New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-20
Recognize Venizelos
Plea That the United States Send Diplomatic agents 10 the PROVISIONAL
Government al SdIonicd


tho common law denies agreements "h'c"
are against morals and public order, ana J"
public life such an immoral guarantee as tha'
which binds a free people not 20 revoltagainst
a tvrant is an agreement contrary 10 the
basis Of international public order and the
principle that governments derive all their
lust powers from the consent OF the gov
erned" Ought such an agreement. condemn
ing free people to practical slavery and up
holding a tyrannic King, to be respected
b. the United States
And now comes another point: u the
United States is DESTROYS, as IT Is. Of com
batting Prussan autocracy. that Hohenzollern
autocracy which tried to stir IN enemies
against the United States az :ts very doors
why should the American Administration
delay any longer to diminish the authority
of the secret ally Of the Hohenzollerns, King
Constantine, by according ample recognl-
tion to the democratic government of Salon
lea and helping it to strengthen the ranks
of It's followers?
From The Tribune of April one can sec
that the Venizelos unofficial envoy, addressing
meeting of about 5000 Greeks residing in
countrymen to enlist in the United States
Army. That man cannot have spoken in such
terms without the authorization Of Mr. Neni-
zelos. so one must conclude that the Greek
democracy is willing and ready to put at
the disposal of the American AdmniStra
tion that number of soldiers that an eventual
recruitment Of the Greeks could give. Is
that number small one? The annual re-
port of tho Commissioner General of Imn-
grafton for the year 1916 (p ~ gives the
hgure of il2,053 as representing the totally
of the immig grants of the Greek race, 50 that
one could presume that the percentage to
be extracted for military service would not
be a negligible quantity IT amounted dur
ii~ the Balkan wars to nearly $4,000. Would
american Self-respect and prestige suffer any
capital dimnuton if Greeks had to shed
their blood IN defending the honor of the
Star-Spargled Banner on the battlehelds OF
France! Then. why not send the Greek
American battalions 20 the Macedonian
front to fight against the same Prussian
enemy in the mountains and fields 50 vel.
known 20 them?
Aiding the Greek Democracy
But thus the question Of the enlistng OF
the Greeks in the American army would
eventually become one of reinforcing the
Salonican army with contingents formed in
America. equipped by the American authori-
ties and transported on board American ships
under the protection of the American navy.
Even in this form. is the object not worthy
of the attention of the Administration. or
Is the Greek democracy not worthy that the
United States. that has inherited from the
ancient Greek civilization the perfect form of
political constitution of which every Ameri-
can is proud, should give aid in order that
the republican regime be again established
in its native land? Has the Greek democracy
rot suffered enough through the intrgues
and the terrorism Of King Constantine. and
has she not behaved gallantly under the
leadership Of Nenzelos, so that she might
have won the attention and the sympathy
of America. the world champion Of the demo-
cratic ideal? And can there he any better
aid 70 democracy than 10 send her war
riors educated IN the American Republic
Ought this question not to be discussed be-
tween the Administration and the men of
the Greek democracy? ATHENS.
New York, April IS. 1917.