The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-01-25
APPEAL 10 AMERICA
FROM GRECIAN KING
CONSTANTINE CHARGES ALLIES
WITH BAD FAITH.
Allegation Regarding Violation of Neu'
trality Answered as Entente
Countries See Situation.

The king of Greece on last Thurs
day summoned the Associated Press
correspondent in Athens, fer the pur-
pose of making protest through the
press of the United States, which ne
said was the only forum of public
opinion open to him against the recen;
action OF the allies in the operations at
Saloniki in blowing up the bridge at
o mir-Hissar, in occupying Corfu and
other islands which Greece Gains.
He said the situation is as if for
eisn power had occupied that part OF
the United States which had been won
from Mexico after the Mexican war
and that the plea Of military necessity
ad, anced ty the allies Was like that
given by Germany for invading Bel
GUM and Luxembourg. 1t is the merest
cant. The king declared, for Great Brit
ain ard France to talk about the vlo-
lation of the neutrality Of Belgium and
Luxemburg in view Of Wnat they have
done and aIe doing themselves. He
denied the military necessity for the
blowing up Of the bridge or for the
occupation OF Corfu and he also chal-
!enged them on the contention that
submarines of the Teutonic allies are
being supplied from a Greek base.
He said that the allies, in pique over
the failure of their calculations in the
BaIkins, were trying to unload on
Greece the result of their own stupid
ity; 80 per cent of the Greeks at the
beginning of the war were in favor OF
the allies, but nov not even 20 per
cent would turn their hand 10 render
them aid.
King Constantine did not feel that
he could afford to demobilize while the
fate of Saloniki is undecided and while
he did not think it probable Germany
could be victorious in the sense that
she could take London, Paris or Petro-
grad, he believed it would be very dif-
ficult, if not impossible, to conquer
Germany in a military way, if eco
nomic exhaustion did not force her to
sue for peace.
He expressed finally the opinion that
the war would end in draw.
l..,ha interview was transmitted from
Athens on January Is, but was sent
out from Paris only on January Is at
3:45 o. m. On January IS, at an ear
lier hour, the highest French author
ity-whose personality is not other
wise ndicated-gave an interview TO
the Associated Press in reply to the
statements made by the Greek king.
This authority denied any parallel be-
tween the German invasion OF Bel
GUM and Luxembourg and the tempo
rary use of certain points in Greece
which does not constitute an occupa-
tion properly speaking and which use
was made for the most part with the
tacit consent of Greece. The allies,
he said, only went to Saloniki to ia
Greece's ally, Servia, and to take up
obligations which Greece did not full
fill. During the recent months, he
added, the Greek government permit
ted Germans and Austrians to violate
its neutrality by using the Greek coasts
and islands as base for provisioning
their submarines.
The charges about the STidge at
Demir- -Hissar were without foundation,
the French authority said, and the
question of the sympathies of the
Greek people was proved by their ac-
ton at the recent elections and their
attitude toward NJ Venizelos, the friend
of the entente. The authority points
out that, while the king declares he
can not demobilize, ne forgets to add
that the allies continue at his request
to advance money to Greece for its
m modification