VIGOROUS STATEMENT BY M. VENIZELOS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2642, 13 December 1915, Page 6

VIGOROUS STATEMENT BY M. VENIZELOS

GREECE'S POLITICAL MISTAKE KING CONSTANTINE'S ATTITUDE QUESTIONED By Tol«Brapli—Press Assoclation-OopyTteM (Beo. December 12, 5.5 p.m.)' s"Tho Times" 'Athens correspondent states that an by M. Venizelos (ex-Premier of Greece) . which was submitted to King Constantino, hps been published by his permission, though the King was not in nersoiml agreement with it. L M. Venizelos states: "It is not a fact that the Greco-SerbianTreaty exonerated Greece from rendering assistance if Serbia was attacked bv other Powers m addition to Bulgaria, The treaty with Serbia is absolutely binding on Greece, and it is a political mistake of great magnitude to abandon Serbia to her fate, as it leaves Greece at the mercy of a strengthened and brutal Bui garia. Greece bad a great opportunity at small risk of liberating the Greeks in Turkey and building wp a greater Greece, including parts of Asia Minor, Thrace and Cyprus. King Constantine doubtless felt the danger too great, but the Constitution does not give the King the right to override his Ministers and Parliament. —- "It is not true to say I favour a republic." > X yenizejos adds: "Fifty Veniaelist deputies are with'the colours, and twenty-five Ministerial deputies have also been mobilised. The Venizelists were offered six days' leave at election time, while the Ministerial deputies were given full leave, consequently the Vemzelist majority was extinguished. Immediately after the elections the Government also offered -their supporters in the army leave to vote, while refusing it to my supporters. Hence the comedy is too great. I and my party are obliged to protest by our absence from tlio elections.-