The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-14
The Predicament
of Greece
Has Lost Position Among the
Nations and is Depressed
Financially

! Atheua May 6.-The Greek cam
paisn now in progress in Turkey was
undertaken as the only way to avoid
the possible loss to Greece of Thrac9
and Smyrna and at the same tiine
to give King Constantine the eclat OF
a great military movement.
! The decision Of the supreme coun-
! Gil at the conference in London Ii
February to send a commission 20
Thrace and Smyrna to inquire into
the composition of the populations
there filled the Greeks with disap-
pointment and dependency.
Under the proposed revision OF the
treaty of Sevres Greece saw itse:f
about TO be reduced to its 1912 pro-
portions, its prowess as a Med1ter-
ranean power nullified and it's friend
ship with the allies :ahenated. It con-
sidered the territorial losses with
which the country was threatened: a
staggering price to pay for Con-
stantine's return to the throne.
All classes awakened to the reaii-
ties Of the situation. They recognize
| ed that without financial support
from the great powers, the country
must become an impotent peninsular
state. The absence os recognition by
Greece's great neutral friend, the
United States, was particularly
painful realization to the people
Many Greeks. even some Of the most
ardent sRoyalists, We're willing 10
sacrifice their king if it would win
back the goodwill and support Of the
big nations, particularly the United
States and England.
The Venezenst press has taken a
sombre View Of the situation ever
since the London conference and ac-
cused the government organs of hav-
ing Intentionally misled public opin-
ion.
The Royalist newspapers natural
iy endeayored to minimize the effect
of the decisions Of the supreme
council and attributed the change in
the attitude of the powers toward
Greece to every reason except the feal
one. They inferred that Great Brit
aims leniency toward Turkey was the
result of pressure brought to bear
upon England by her Mussuluian sub
jects.
Closing their eyes to the allied
edicts regarding Smyrna and Thrace,
the same journals declared that the
war against Turkey must go on.
Greece, they said, must take mat
.ters into her own hands and fight the
Kemalists: alone and not, only ad-
vance, to .Angora but also to s:yas.
The question Of money. has been
barely. mentioned. Hints are thrown
out that, there viii be no difficulty in
finding the. necessary funds in Amer
ica and England. -.
In the meantime the cost Of living
Is mounting and commercial Greece
faces serious prospect. Imports
exceed exports fourfold. the treasury
Is depleted and the Greek drachma
has been selling ct Il to the dollar.
The. poor man. and even the people
-WiIo were Comfortably of before the
present chaos, find it burdensome TO
pay: Tor the common necessaries OF
l.fe. -,
:! The Greek people did not grudge
the sacrifices, made during the last
Ave years so long as they felt It
would result in a j. greater Greece.
Rut todas, they are becoming con-
vfneed that they have been led into
az situation which has reduced the
country to fourth-rate power, pros
trased its economic life and forfeited
to Greece tho friendship OF the ma
tons OF the. world.