Washington Journal., 1915-09-03
Greater Greece.
TO the Editor:

0IGCCc. IL rests Will NIL. NCtllLC'
los to say which it shall be.
No nation has a better right tc
the hegemony in the eastern Med
iterranean than the Hellenes, the
nation to whom Rome and the mod
ern world owe their civilization
Not only are all the islands of the
Aegean and Cyprus their rightfu.
inheritance, but Asia Minor, once
a Greek land, has still a large
Greek population. At Constantine
pie, once the capital of a Greek
empire, the Greeks r even now
the most active element, CONTROL
ing most of the trade. Previous to
the closing of the Dardanelles, the
Greek merchant flag was supreme
in the eastern Mediterranean and
the Black Sea.
Down to 1921, Greece and Tur-
key were united on a footing of in
equality. If they were reunited or
a footing Of equality, which in fact
is guaranteed to the Christians in
Turkey by the Ottoman constitu-
ton, it would mean to both nations
the fulhlment Of their highest as
pirations. To the Turks it would
mean the restoration of the Otto
man empire stronger than it was
100 years ago; to the Greeks it
would mean the restoration of the
Byzantine empire. The Turks are
said to be looking around for a new
Sultan. If they would offer that
dignity to King Constantine, the
men now in control at Constantine
pie could remain in undisturbed
control, but with doubled power.
The reunion of the two nations
would ibSo facto be accomplished,
and the whole world would feel
that a new great power had been
r~esurrected.
Who disputes these aspirations
Of Greek patriots? Not Germany
or Austria. The Kaiser would be
overjoyed to see Greece become a
great power, for his sister is Queen
of Greece. Russia and Italy are
the sole contestants of Greek
claims.
Constantinople is claimed by
Russia, who, though separated
from that capital by 400 miles on
the European side and 900 miles on
the Asiatic side, insists that she
must control the Bosporus-D arda-
nelIes channel, which would place
Roumania and Bulgaria at her
mercy. For purposes of com
MERGE, Russia has an absolutely
free outlet from the Black Sea SC
long as she remains at peace. Evi-
IDENTIFY the Russian militarists de
mand the control of the straits
solely for the purpose of military
aggression, which is not to the in
terest Of any nation, least of all OF
the Russian people, whose only
chance Of freedom lies in the de-
feat Of their present government.
AS well might Italy claim the Strait
of Gibraltar, because it is her only
outlet to the Atlantic.
Greece's claim to the Greek
speaking part of Albania is men
aced by Italy, who talks Of her
rights in Albania, meaning the
right to own both jaws of the
mouth of the Adriatic, SO as to
convert that sea into an Italian
lake. Italy also continues to hold
various Greek islands in the Ae-
IAN. She demands a share Of
Asia Minor, evidently with a view
10 strangling Greece. Forgetting
that Athens is the Holy Of Holes
Of our civilization, the Italian press
speaks of "the impudent little ma
ton that wants to be boss in the
Mediterranean
Had Italy remained neutral, it
might indeed have seemed to Greek
patriots that their best chance of
expansion lay in helping the enc
mics Of Turkey, in order to gain a
share in the spoils. Italy's entrance
into the war, as pointed out by Mr..
Venizclos, has changed the situation
completely. To help Italy to vic
tory would be suicide for Greece.
If the allies win, Constantinople
and the adjoining Greek-speaking
lands will be occupied by Russia.
Asia Minor will be temporarily
shared between Russia and Italy,
till the Russians feel strong enough
to take the Italian share. The rail-
way which the Turks have finished
from Constantinople almost to the
Egyptian boundary will then belong
to Russia, and Russian guns, aided
not unlikely by japanese guns, will
soon be glistening on the eastern
bank of the Suez canal. Albania,