Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-17
MONARCH EXPLAINS
INACTION OF GREECE
Delayed Interview With Con-
stantine Tells Why Country
Holds Out. Z.
SOUL OF HELLAs TO DECIDE

New York, Sept. l5.-On Septem-
Der |. the staff correspondent OF the
Associated Press obtained the inter-
view with King Constantine OF Greece
that follows. 1t is impossible &c say
which OF the censorships through
which it passed held up the dispatch
at the time. The interview was given
about the time the entente allied fleet
was taking position at Piraeus, the
TT OF Athens, and revolutionary out
breaks were reported taking place in
MACEDONIA.
Tatoi, Greece, Sept. Via Paris,
Sept. l5).-King Constantine re-
ceived the correspondent OF the Asso-
ciated Press in his summer palace
here and spoke of the present situa-
ton with the utmost frankness. al
though refusing to be directly quoted.
He said that Greece is ready to join
the entente allies whenever it could
see its definite and certain advantage
in doing.
The king expressed Indignation
that il could be thought by anyone,
much less be published, that he is
bound by any pledge to anyone rot TO
r -....e war, or that he has been moved
in hjb course, hiti' 'rto, by any rea-
sons save those he conceived to be
for the greatest good of his country.
He referred with particular feeling to
the fate almost certain to overtake
more than million Greeks living in
Asia Minor and Thrace in the event
OF Greece finding itself engaged in
hostilities with Turkey, and he
pointed out that while those who
Judged Greece and himself harshly for
what is regarded as inaction, they
gave no thought to the prospect Of
condemning to the lot OF the Ar
menians Greek women and children
caught in the tolls OF the Turks.
The king said the world regarded
with callousness, due to ignorance
the real situation concerning the atti'
tude OF Greece, criticising the coun
try and the government for bargain.
ing, when the Greeks alone couli
know and estimate the frightful cost
OF a war to Greece. He laid stress
on the difference between Greece,
situation and Roumania's, in this re-
spect.
Quite frankly the king admitted
that the pressure OF Bulgarians in
Macedonia and Roumania's entry into
the war would greatly complicate the
situation, constituting new element
which easily might alter the premise
upon which the policy of Greece hith-
erto has been based. The king de-
clared that all these new elements
had to be duly considered and
weighed before Greece would be JUS
tilted In changing its position. but he
added that they now were being
thought over, and the course oil
Greece would depend on the result
Of that consideration, and nothing
| else.
With profound earnestness, kinG
Constantine stated 1t was not the mo
fnent to talk OF his deciding the fate
Of Greece, nor of the government 1e,
Gliding, nor OF any political party il
Greece indicating the action the eoun'
try must take, but, as he put it. "tht
hour will come when we want thS
voice OF the soul OF Hellas to dictate
the future of our race"
Physicianss and nurses are still il
attendance upon the king. on accoun
OF the fever and continual irritation
OF the wound which keeps the kins
confined to his room and in state o
constant physical annoyance, wher
not in actual pain.