include the $4,000 Greek and Turk
ish inhabitants Of the new territories
who have little or nothing left. Their
towns and villages burned. their goods
and chattels seized by the Bulgarlans
their plight was pitiful. These, also.
were victims of the second war. The
Greco-Turkish struggle left in Mace
donia and Epirus $4,000 destitute
peoDle. Greece has succored and is
still caring for 253,000 souls, not count
ing the widows and orphans of those
who died for their country. This CO.
lossal undertaking has bnen accomp-
lished by q patriotism and unselfsh-
ness equally great. When the means
at the disposal CT the government prov
ed inadequate. private fortunes were
brought in voluntary contributions.
rich and Door gave. and still continued
to give with utmost generosity.
Obituary