GREECE AND TURKEY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 14

GREECE AND TURKEY

--PREPARATIONS FOR, \VAR^ S ,'!; . VIETUAL BiCIATOESHIP: . \The Athens coneepoiident of . the .London "Standard,";.writing," on" November 30, :•' -,- . V ,: : '.\::::.^ : , '.'".'"!'.■'• 'The Military League, in- Greece,- whose influence was shaken, .aljnost.to'anniMli,;idon by the.naral mutiny-under LieutenBn !t, .lypaldos, -.."1a again, .increasing, in power, to, an. extent .thai,'amounts to a military 'dictatorship.: Popular' ' feeling fan.very■ mga. against the league after. I the, fiasco, and it looked yas though. i(; : would be impossible: for' the 1 officers to weather the-storm , of indignatiott which the wanton .'damage to- national property-called 'forth; Now, however, the league is more powerful. thaja erer,,, and Colonel Zprbaa, 1 its president,' who repeatedly refused the post of Min-' ister of War 'on. the'formation" of'the present-Ministry, ; after': the' military in-' surrection' of'..August v 15, hia a seat at' the; meetings of the Cabinet nominally as expounder' of the league's'views, but in reality as _. dictator,!,to .see that . the decisions' arrived ■ at -are ..in^'conformity therewith. ;■;'-" i'-,..: •; ':V v!.V-':-c.-;..!;•;.,':

■ A short- time ago-. the ; -dissension3 .between the'nulitary and naval sectioiis of' the .league:threatened 'it. with' .disruption;, the trading: 'guilds, and; Artisans',: Union" were afraid, 'that its ..programme'-' would' involve heavier taiatton< ; and.were,''there/ ■ f ore,*! assuming a■, hostile,. attitude; . cer-, taii deputies- weie intriguing: against it; and finally!, tho novelty!, had' worn" off," and, apart '..from the! effects of,'; the'!-modern battleof Salamis, the people were growing weary, of it ' Then,>*uig' !that it' had bpposibon,to,meot;-. the: league- pitched: ;up its internal,differences, conciliated its opponents,'' and very/cleverly,..through' its> I organ,',, the ;"Chronbs," : commenced . atI tacking, definite,:administrative''■'abuses/ ! thus.giving the.people a.'fresh topic.to .talk about,:.and:emphasising!.the ; lefague*s paternal.caieof-the national.interests.. ■' j.The result is- that,the .leagjievhas'iiot only regained all' iia' lost {ground,-but emerged, from,the .danger-which menaoedvit,' not;. only.:stronger,',but. with fan inoreased;. confidence: in 'its i.own'strength, that .-may,.; lead: anyTrhere-rpbssibly; to ■ the, . purification ' of' .the!-: Sfcate-ea' consommaUon neededTrand Vppssiblj, if. the: counsels, of,,the, wiser. , heads "are '.not.: heeded, to 'the! .destruction.,, of '.'the coim--league:.still;openly ; maintains that,it' upholdi-r.the.dynasty,'but. .iiiiHm-. ifcad i'pbwer'vin.! , handsi'^.mpre. i !c&-, pecioDy in;the;:casoiof \ Southeni , : Briro-'-pean : 'Taces,is';a-matter ;the consequences of-which' can -never .• ; be,- foreseen.: More-!, ,the. : officers , are -sworn,, ; .t6 'VsQence,'. andscrupulou'sly■ obserTO'.'their'oath..', The '.Greek 'is a lxifn''.talkor ) ; <b'Qt'. it/is"vim-' possible to", draw'.a-.member of,the.leaguV. into! a' definite:', statement :of ;any' Hnd: : as. to,ife-urtrmatefaim's'..'!' K'-'X\ ■':/.■■■'.; V■■-;•:;■'

■ : ; :■: ,iAbdication : :-,Rumoiir».^-.-; : '.-v; '■%■ Eeports.have , been widely :< circulated to the; effect : that r a nephew of. the. late .King. Otho' is in Athens, -:■ and. that, he,;will; :be ! offered the: crown; in;' case : of.: tte. tion of 'King' George. '•'.Other .nim'ours.cpn-v ,nect the name of \the:"Dttke : ,df ! ?Abni2zi: with -the eitua'tion , .':creatad-:by''Buoh :! '.an! event;; but:■by.^fa^^ ; the'.'i'mosf ':' persistent, statement -,<is ■; .-.that* ■ .ti'e .' young,yPrince Gtiorze,''the 'Crown'vPrince'e '■'?■ eldest' son,' will be' called upon:-to -ascend .the'.ftrohe' made vacant; by'-his' 'giandsiie's'.f etiiementv:This..is':by,;far>th'e most} j p>ot)able : contingency, ■foT.'thVp'reseht''heir-apparen't would never be 'allowed : toisucceed■■ in', the I actualjsfate'of , popular : feeling;'and.Princo' Cieorge isV'a; Greelrbf~;the- Becoiid -genera-' bon; born-in-Greece. •;,>He--i3;:: h a':'yo"uth i ' and'.".therefore 'pliant;),;his succession 'vwould'/obviate , ' a' change'■'■•:pf dynasty, 'arid;' ; according argument, wonld; for: this reason:<rehdei an ■ intervontion':byV-the Powers'itiipossible.'V: '..It is dif6cult,;.howiever,':to perceive any raison, d'etre for the: abdication rumbure in circulation. -,is -i,by i nomeans unpopular with his people,.and it is'c'ertain :that,,if : they were loftio the D- , it would, never':,occur : to'Hhom'.fc" depose.' hinii, 'That -he might' become dis-. guited- with':the' -situ ation ''aiid- abdicate! of his own" accord'would'be 'much more ■probable; 'bnt-Kirig George is a*, shrewd monarch,'apd^Msmrdly.:likely such a course unless ■ impelled by ■ inbre serious motives than any-.thatr have as, Vet j presented •/ themselves.. '.'.One. cause, nevertheless, . may bringv about..' a ..crisiß;' thelGreeks ■'• are ■ actively fqr ; war, with. Torkey in spring, and ■it', should be ■ impossible for ' the;,. King . to, aefpiiesce.in:snch folly.■' Forgetful of "the: victorious 'mardi .of 'Edhem , ■ Pasha : in 1897 i which,;' if /not -checked:.; by' the '. Powers,'■ would : have, ended "Kin a Athens' herself, the " Greeks- 'are■': anxious';:to" ; try conclusioh's'., again, in -the: 1 hope' that,'-:u.' th^y: : are.'successful, they , ; -will.; receive' Crete' and/.a", portion of. ISpirus as' .a: fa-' ward-:. : for- vicwry, and 'that, if • they are. defeated, the [Powers'will iagain: come' to ■their assistance, and-prevent,,.: thej Turks from; following 'up/their' advantage'.' ;'-:"-"' ! ;;;:;' ; •A.: ; iWant:;df Generals,;':.;■/;.;,

It is is now esce^uigly''yrcU''arm^.'.'''.'.Tlie,u;tißery l '' : iB. 'of-tho'.laijest'pattern,' and. the-old Gras rifle his Been replaced. by the Mannlioher;!but itheseVarO; factors, whiohOcannot'/ make?up-'for! the' total';' absence -of experienced "generals;* :• Brave/as • the 'Greek they.are by/rio'means lacking in personal couraEer-war'bMld , spell nothing but'.disaster,: and, ''after'bis experience 'of'twelve years ago,:-King'George, could":never give.jhis consent .to.it;, '■:■ The officers; .however,' 'both . naval ''and:-, military, appear te.be fully determined. , They ■ put /.forward; the', .risnal -pretext of -selfdefence,' asserting that, Turkey': is getting ■ready,"and : will. attack Greece'if she .is '.unprepared;,: but-'the: aggressive tone;.of their ..■ conversation'.-belies.' ments/ , ■ The.; : lateet 'talk''.is-.of a 'rap-prochement-between: β^d-'Bulgaria, whereby- Turkey .would be' taken '.between two fires. •• In fact; just atpresent; Greece is suffering 'from' a -very eevere" attack'of hysteria,, and- although--her.; friends hope for 'the .best, ino one. can tell what ton the .malady may.■ take. , :'..-. ,• ■ ;-.-. ■':.- ~'• :.■,!„ . . The lightiung.rapidity'with .which" Acts of Parliament ■ are: being : passed:.without due debate or even .adequate revision, iwill furnish 'a. fruitful , source' of -'■.ttonßle' , in the future.'; Capable/ lawyers■''say '.that these, laws--will'.ibe impossible of: appHca.tioni' because topbody.-can interpret, them with V- any:,degTee of. certainty. . To"begin : with,: it: will take months-to examine'and dig«3t,tbsm all.- .Many-of .them'.hare/been■' diotatod,by "the. Military, league,; with a: supreme ■disregard.for legal , technicalities, ■ with the; result that'the judges will not. be,, able 'to make . head-.'.'or tail out of them.-"- lleariwhile, the.reaction' seems as- far off. as'oyerVi'-.aiid-; patiently await ■; regenerationV' or--phaps. ■