The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-10-13
LAND TROOPS AGAINST
PROTEST OF VENIzELOS
When French Minister Informed
Greek Governor OF Arrival of
Troops Premier Protests.

Troops Premier Protests.
An Athens, Greece. dispatch, de-
layed in Paris from Sunday until
Wednesday, says: The French troops
landing from five transports at Salon
Xxi, Greece, consist Of seventy thou
sand men. They will proceed along
the Guevheli- Uskup railroad to guard
the line.
Paris reports Wednesday: French
transports arrived at Saloniki Fri
day night and troops began to land
Saturday afternoon, says an Athens
dispatch to the Matin. Perfect order
was maintained in the city and the
inhabitants gave the French cordial
reception.
London reports Wednesday: The
landing of additional troops at Salon
Xxi is reported from Athens. The
correspondent there of the Exchange
Telegraph Company says that num-
Der of transports carrying French
troops entered the port at Saloniki
Wednesday morning. He adds that
the forwarding Of French troops for
Serbia is proceeding actively.
Berlin reports by wireless: "The
French ambassador at Athens noti-
fed the Greek government OF the
landing of French troops at Salon
Xxi" says \the agency. Premier
Venizelos protested, saying that
| Greece had adhered to a neutral pol
| icy during the war. The protest says
further: The Greek government,
therefore, Is obliged to protest
against the passage Of foreign troops
through Greek territory. The cir
cumstances that the troops are in
tended only to assist Serbia, the ally
| of Greece, does not in any way
change the position Of the Greek gov
ernment from a legal standpoint
"The Greek government also con-
tends that the action Of the French
| was not justified even in view OF the
| Balkan situation as a whole and the
danger now threatening Serbia and
| that the neutrality Of Greece must
not be ignored"
An Athens dispatch dated Saturday
was held up in France until Wednes-
! day by the censors. 1t tells Of an Of
| fetal statement issued Saturday night
after a meeting of the Greek cabinet.
"The French minister delivered the
| following note to Premier Venizelos:
"'By order of my government,
have the honor to announce to your
excellency the arrival at Saioniki of
the first detachment Of French troops
and to declare at the same time that
France and England, allied to Serbia,
send their troops to help the latter,
as well as to maintain their communi-
cations with her; and that the two
powers count upon Greece who al
ready has given them so many proofs
of friendship, not to oppose measures
taken in the interests OF Serbia, or
| whom she also is the ally
| Premier Venizelos replied: by
your letter Of to-day you have been
so good as to inform me Of the ar
rival at Saloniki Of the first detach-
ment Of the French troops and Of the
decision of France and England to
send their troops to help Serbia, their
ally; adding that the two powers
count on Greece not to oppose meas
ures taken in the interest OF Serbia,
whereof she also IS the ally.
In answer to your letter. have
| the honor to declare to your excel
lency that being neutral in the Euro
pean war the royal government
could not possibly authorize the pro-
ceeding in question, for it consti-
tutes q breach OF Greece's neutrality,
! the more manifest since it comes
from two great belligerent powers
It is therefore, the duty Of the royal
government to protest against the
passage Of foreign troops across
Greek territory. The circumstances
that these troops are destined solely
to aid Serbia, Greece's ally, In no
way modifies the legal position Of the
kings government; for even a Bal
kanic point of view Greece's neu-
trality could not be. affected before
the actual foederis was committed
by the danger now threatening Ser
bia, which caused. the dispatch OF in
ternational troops to her help.