Evening star., 1916-05-07
WILL GREECE BE A REPUBLIC?

nounces: Greek liber-
Sentiment for ais held a public meet
ing on the 1st instant
'en11elos. at Saloniki and de-
manded that Greece should follow the
policy of venizelos and intervene in
favor Of Serbia and the allies. The
crowd cheered the mention of France
and England. and expressed disap-
proval of Germany. Austria and Bull
garia."
A dispatch dated April % reports:
There Is an amazing spread Of senti-
ment in favor OF the popular Venizelos
and a growing determination to oust
the present government"
The dispatch further says: The
weakness of the opponents of the for
mer premier lies in the discomfort
who largely attend the meetings of the
Venizelos followers and who are openly
dissatisfied and declare that purpose
less mobilization is depriving their
also that so many soldiers have re-
turned to their homes without permis-
sion that the general staff Is unable to
treat them as deserters and is obliged
ready have taken. Even the officers of
the army. with the exception OF those
in higher command. are discontented.
Notwithstanding that an increase OF
pay has been granted to them by royal
Decree"
Neutral diplomatic observers" the
dispatch adds, declare that the actual
situation cannot last sixty days and
without doubt a revolution will result.
The dispatches for the last month have
reported despite the censors. that there
have been manifestations by the public
and murmurs in the chamber which 1t
will be borne in mind was elected only by
the abstention of the Venizelist opposi-
ton.
The reason of this parliamentary tum-
ult is the discomfort caused by the police
measures taken by the allies in the ports
of Greece. On the other hand. the people
are stirred up over the raids of German
and Bulgar aeroplanes. The PATHS says:
Under the ministry of Zaimis, which jeal-
ously maintained neutrality. the neutral
ity of the Scoulidis ministry inspires no
confidence II at the eleventh hour when
the allies landed at Saloniki the govern
ment at Athens had declared itself in
favor of Serbia It Is probable that the
Germano-B -Bulgar coup had not been at
tempted. The cooperation Of Bulgaria
would have been prevented and under
such circumstances the affair would not
have had an inviting appearance for the
Austro- Germans
Greece Is aroused over situation
which makes her, in any solution of the
war. victim. The triumph
Greece of the Austro- German
Turk-Bulgar would newt
'Ntim' ably reduce Greece to a
province of one or all of these: the
triumph of the quadruple entente would
bode no good to Greece because she had
been unfaithful and ungrateful.
Is Greece on the verge of a radical
change of government? Will Greece be
republic?
The truth is the political and eco
nomical situation in which Greece hnds
herself appears to be without any ap-
parent issue other than radical
change of her present policy. which
means nothing less than a change of
government Greece at this moment
has neither money nor credit.
A mobilization without object cannot
be maintained to be a useful mobiliza-
tion. The budget is in deficit $SO.000,-
900. To this must be added preceding
deficits aggregating $3Oo,ooo,ooo. such
a great sum for such small country
could not be covered in ordinary times
except by the aid of the protecting
powers, in this emergency impossible
to realize.
The resources of Greece are restrict
Balkanic wars have not yet been ex-
plotted commercially. The expense that
the actual war imposed left the budget
In hopeless disorder, and this appears
eial situation of Greece in 1915 by Le-
feuvre-Meaulle. French consul general
and commercial attache in the orient.
The project of the budget of 1914.
prepared before the war. amounted to
5S4, 900. 900 francs for expenses, against
~ nf nj 6oif NJ
100000. The deficiency was in reality
far superior for in the receipt there
was counted loan of $4,000, 900
francs. Then. again, there should be
added deficit of LOT, 100000 francs on
account of preceding deficit. The
ministry announced loan of 400, ,00O,-
600 francs to meet the arrears. but the
loan failed to be taken. The ministry
foresaw clearly that future normal
budgets could be reduced to 346, 900, 900
francs. but again events baffled the
calculations.
1t is useless for Greek finance to
elude the point; the situation is ex-
tremely grave. Nor is there any DOS
sible compensation in the venture. Ger
tainly all countries in Europe are suf-
fering from budgetary embarrassment
more or less great: but among neu-
trails Greece is in the most precarious
situation. The industries and COM
merce of Greece are more than else
where uncertain and at the mercy of
the unexpected
The commerce of Greece attained
scarcely the sum of 100000. 900 before
the war. This commerce has been par
TALLY paralyZed since the war. Eng
land took. for example, 75,000.0o0. and
the Greek government appears to have
ignored this cessation of trade. Greece,
however. counted on development of
her commerce from her new acquisi
tions. Saloniki seemed to justify these
expectations. but events have disst-
pated these hopes and deferred them
until after the war. at least
1t is little short of madness that
Greece should expect fair treatment
either from the Turk or
Secular Bulgar. her secular enc
mics. Greeks are actu-
1HeLnleS. ally being expelled by
the Turks for military reasons from
the provinces of Gallipoli and other
provinces of Turkey-more than hun
dred thousand. The same prosecutions,
varied by massacres. have been re-
produced along the shores of the Black
sea, in the vilayet of Kaslamouni.
Samsoun, Trebizond and in the Cau-
casus. To escape conscription thou
sands of families have fed from Con-
stantinople and Smyrna 1t is recalled
that a like situation existed In 1914
during the boycott at Constantinople.
when 200, 900 Greeks were despoiled
and forced to quit Thrace and the coast
of Asia Minor as far as Smyrna.
After the Balkanic war there were