New-York tribune., 1922-12-02
Slain Ministers We're Traitors,
asserts Greek Chief of Staff
Mazarakis Says the Death Penalty Was Imposed
After Trial Had Proved Statesmen Guilty OF
Dragging the Nation Into Turkish Debacie

/ through the yoics VI the army. but
the armr. excited BY the ambitious de-
signs Of the statesmen nt Athens, went
in for bigger things and dreamed Of
dashing even 90 the Caucasus and the
borders Of Psrsis.
aLAter," continued the General.
-Constnntlne was returned 70 Greece
bv a piebiscite. which was not az all
the viii OF the people, who were in
timidated and deceived n the elee-
tions. Gradually the great powers saw
the folly Of the Asia Minor campaign.
They told US 20 retire our troops and
that the Smyrna district would be
made autonomous under a Greek gov
ernor.
Warning Kept From People
"They warned US that they woule
withdraw all economic and financial
support. Gounaris and The others tool
no heed Of this warning and Tor
year and a half this Entento warning
vas hidden from the GreciEn people.
The Entente nations urged us 20 send
away Constantine, beeause he IS pro-
German and had delivered lns rtant
military works IN haeedon.a Ger 70
Bulgaria, which vas the ally Of Ger
many.
"The people and rank and file Of the
army knew nothing Of this. We went
- blin6ly TO our fate; we were checked
At the Salgarias River with tho lons
Of 10000 men.
For a year we rested on our arms
there, while the great Turkish army.
splerdidly ecu pped, formed IN 'front.' OF
uG. Still We were not recalled; We had
been fighting for eight years and our
condition was pitiful. our equipment
was miserable. Al home the Statesmen
kept silent, telling Us nothing Of the
real situation, seeking only 20 keep
Constant ne on the throne and feather
their own nests.
"Then came the great Turkish often
Sive and the Greeiar army was swept
back, incapable Of any resistance. The
world knows what happened eventually
In Asia Minor. Not content with this
disaster. the politicians arranged q
campaign against Constant nople, which
actually meant fighting the soldiers OF
England and France. ls II any won.
der that the revolution has taken the
situation into It's own hands and eT-
acted that an example be made Of the
men rtsponsibls for our grave national
situation
Army Demanded Death Penalty
These accusations we're all proved
at the ccurt-martial, and II the death
sentences had not been carried out
300 officers threatened 10 invade the
prisons and themselves see that Jus
tiee was accomplished. A majority Of
the officers who sat In the court-mar-
tial we're ormer prominent anti-venl-
Eelists, and the death decision. how
ever harsh, was based on irrefutablc
evidence"
General MaEarAds skstehed the en-
tire history OF the ill-fated Asia Minor
campaign, showing how the allied Su-
prsme Council had given the GreciAn
army mandate 20 occupy strategic
points after the arnistice signed az
Mudroso. He expressed the opinion
that foreign interference had irritated
the revolutionary committee By over.
insistenee and constant protests and
that the committee had decided there
was too much Intervention In internal
Creeisn Affairs.
There was no Intervention IN in
ternAl Grecian Affairs In 1920 % pre-
vent Constantine from returning and
doing HARM" he Iaid IN conclusion,
but now there Is Intervention 70 pre-
vent the harm done from being rem
edied. Greece herself must decide
her own destiny. The ministers were
executed not because they committed
political errors. but because they were
found guilty Of high treason In acts
which brought national woe and ma
tionsl ruin"