Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-02-23
ENTENTE LOSES
THE FR|E NDSH|P,
SAYS CREEK KING

ATHENS. Greece, Jan. 14.-(By a
Staff Correspondent of the Associated
Press,-via New York, Feb. liking
Constantine received the Associated
Press correspondent in audience this
morning, just before he left for Amer
lea.
Il am sorry you are leaving US,
King Constantine began abruptly. \
don't believe that there is man or
woman in Greece who does not feel
very profoundly what great thing II
has been for us during this most crit
ical period in our national history to
have correspondent of the Associated
Press here to tell the world with abso-
lutte impartiality the truth of what is
taking place They tell me, however
that good many of your kilograms to
the Associated Press never got Though
the censors?" ?" the king laughed LITTLE
ruefully You have nothing on me,
he added. Neither do mine"
"The most ridiculous, the most out
rageous nonsense about what is hap
pening in Greece is published daily in
the European press presumably writ
ten by journalists who are not even on
the spot to see the facts for them
selves. And when my government
sends official denials Of them the Euro
pean newspapers will not even publish
the denials.
after all, all we ask is fair play
But it seems almost hopeless to try to
get the truth out of Greece to the rest
Of the world under present e,rcum-
sances. We have been sorely tried
~thse past two years, and we don't pre-
bend to have always been angels un-
o. der the constant irritation of the ever
increasing allied control of every lit
tie thing in our own private life-let-
ters, kilograms, police everything.
Sympathy of Greeks Alienated.
Moreover, by taking an active hand
in our own internal politics, England
and France, especially. have succeed
ed in alternating an admiration, SYM
uathv and a devotion towards them on
the part of the Greek people that at
tie beginning of the war, was virtual
ly an unanimous tradition. quite
understand how those responsible Tor
such a result seek to excuse them
selves by exaggerating the difficulties
they have had to contend with IN
Greece-by talking of Greek treachery
aid the immense sinister organization
of German propaganda that has foiled
them at every turn and so on. The
only trouble with that is that they
make US pay for the errors OF their
policy. The people of Greece are pay
ing for them now in suffering anu
death from exposure and hunger,
while France and England starve US
ont because they made the mistake OF
assuring that their man Venizelos
could deliver the Greek army and the
Greek people to the entente powers
whenever thy wantd to use Greece for
their advantage, regardless of the in
forests of Greece as an independent
ration.
There are just two things about
our desperate struggle to save our
selves from destruction that l am go
ing to ask the Associated Press to
trv to make clear to the people OF
America.
THE first point is this: We have
two problems on our hands here IN
f,ecce-an internal one and an eX-
,crna' one. The entente powers have
made the fundamental mistake of con-
.idoring them both as one. They said
- themselves: 'venizelos is the
stroneest man in Greece, and he is
hoart and soul with us. He can de-
\ liver the Greeks whenever lie wants to-
of rs back Venizelos, therefore, and
when we need the Greek army he will
urn it over to us.
VcnizeIOs Failed to DeliIer-Army'
WI. they were wrong, as l think
-ou hsve seen for yourself since you
have teen here. Venizelos was, per-
Eaps. he strongest man in Greece, as
,hov II ought. but the moment he tried
10 turn over the Greek army to the
rrtente, as if we were lot OF mer-
,enaries. he became the weakest man
in Greece end tn rlost despi7e1. Fol-
m Greece no man delivers the Greeks
they decide their own destinies as a
rec people, and not England France
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