Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-12
Utterance Falls Little Short OF
Formal Declaration of
HostiIities.
AN END TO PERSECUTION
IS DEMANDED OF PORTE
Public Opinion in Athens Greatly
Excited-Massacre of $4,000
Greeks in Aivalik Feared.

| ATHENS, Greece, June PA warning
| to Turkey, which fell little short of for
| NAL declaration of hostilities, was uttered
today by Premier venizelos of Greece in
| the chamber of deputies. He was speak
ing on the treatment of Greek subjects In
, Turkey
The premier's attitude showed that the
tension between Greece and Turkey was
near the breaking point and that the dan
ger of war was imminent. NJ. Venizelos.
who obviously found difficulty in re-
straining his language when he spoke Of
the way in which the Turks had treated
his fellow-countrymen, said:
Il do not wish to allow to escape me
words which cannot be recalled, but l
should fail in my duty If 1 did not in
form the chamber of deputies that the
situation has become grave-even very
grave. If stop Is not put to these con-
ditions the Hellenic government will be
forced not to content itself with joining
in the lamentations of unhappy refugees. "
Statement Loudly Cheered.
Loud and prolonged cheers greeted the
statement of the premier, who added that
thousands Of Greek refugees had already
reached the home land from Turkey,
while thousands more were only await
ing transportation facilities "in order to
escape from their prosecutors" Such a
situation, he declared, could not be borne
mucn longer.
The Greek government today sent a
vigorous note to Turkey, demanding the
cessation of the persecution Of the Greeks
in Turkey and the repair of damage
caused to them and their interests.
Public opinion in the Greek capital is
greatly excited and demands are made
that the government take immediate and
sharp action in the matter.
Massacre Of Greeks Feared.
LONDON, June 12-An official dispatch
from Mitylene, an island off the coast OF
Asia Minor. says that Turkish regulars
with machine guns and force of Bashi-
Bazouks today began an attack on the
town Of Aivalik on the coast Of the main
land. AS the town is inhabited by 1900
Greeks, massacre Is feared.
The threat Of another Greco Turkish
war did not come as surprise to diplo-
mats here today 1t Waa poiated~oat that
events in the near east during recent
months had been kindling the strongest
animosities between the two peoples.
Greece accuses Turkey of the whole
sale expulsion WIN great CIuSlllcS "a
Greek Christians from the province Of
Thrace, while Turkey accused Greece Of
depressing former Turkish subjects in
the region of Salonk, which was taken
by the Greeks in the recent Balkan war.
Only recently the Greek patriarch threat
ened to remove the headquarters Of the
church from Constantinople.
Naval Reserves Called Out.
Messages from Athens today state that
one class of the Greek naval reserves had
been called out ostensibly to participate
in fleet maneuvers.
Greek ship owners have telegraphed
instructions to the commanders of their
steamers in the Black sea to pass through
the Dardanelles Immediately and return
to Greek waters.
A conference between the Russian and
Roumanian ministers has been planned to
take place at Bucharest, Roumania, next
week, to endeavcr to prevent the break
ing out Of war.
A general meeting of the Islamic So
ciety was held in London Wednesday to
protest against the systematic extermi-
nation of the Moslem population of the
Balkans pursued by various Balkan
states, especially Greece"