Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-07

"oit any more II III can De hOnordbly
avoided. My people do not want any
more and if they and l can help il we
snail not have any more
Then Your Majesty does not believe
that the Intervention policy of the for
mer Premier. NJ. Venizelos, really ex-
pressed the will of the Greek people?"
; know 1t did not" replied the King
iofcefully wv hen the people re-
erected Nenizelos they elected him. not
ms policy. The great mass of the peo-
PIE Of Greece did not and will not I'M
oerstand anything about the Venizelos
campaign policy. They like him and
/ they elected him, but it would be the
Hacdest folly TO assume that because
they voted for man personally pop
ular they therefore voted to throw the
country INTO the whirlpool Of the Eu-
ropean war. They did no such thing
war Is the last thing they want ASK
/ them. they will tell you so
1t Is said that ] have exceeded the
Constitution. What ] have done is to
Apply the Constitution. The Constitution
gives me the power TO dissolve the Cham
her TO prevent Just such disasters as fol-
lowing the Nenizelos policy would have
proved al this juncture. Ny duty under
the Constitution was to exercise that
/ power | did exercise it and will con
tinue TO exercise il so long as il is neces-
sary 10 save my people from destrur-
ton
Another thing ! want 10 make clear
II is SAID that NJ. Nenizelos. with my as
sent. invited the allied troops to come to
aaloniki. Nothing could be further from
the truth. NJ. Nenizelos may have ex-
pressed the personal opinion that if the
allied troops landed al Saloniki Greece
would not resist-how could she resist?
But that NJ. NeniZelcs ever. as the re
sponshle head Of the Greek government
formally invited foreign troops to enter
Greek territory is wholly untrue.
Your Majesty believes that the allied
Balkan expedition is doomed TO failure?''
Certainly it is doomed 10 failure if un-
dertaken with no more men than are now
/ there or OF the way.
Great Britain does not seem disposed
70 send an adequate force and France
+ cannot DO the lob alone. The minimum
army that can hope to accomplish any
thine in the Balkans is COO men. AS
! that number is not being sent, that is
my proof that it is Greece that must
suffer. Greece that must pay for the fail
. ure OF the allied Balkan venture.
If the Entente will assure me that
when they are driven back into Greek
territory they will consider the Balkan
game ended re-emhark and leave Greece.
7 will guarantee with my whole army 10
protect their retreat against the Ger
mans. Bulgarians or anybody else and
Ujl- ms IN a,17hq rl VII 1Ollt bpiO Y
endangered. Then l would be legitimate
" protecting my frontiers, and it would
not involve Greece in further risks. More
] cannot do.
The Entente's demand is too much
They try to drive Greece out of neutral
lily: they come into Greek territory ana
waters as though they were theirs. At
Nautlia they destroyed tanks Of petro-
leum. intended to kill locusts, on the ex-
cuse that they might he used by Ger
man submarines. They stop Greek ships;
they ruin Greek commercials they have
done with American ships, too: they
want to seize our railways and now de-
mand that we take away the troops
guarding the Greek frontiers, leaving my
country open to invasion or any lawless
ncursion.
Il Will not do it. ! am willing 20 dis
cuss reasonably any fair proposals. But
two things ! will not concede: Greece
shall not be forced or cajoled out of her
neutrality; Greece will maintain her SOW
ereignty and her sovereign right to pro-
tect herself at need
And if that is not Satisfactorily CO.
ercive measures are used by the Entente
powers the King was asked.
We shall protest to the whole world
that our sovereign rights are violated.
We shall resist passively as long we
humanity can, being forced by any meas
ures whatsoever into a course which we
know will be preJudical to the liberties
and happiness of our people
And when you cannot hold out long
err"
I'VE shall have to demobilize our ar
mics and await the march of events.
What else can we do?"