New-York tribune., 1917-06-10
Revolution Believed To Be
Necessary, but Allies Are
Not Agreed on Plan
ItalyWouldNameKing
Pro-Germans Busy Organiz-
ing Force to Attack Sar-
rail on Flank
By FRED B. PlINE1

little was heard Of Salonica, the army
of Sarrail and Greece until the new Of
fensive started week ago. They were
overshadowed By greater things the
Russian revolution, the entry Of Amer
ica into the war. the British and French
ofensives but they are beginning to
thrust themselves once more into view,
/ espcciallv the Grecian situation, and
this may foreshadow some action IN the
Near East.
At the time Of the Russian rcyolu-
ton a simultaneous revolution IN
Greece was much talked about, re-
crudescence of the Nenizelist move
ment. which this time should be brought
i TO a successful conclusion. There were
two things that intersered, however.
One was that the Russian revolution
got out Of hand and went much iur-
ther than IL was ever intended 10 20.
This bred the fear that the same thing
might happen in Greece. The other
thing was the difficulty of reconcillng
all the powers concerned to one plan
of action in Greece.
When the ultimatum was delivered 10
Greece and Italy consented TO JOIN IN
that action. IL was definitely told TO me
that Italy gave her concurrence only on
the condition that If the ultImatum
were not accepted and carried out Con
stantine would be dethroned and an
Italian prince, preferably the Duke
d'Aosta, put in his place. The ultima
tum was accepted.
Difference with Italy
That is taken by the other powers
as releasing them from the promise 10
Italy. 1t has not been carried out, and
that is taken by Italy as requiring an
Italian prince on the throne OF greece
D If there is a change in the Greclan gov
crnment. Hence there has been no Gre
clan revolution up to date, and there
grobabIv win rot be one until the
movers can agree on who is to succeed
Constantine and believe. they can con
frol events n the peninsula better
+hau they were able 20 in Russia.
But that the situation IN Greece IS
very bad is certain, and il seem equal
ly certain that there must be drastic
action there of some kind before Sar-
rail can make q serious attempt 20 re-
sumo the offensive. The Greeks-that
i~ the Kings encourage and the pro-
German element among them-have
been taking advantage OF the winter
season and the prcOccupatlon OF the Al
lies I'm other direction 20 effect, under
General Dou.manls, tine che. ~ the
General staff. an organization for ac-
.ion against Sarrail and the Allies.
According TO information received
here. the purpose Of the organization IS
not 20 put AN army in the field. but
force of about $4,000 comltadjls, VINO
will attack Sarrail in the flank and en-
Geavor TO cut his line Of cOmmunica-
tions and prevent the ravitaillement or
his armies. Dousmanis has been spend
ing the winter organizing and prcpar-
ing this force.
Organizing Reserves
While the regular army, slowly and
with a thousand and one delays, mas
been transported into the Pcloponnesus
an operation still far from complete
-Dousmanis has been organizing the
reserves i'm Thessaly and Attica. In
each district lists have been made OF
the reservists upon whom the General
staff can count for its purpose. Inc
officers have been appointed, and each
officer knows the names Of those VINO
will compose his company, battalion or
regiment. Meanwhile both officers and
men continue in their ostensble peace
full occupations.
To arm this force the Greek General
STAFF has held out on the Allies lO3.OOO
Mannlicher rifles, which were supposed
to be sent into the Peloponncsus. AT
the time Of the ultImatum the Greek
army was known TO have 10000 Mann
lchcrs. all of which were 10 be sent
south Of the lsthmus of Corirth.
But the General staff transported
across the canal only SO 600 Mann
lichers and added 20 them 10000 Gras
rifles, sold to Greece by France many
wears ago. Then. as an evidence Of
good faith, they threw in 10000 old
Mausers captured from the Turks.
The l03. 900 perfectly good Mannllch-
ers remain in Thessaly and Attica 10
arm the comitadjis. At the same time
large depots of munitions and supplies
have been constituted along the line
from Athens to Larissa.
Prepared TO Move Army
The plans of Dousmanis reach much
further than this, however. They look
10 bringing north once more the Greek
army nterned in the Peloponncsus,
with all its artillery. On the face OF
. III tNt NoIluiN dUdI ludhta an i9t~tit
of the Pel,ponnosus, but If the canal
we're TO disappear the Greek army
could march northward on dry land,
and the whole canal has been carefully
mined by the Greek General staff IN
preparation for just this coutingency
All TINS Is well known 20 Sarrail and
the Entente representatives IN Greece
and SalonCa, but they cannot &C. until
they can agree on what government IL
10 replace the present one in Greece.
Selling the arms and supply dcpots in
Thessaly and Attica means scizng
Greece, which means putting new
government IN power.
A revolution with NcniZolos on top
is considered the best solution. hut
the example Of the Russian revolution
is a strong deterrent. Who can say
that Ncnizclos would be on top at the
end Of the revolution? Moreover,
Italy, with her ambitions and the
agreement at the time of the ultima
tum. is another deterrent pow
crful. perhaps, than the Russian exam
ple. II seems certain, however. that
solution for this problem must be
found within q short time II Sarrails
army is To be- more than an immobile
force.