Evening star., 1923-09-07
Seizure of Corfu
A Greek View of Course Which
Italy Has Pursued.

10 the Editor OF The Star:
Truth is respected and loved by
all: nay, even the liar protests that
he says the truth, because he knows
truth is the only thing that prevails
and lasts forever, whereas anything &
| false has but a temporary existence.
In your editorials since the Greco
Italian episode you have come out
| and stated the truth. You told your
| readers exactly where the case
stands, namely. no matter what the
dictator of Rome may call the bonn
/ bardment of the innocent women and
| children at Corfu, the fact remains
| that it is not only an act of war
| committed on Greek soil, but a bar
I barous deed. which has shocked hu-
manity and civilization from its very
foundation.
No self respecting nation could
| comply with. Mussolinfs demands,
| much less a proud nation like Greece,
| whose life has been the example of
! freedom. of justice and the founda-
ton of civilization. Without waiting
! to ascertain the responsibility of The
| crime committed near the Albania n
! frontier, the dictator has chosen to
commit actual murders on the inno-
! cent refugees to right an alleged
4 wrong
Can there be said that AN act of
| an individual condemns a whole ma
! ton? Greece has courts of justice
| and II person or persons are guilty
/ OF crime. after the regular trial. he
| or they may be punished accordin gly.
| II the apprehension and conviction of
tne Offenders were made according to
! the law of the land justice would
| nave been done. But to take people
with the slightest suspicion and shoot
! them without trial, as the dictator
/ desires. is TO upset the machinery of
! law and order and comply with the
unwritten lynching epithet.
klng George ] of Greece was killed
| IN Salonica after a triumphant vic
! tcTy OF liberation was effected in
| 1913 against the Turks and vet the
/ accordance with the law of the land
he was not lynched or shot before
| trial. Every man has the right to
| be heard and cannot be convicted
| without trial.
The Greek government promptly
! consented TO do what is right, name
| Iy. 10 investigate the incident TO
| Punish the guilty. to salute the
| itaiian nag in a proper manner and
i 70 pay indemnities to the families of
the officials that We're so unfortu-
! nately killed, as may be adjudged by
| the league of nations or councils that
| the case, may be submitted to for de-
1 termination
! No one knows yet who the as
| sasslns are. They may be Alba mans
| or Greeks of that territory that was
given to Albania, although it is
| Greek in every particular. The Al
| banians are not very fond of the
Italians. and it may be recalled that
! no foreigner can govern that little
country of monntaineerS
| To say that the asSassins connived
| with Greek officials is the most pre-
| posterous slander that can be uttered
| against that country. Any official.
however minor in his sphere of
duties. knows that complications
! would arise in perpetrating a deed
or that character, But why were not
J the Albanian commissioners molested
! VINO preceded the Italian commission
rms gives rise to the suspicion
| that the murderers may not have
/ been Greeks. but Albanians
! Those that hold thai public opinion
=, works wonders in the world affairs
! are witnessing the results Public
! opinion could not stop the German
| army; II cannot make France move
! from the Ruhr without the payment
| Of reparations; it has not removed
| Italy from the Dodecanessa and can
not move her from where she sets
| her hearts deSire-Corfu and other
valuable strategic Greek islands.
! SOTERl0S NICHOLSON.