The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-02

Received the Associated Press cor
Respondent in audience recently.
IT was the Greek New Years Day
and before the interview the CORES
spondent assisted with King Constan-
tine, Queen Sophie, the Princess
Helen and the young Prince Paul. at
the time honored New Years cere-
mony at which band OF Greeks
aahant choruses in praise of King and
country in the great hall of the pal
nee. |.
IBID 81 am sorry you are leaving us"
Hing Constantine began abruptly. I
FONT believe that there is man or
Woman in Greece who does not feel
cry profoundly what great thing 1t
has been for us during this most
critical period in our national history
,fo have q correspondent Of the Asso-
mated Press here to tell the world
nth absolute impartiality the truth
sof what Is taking place. They tell me,
s&Swever, that q good many Of your
Kilograms to the Associated Press
aver got through the censors?" The
1ng laughed a little ruefully. You
1--we nothing on me-" he added.
whether do mine"
M "I am afraid there is no way" he
went on. 1--WE might as well be in
dungeon here for all the touch we
have with the rest OF the world The
most ridiculous. the most outrageous
Nonsense about what is happening in
Hreece il published daily in the Euro
bean press presumably written by
Journalists who are not even on the
Ebpot to see the facts for themselves.
&And when my government sends off,
6cial denials OF them the European
will not even publish the
Ldenials. Take this letter for exam
sple. AS you see it Is from Ex-Mayor
Bonnalkis, who was arrested on Dec. 2,
<during the attempted Venizelist revo-
luton. A French newspaper pub
fishes a story that Bennakis was SO
badly rnistreated that his right arm
had to be amputated and he was on
the point Of death. Far from having
his arm amputated he writes me
letter with It, as you see, expressing
his gratitude for the kindness with
which he has been treated and as
suring me that he Is my most loyal
and devoted subject. Your minister.
Mr.. Droppers, personally investigated
the treatment Of those who were i'm
prisoned on the charge Of sedition as
a. result OF the abortive revolution of
Dec. and 2 and told me himself that
he found them very comfortable. My
government, therefore. telegraphed
the French press denial Of the Ben
r1akis story as well as Of any number
Of similar fabricatipns. butN I have
never heard OF amy Of the denials be-
ing published.
AFTER all, all we ask is fair play.
But II seems almost hopeless to try
i to get the truth out OF Greece to the
rest Of the world under present cir
ct1mstances. We have been sorely
tried these past two years and we
don't pretend to- have always been
angels under the constant irritation
Of the ever-increasing Allied control
Of every little thing In our own pri-
yate nfe--lettersJ kilograms, police,
everything. Why do you now that
my sister-in-law, Princess Alice of
Battenburg. was only permitted to re-
ceivs telegram Of Christmas greet
ings from her mother in England BY
courtesy OF the British Legation
here?
'.Moreover; by taking an active hand
In our own internal politics, England
and france especially have succeeded
IN alternating an a1miration, a SYM
pathy and devotion towards them on
the part Of the Greek people that, a,
the beginning Of the war. was virtual
" q unanimous tradition. am a
soldier myself and I. know nothing
about poktics. but it seems to me that
when you start with almost the whole
Of q country passionately In your ia
vor and end with 1t almost unanimous
~ against you. you haven't succeed.
ed very well. And quite under
stand how those responsible for such
result seek to excuse themselves by
exaggerat1ng the difficulties they have
had to contend with in Greece-by
talking about Greek treachery and the
immense sinister organization Of Ger.
man propaganda that has foiled them
ct every turn and SO on. The people
OF Greece are paying for them now
in suffering and death from exposure
and hunger, while France and Eng.
land starve us out because they have
m6de the mistake of assuming thai
their man venizelos could deliver the
Greek army and the Greek people
to the Entente Powers whenever they
wanted to use Greece for their ad
vantage, regardless Of the Interests
of Greece as an independent ma
ton.
There are just two things about
our desperate struggle to save our.
selves from destruction that I am go.
ing to ask The Associated Press tt
try to make clear to the people OF
out some day-all the bTockades enc
censorships in the world cannot keer
the truth down forever. Understand
am not presuming to sit in judg-
ment on the Entente Powers. I aps
preciate that they have got other
things to think about besides Greece
What say is meant to help them
to do justice to themselves and to us
small nation.
"The first point is this: We have
two problems on our hands here in
Greece-an internal one and an ex-
ternal one. The Entente Powers have
made the fundamental mistake Of con.
sidering them both as one. They
said to themselves: Venizelos is the
strongest man in Greece and he is
heart and soul with us. He can de-
liver the Greeks whenever he wants
TO. Let us back Venizelos therefore
and when we need the Greek army he
will turn 1t over to u.s.
well, they were wrong as I think
you have seen for yourself since you
have been here. Venizelos was per-
hans the strOn gest man in Greece as