Evening star., 1917-01-21
ENTENTE CONFERENCE In ROME

Dispatches dated Athens and Rome
indicate that Greece and Rome still oc-
cupy the center of tho political stage.
The latest dispatch. at this writing.
January IL. says: The entente powers.
through the italian minister. have in
sisted on unqualified acceptance OF the
last entente ultimatum, considering the
Greek governments reply equivocal."
SIS
II was found necessary to convoke .
conference in Rome because. more than
all others, Rome
The Conference seemed better IN
formed concerning
II nomc. Greek methods than
other capitals. Was this the real mo-
tive OF tho conference7 It is certain
It was at Rome that was discovered
the author OF tho destruction Of the
italian battleships Benedetto Br1n and
Leonardo da vincd. What moro as-
founding information than that It was
Mgr. Gerlach. an Austrian. Pope Ben
edict's private chamberlain, formerly
an Austrian cavalry ofiicer. who was
an accessory before the fact to the de-
struction Of these ships in September.
1915, and August, 1916, respect vely:
that there had been a meeting OF ON
GERS OF the military club under the
presidency Of Gen. Cellario. military
PASSED to be forwarded to the king in
favor OF a declaration of war against
the entente, the great hope being, OF
course. in powerful southwark sweep
by Mackensen. hope combined with the
conviction that the king was waiting
to throw in his lot with the Germans:
finally the speech pronounced in the
italian chamber by Signor Boseln must
have led to disclosures which deter
mined the conference of the entente
powers In Rome.
The blockade by tho entente powers
has proved to be the ''open eesame" to
the Greek heart by the medium Of the
Greek stomach A rigid blockade and
control OF the distribution OF bread
stuffs has changed tho situation as IL
by magic The bare necessities of life
are now b9ing sold at prices which are
prohibitfve to the poorer classes. Tho
entente have hesitated to employ drae-
tic measures: it would have been we'll
had they commenced where they have
ended.
Dispatches dated from Athens the
5th instant and later announced that
tho entente premiers BRAND, Boselli,
Lloyd George and Gen. Lyautey.
French minister Of war; Gen. Sarrail.
Pa1etzin Of the Russian stan, had ar
rived and were in secret session. A
dispatch dated the sth instant said:
Although no communication has
ference Of tho allies private conversa-
tions with some Of the principal per-
sons of the conference leave no doubt
that the result is fully satisfactory. and
that the Representatives of the entente
powers separated in full confidence"
NJ. BRAND. interviewed by the Temps
correspondent said:
Our visit has been most fruitful and
was timely. Many difficulties OF de-
tail had raised since the last confer
tions the attempt was made to becloud
the entente and the relation between
the allies. without mentioning public
events known to every one.
TT was necessary to dissipate the
fogs and overcome the difficulties and
present and future events. All that
was undertaken in a spirit Of accord
and good faith and we have eliminated
all the little difficulties that could
hinder our united efforts"
The italian press is filled with cor
dial comments on the conclusion of
the conference and the results that in
dicate henceforth united and energetic
action.
A dispatch dated Athens. the 18th
instant. says that the reply Of Greece
to the last entente ultf-
The Angwer matum mot being en-
eo tirely satisfactory, the
Greek government will
he t,Fo xt~<
gratifying. as far as It goes. more def
mite acquiescence is necessary" For ex-
ample. the immediate release Of Venixelist
prisoners was demanded. The Greek re-
sponse agreed to the release but did not
stipulate when It should be effective
There is no mention Of flfteen-day de-
lay regarding the execution Of the de-
mands as has been reported in some
quarters. and there is no intention TO
raise the blockade until the demands are
conceded in full.
In respect to the attack on British
and French marines in Athens on De-
cember the government declares that
1t desires to give every legitimate sat
fsfaction and refers to Its proposals to
arbitrate. It expresses the hope that
the allied powers will reconsider their
decision to continue the blockade. which.
II says, Is straining relations and i'm
pressing public opinion Greece de-
sired a resumption Of the excellent ira
ditional confidence which previously
existed between Greece and the entente.
Inasmuch as it was a question of the
demand made by the entente govern
ment for the release Of Venizelist pris-
oners 1t will prove instructive to cite
the declaration of war made by the
venizelists. The government of NJ
venizelos, known as the Hellenic pro-
vfsional government" declared war on
Germany and Bulgaria November "a,
1916. The following are some OF the
principal excerpts:
THE spectacle of Belgium, country
like Greece, being made the victim OF
a most insolent violation of solemn
treaties and the fact that that VIOLA
tion was the basis of the war, inclined
Greece from the very first to take part
in the war Of nations. But in the In
terest of Serbia and in that OF the
Greek cause generally Greece deemed
It a duty to decide in favor OF neu-
trality.
"Profiting by past experience of Bull
garian duplicity, however, and having
from an early period reasons to suspect
that treacherous designs were belng
Greece at the same time
kept her forces absolutely In reserve
In case her efforts should not succeed
in nreyentine a Bulgarian aggression
with a view to going to the assistance
Of her heroic Serbian ally. As early as
February, 1915. the liberal cabinet then
In mower decided to secure at once py
means OF war the fullest aspirations
of Hellenism and to cooperate with
the protecting powers In the Darda-
nelles expedition. The agents OF Ger
man propaganda succeeded in prevent
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