Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-06-03
Serious Problem Which Greece
Is Trying to Solve.
At Least One Person in Fifteen in
Greece Is Refugee-country
Roads Stream With People
Fleeing From Asia Minor.

Mitylene.-Of the many problems
which beset Greece, that of the refu-
gees from Asia Minor and Thrace is
not the least pressing. Altogether
there are nearly 100000 of these I'M
fortunate people in Greece and the
formerly Turkish islands Estimating
the population of the country at 6,000,-
900, it will be seen that practically
one person in fifteen is a refugee.
These poor people are of all classes,
and it is no uncommon thing to see
child Of gentle birth reduced to rags
and the acceptance of the casual char
ity available in a third-rate cafe.
Probably more than any other part
of Greek territory, this island shows
the sad effects of the advent of these
unlimited and, it must be admitted,
scarcely welcome, guests: Still, they
have to be fed, and Mitylene does its
best
The present war has affected the
trade of the islands considerably, and
with it the spending capacity of the
people, quite apart from the fact that
the state funds find it difficult enough
to provide this surplus population
with their fixed allowance of eight
cents per head daily, with a certain
reduction for each person in the case
of family.
When it is remembered that, owing
to heavy taxation, this country is
very expensive to live in, it will be
seen that much indeed is left to pri-
vate charity.
In Mitylene alone the normal popu-
lation of 10000 has been almost
doubled by the arrival of these ragged
peasants, and there are about 10000
more in the rest of the island, the in
habitants of the whole of Lesbos
numbering some 100000 in ordinary
times.
Some of these people, with a GER
tain poetic justice, are quartered in
the houses vacated by Turks who
have returned to the country of their
origin during the last few years. but
these houses are quite inadequate,
and in many cases ten people are
crowded in one room.
In all parts of the interior of Asia
Minor and the clearly visible coast
line opposite, they have voyaged to
these islands and the mainland of
Greece for months past. Beggars
thrOng the streets, no more road-mak-
ing or other manual work being avail
able, and send their children into the
poor eating houses and inns of the
place
Along the country roads they
stream, dependent largely on the gen
crosby of the passer-by, and resting
now and then under the olive groves
of the island, where Sapho loved and
sang.
In the Turkish town Of Alvaly there
are still about 10000 Christians. The
Turks seem to be trying to starve
them out by preventing food being
sent to them. Nobody can leave the
town to look after property on the
outskirts without grave danger of be-
ing killed.
A curious, and in many respects
typical refugees story is that of Oil
yer Clarke, who reached here a few
weeks ago. Clarke, born in Smyrna,
is of English parentage, and a British
subject, but nobody who saw the
bearded, half-broken man who re-
turned to his wife and three daugh-
tiers after months of absence would
have taken him for anything but a
Turk. Indeed, it was merely on &C
count of his Oriental dress and knowl-
edge of Turkish that Clarke was suf-
fered to exist on a beggarly wage at
Pergamos-the only Christian for
miles around. He is a blacksmith by
trade and, doubtless, proved useful to
his masters in the state of practical
slavery to which he was subjected.
The story he gave me was vouched
for by NJ Eliopoulos, formerly British
vice-consuI at Aivaly, himself a refu-
gee, who has the cause of his COM
patriots at heart.
Clarke was sent to 'Pergamos in a
cart, together with a Frenchman and
his mother They were escorted by
the governor of Dikely and gendarmes.
The latter robbed Clarke, and the gov
ernor relieved him of his cigarette
lighter, remarking that it was too
good for a gendarme."
On arrival at Pergamos the gov
ernor of that place demanded that the
French lady should sell all she pos