Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-05
GREECE SENDS NOTE
To j. s. DENOUNC|NG
DEMANDS OF ALLIES
Call for the Surrender of Arms
and Ammunition Is Branded
as "SerioUS Infringement of
Sovereign Rights"
CBy Associated Press.l

WASHINGTON. Dec. "A note de-
nouncing as "a serious infringement of
sovereign rights the allied demand for
surrender Of Greek arms and ammuni-
ton to the AnglO-French expedition at
Salonikf, and pleading for the sympa-
thetic understanding Of the United
States in the painful circumstances
surrounding the Greek government and
people. was delivered to the state de-
partment today by A. Nouros. charge
of the Greek legation
The communication sets forth at
length the efforts OF Greece TO maintain
neutrality and gives notice that the
Greek government has rejected and
will continue to reject this last demand
No official explanation OF the causes
which led the government to recede from
that decision has reached Washington,
but from the strong language Of the note
officials infer that extreme pressure
must have been exerted before il was
agreed 10 surrender the arms and am
munition-
During his visit to the state depart
ment, Charge VourOs talked over the
whole Greek situation with Counsellor
Polk but neither had anything TO say re-
garding the conference Ii is understood
that communication .'-...1 NJ 20 that ad-
dressed to the Tn have gone
20 all neutral go,. md that the
step was intenGC. 10 create
proper underStaTu F9GG neutral
peoples Of the difficulties in which
Greece has found herself
AS presented By the charge the com
munication was in the form Of a copy
OF a note handed to American Minister
Droppers at Athens on November IS.
and signed by Acting Foreign Minister
Zalocostas-
:. FULL TEXT OF NOTE.
The communication as delivered to
the state department was in French. a
translation OF the full text follows:
From the beginning of the European
war the Greek government. conscious
OF its duties for the defense of the ma
tional interests and Of its responsibility
toward the country, had. after an eX-
haustive examination of the situation,
come to the decision that Greece ought
not TO enter the bloody struggle in
which almost all Europe was engaged.
The Greek government. in holding to
neutrality. had in mind all the time
the abandonment of this policy II at
any given moment il should come to
the conviction that, however great were
the sacrifices and the dangers of a
war. it would serve the national as
pirations.
Unfortunately it has not been posi-
Bile for US, up to this moment, to OBJ
tain the necessary guarantees that
Greece. in entering into the European
conflict. would not be going to inevi-
table destruction
In remaining neutral. the Greek gov
eminent had In mind solely Greek in
terests and not, as has been repeat
eddy insisted on. sympathy with one of
the two groups of belligerants. A Greek
government could only think of the
interests OF Greece.
NEUTRALITY DIFFICULT.
The geographical situation OF Greece
which placed il in very direct contact
with one OF the two groups of bellig-
Grant powers. makes the application Of
it's policy OF neutrality very difficult:
Il is for that reason that she has been
forced to submit to the occupation by
foreign arms Of her Macedonian prov
inces and 10 permit the belligerants to
dispose OF her ports, public buildings.
and works Of art: that her highways
and railroads have been fOrcibly occu-
pied. while bridges and tunnels worth
many millions have been completely
destroyed
AT the moment when the present
Greek government assumed power, an
imposing fleet was blOckading the en-
trance Of the strait of Salamine. the
anchorage of the Greek fleet. and in
spite Of our protests and our formal
refusal we were constrained TO order
our officers and sailors to abandon the
vessels Of the light feet in order to
spare them the grief of surrendering
the vessels upon which not very long
ago they had contributed TO two vic
torious wars.
-'For about a month the Greek peo-
pie have seen with a very real pain
the administration by foreign control
OF nearly all its public services, its
land communications. its postal ser
vice. telegraph and telephone service.
The Greek commercial fleet has seen
its activity hampered by repeated in
spections and by restrictions of every
sort. For a long time Greece has been
able to import from abroad only what
is absolutely Indispensable to feed and
sustain the country. and TO furnish for
its commerce. both by land and sea,
the necessary fuel.
HOSPITALITY AFFRONTED.
And now the traditional hospitality
of the Greek people has suffered an az
front which has been profoundly painful.
The will Of the strong has been con-