Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-07
GREEK KING APPEALS
FOR j. 5. VERDICT
DESIRES THAT AMERICA UNDER.
STAND PosITloN OF HIS
COUNTRY.
NATION NOT couRTIha
lTs OWN DESTRUCTION

10 Trying BY Venerable Means 70
Protect 6ovsrsisnty 81 His People
Charges Allies Have Stretched Nsu-
trality Privileges.
Athens, via Malta and London, Dec.
7.--Constantine /. king Of the Greeks.
received the correspondent Of The
Associated Press today and gave him
message sor Americans on the atti-
tude which Greece has assumed in the
world war and the reasons for the
policy which has been followed by the
Greek government.
II am especially glad to talk fol-
America" said the king, for Amer
lea will understand Greece's position.
We both are neutral and are deter
mined. IL it is humanity possible, not
to court destruction by permitting
ourselves to be drawn into the fright
full vortex of the present European
conflict. Both are trying by every
honorable means to guard our sover-
eighty, protect our own people and
stand up for our national interests
without sacrificing that neutrality
which we recognize as our only saliva
tion.
America is protected from hume
diate danger by the distance which
separates her from the battlefield We,
too, thought that once. But the bat
tlefield shifted and may shift again.
What is happening in Greece today
Il - FIJI ,1r
any other neutral country tomorrow,
II the precedent now sought to be es-
tabHshed in the case of Greece is once
liz
.,g in Simple Uniform.
.lterview with the king took
ace at noon in the smaller palace.
and the audience lasted an hour. The
was dressed in the simple uni.
Il of Greek general and he dis
yed the good humored, almost
youthful candor of the ideal soldier to
whom diplomatic expedients or lack
of frankness seemed repugnant or i'm
possible.
From time to time, emphasizing the
earnestness and sincerity OF what he
was saying, he thumped the table with
his clenched INST. Despite the serious
ness OF the message he was deliver
ing. his gray eyes occasionally twinkled
with raillery.
1.-The fundamental cause Of the en-
tire threatening attitude Of the en-
tcnte powers toward Greece today and
OF the painful situation Of my conn
try" said the king, e1s the entente's
own assumption, without the slis t1test
reason therefor, that Greece Is ready
to betray the entente to Germany at
the first favorable opportunity.
1T is reasonable TO suppose such a
thing.
How Neutrality Was Stretched.
From the very outset Of hostilities
in the near east Greece's neutrality has
been stretched to the utmost to accom-
modate the entente powers, for whom
we have always felt the keenest sym
pathy and the deepest gratitude. The
Dardanelles operations were directed
from Greek islands occupied by allied
troops. When Serbia was endangered
by the combined Austro- German and
Bulgarian attacks the allied troops
landed nnopposed on Greek soil from
which with the second city Of Greece
as base, they prosecuted, not only
unmolested, but aided In every way
consistent with any sort OF neutrality.
their fruitless and too long delayed
campaign to rescue their ally.
( Finally. myself. have given my
personal word that Greek troops will
never be used to attack the Franco
British forces in Macedonia, merely to
allay unjustified suspicious.
Virtually an uitimatum.
"Yet, despite all these evidences Of
- xr
powers now demand, in a form which
is virtually an ultimatum. that the
Greek troops be withdrawn from Sa
loniki-and that means all Macedonia
leaving our population unprotected
against raids by Bulgarians or all the
horrors Of war which lay Belgium
waste. should the allies be driven back
within our frontiers.
Just suppose the Germans were In
a position to demand that your coun-
try concede the use OF Boston or
Seattle as the base for an attack on
Canada. What would you say? And
IL all your military experience and the
advice of your general stan told you
that such a landing was doomed to
failure because made with an inade-
auatc force and you realized that the
British troops In Canada would pur-
sue the retreating Germans across New
England, destroying as they went,
would you accept the prospect without
q struggle 2" II IS $3.50
..But had not your majesty German
assurance that the integrity Of Greek
territory will be fespected?" the king
was asked. 8
"of course. ana entente assurance
too"