The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-12-15
Greece VIII Aid Entente in Every
Way But VIII Not Consent to the
Use Of Her Soil as a battle-ground
for the Opposing Sides-Wants to
Remain Neutral.

not to court destruction by permit
ting ourselves 20 be drawn into the
trightful vortex Of the present Euro
pean conflict. Both are trying by
every honorable means to guard our
sovereignty, protect our own people
and stand up for our national inter-
ests without sacrificing that; neutral
ity which we recognize as our only
salvation. !
America is protected from imme-
diats danger by the distance which
separates her from the battlefield.
We, too, thought that once. But the
battlefield shifted and may shift
again. What is happening in Greece
to-day may happen in America, Hol-
| land or any other neutral country to-
morrow, if the precedent now sought
to be established in the case OF
| Greece is once fixed
The king when giving the inter
view was dressed in the simple uni
form Of Greek general, and he dis
played the good humored, almost
youthful candor Of the ideal soldier
| to whom diplomatic expedients or
lack of frankness seemed repugnant
or impossible.
| From time to time, emphasizing
the earnestness and sincerity OF what
he was saying, he thumped the table
| soundly with his clenched fist. De-
spite the seriousness Of the message
be was delivering, his fine gray eyes
| occasionally twinkled with Taillery.
! "The fundamental cause OF the en-
tire threatening attitude Of the En-
tente powers towards Greece to-day
and of the painful situation Of my
country" said the king, 'is the En-
tente's own assumption, without the
slightest reason therefor. that Greece
! is ready to betray the Entente to
! Germany at the first favorable oppor-
tunity. Is it reasonable to suppose
| such thing?
'sFrom the very outset Of hoshihes
in the Near East, Greece's neutrality
has been stretched to the utmost to
accommodate The Entente powers,
! for whom we have always felt the
keenest sympathy and the deepest
gratitude. The Dardaaelles opera
tons were directed from Greek is
lands occupied by allied troops.
| when Serbia was endangered the
allied troops landed unopposed on
Greek soil, from which, with the sec
ond 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.
''Yet, despite all these evidences of
the GOOD faith Of Greece, the Entente
powers now demand. in q form which
is virtually an ultimatum, that the
Greek troops be withdrawn from
Salonid-and that means all Mace
donia-leaving our population un-
protected against raids by Bulgarian
comitadjis, or all the horrors OF war
which laid Belgium waste should the
| Allies be driven back within our from
tiers.
"Just suppose the Germans were
in a position to demand that your
country concede the use Of Boston or
Seattle as the base for an attack on
Canada. What would you say? And
if all your military experience and
| the advice Of your general staff told
you that such q landing was doomed
to failure because made with an in
adequate force, and you realized that
the British troops in Canada would
pursue the retreating Germans across
New England, destroying as they
went. would you accept the prospects
without e struggle
sBut had not your majesty Ger
man assurance that the integrity
of Greek territory will be respect
ed?" the king was asked
'Of course, and Entente assur-
ance too.''
And similar assurance from
! Bulgaria.
Germany" said the king, "has
| given assurance for herself and
her allies. But that does not pre-
vent the German-Bulgarian armies,
as q measure Of military necessity,
from pursuing the retiring French
and British into Greece, f,ghting in
Greece and turning Greece into
second Poland. have that assur-
ance also.
"Why, the Entente powers treat
me as il I were king Of central
African tribe, to whom the sufferings
Of his own people were matter OF
| indifference. I have been through
wars. I don't want any more if it
| can be honorably averted. My peo-
| IL = NJ
and I can help it, we shall not have
any more"
"Then your majesty does not be-
lieve that the Intervention policy Of
the former premier, N. Venizelos,
really expressed the will OF the Greek
people?"
Il know it did not" replied the
king forcefully. when the people
reelected Venizelos they elected him.
not his policy The great mass OF the
people of Greece did not understand
anything about the Venizelos foreign
policy. They like him and they elect
| ed him, but 1t would be the maddest
folly to assume that because they
! voted for mn personally popular
they therefore voted to throw the
country into war They did not such
thing. War is the last thing they
want. Ask them; they will tell you
so.
sit is said that I have exceeded
the constitution. What have done
is to apply the constitution. The con-
stitution gives the power to dissolve
the chamber to prevent jus+ such dis
asters as following the Venizelos pol
icy would have proved at this juno
ture. Ny duty under the constitu-
ton was to exercise that power. I
did exercise it and will continue to
exercise it so long as it ia necessary
to save my people from destruction.
"Another thing I want to make
clear: 1t is said VI. Eeaizelos with
nv ascent invited the Allies troops