The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-15
MADE GENERAL PRACTICE
WOULD SOON END WARS


The shooting. following court mar
tial. of five former cabinet ministers
and a general for high treason because
they were held responsible for the
crushing of the Greek armies by the
Turks comes in for widespread con-
domination throughout the United
States. Editors, however, see in the
action a method to prevent wars
pointing out that if such punishment
was invariably to be the penalty Of
failure to win complete victory, lead
ers would think long before stirring
up hostilties.
The Greek method may be decid-
eddy drastic and have few prece-
dents" suggests the Elmira Star
Gazette, "but there is no question
that it will have weight with future
Greek Premiers and cabinet offlc-
ers who entertain ideas Of conquest,
Greece has found one way to curb
war, whether it meets with the ap-
proval of the rest of the world or
not" This point of view finds no
sympathy with the Washington Star
which asserts that 'ciVilization goes
back a step when a nation turns III
rage against it's mistaken leaders ana
slays them for their blunders. Az
tention, however, is called by the
Newark News to the fact that 1t
was for high treason, not falIure'
that the Greek war heads were tried
It is always a shock to governments
to see the political representatives
of other countries severely punlshed
although Lloyd George was ready
enough to hang the kaiser IN an
election campaign. whether the
Greek executions were warranted al
depends upon the truth Of the aIe8a-
lions against the officials, and this IS
not ascertainable at present in TINS
country, if anywhere" The Phlla-
delphia Bulletin feels that "unhap-
by Greece has again been i'll served
by a government entrusted WITH
power in a crisis
The executions were 1.-The penalty
of a tragic failure" the New Or
eans Item points out in recalling many
similar episodes of history and then
injuries whether latter all. are the
five former cabinet ministers and
the one general, dead by bullets IN
Athens. any more dead than any equai
number Of Armenian, or Greek VII
layers, slaughtered outside Smyrna!
There is a singular sameness about
corpse flesh. whether it tumoleS
down from the seats Of the mighty,
Or rots in a stable doorway Al
though the humanitarian spirit OF
the twentieth century does not sane
ton political executions the CleFe-
and Plain Dealer suggests that as !
must be admitted by all who are
with the course OF recent !
Hellenic history, Gounaris ana MS |
associates were unquestionably guilty !
f the offenses charged against them |
md their punishment was literally IN |
CcOrd with the way s of civilized ma /
ions. So Greece kills her foremost |
,itizen and at the same time repu- |
Hates her only remaining advocate !
lmong the great powers. But the
.mnence of Gounaris had brought |
nlv suffering to the Greek people |
while the friendship OF Great Britain
las proved traglcally worse than use
ess.
1t is the opinion Of the Utica OBJ
erver- dispatch that the execution
shows that terrorism still prevails
n Greece" while the Albany News
: convinced that Greece has not
.dded to her standing among ma
ions" as a result. Contending that
on cant blame Allah for this" the
Republic insists that
Greece stands before all nations !
leading a brotherhood of Christ and
iding bloody hands. Before starting
ny more crusades against the hordes
f Allah why not clean UP the corners
+ Christendom?" In addition to the
immediate effect, the Minneapolis
ournaI suggests that the Athens
overnment stands to lose materially
I Lausanne. and after, just as it
oses morally by it's atavistic vio-
ance." Resentment over failures