GREECE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1916, Page 5

GREECE.

POSITION CRITICAL. | GREEKS PREPARING FOR WAR. AGAINST THE ALLIES THE ICING'S BLACK TREACHERY. Received Doc. in, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. 0. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent wires from the Piraeus that the situation in Athens is critical. While diplomacy marks time, the Royalists are determined to persevere in "(lie path they have chosen. Mobilisation>is proceeding rapidly. Strong forces have been sent to' Larissa, the notorious General Douamanis supervising the warlike preparations. It is unlikely that peaceful counsels will prevail with the military clique, whose ardor is inflamed by the outrageous Ger. man reports of Balkan victories and lavish and impossible Potsdam promises. It is stated that the Kaiser has sent wireless congratulations to King Constantino, wishing him. further success. The. Greeks occupy points of vantage in Athens and on the Piraeus, trenches are being made everywhere, and guns are being mounted on the surrounding heights. Efforts are afoot to establish a strong army at Larissa, with the object of falling on the Allied rear in conjunction with the Germano-Bulgar attack from the north. j The correspondent adds that the Greek military party is full of determination and convinced offfcuccess. The party of treachery is absolutely unrepentant. Fur ther parley will only lead to fresh deception. The tragedy is very fresh. The fact throws in stronger relief King Constantine's hideous treachery. It is necessary to insist on these points, because the Greek censorship perverted earlier messages. King Constantine now openly appears to be what he always has been secretly, a faithless receiver and trickster. It is unthinkable that the Royal militarist regime will any longer bo tolerated, especially as General Sarrail's fears that the Greek army would attack his rear have been shown to u< ■fully justified. The full story of Saturday's man hunt shows that the troops and reservists disgraced even barbarism. Men of all ages were dragged and driven in the streets. Goaded with bayonets and rifle butts, they were paraded and cinematographed before jeering and filthy crowds. Women were arrested and maltreated. Swift vengeance is imperative to avenge our murdered soldierß and sailors and banish the peril threatening; the Allied armies. No compromise or diplomatic settlement is possible in the face of Ccnstantine's pro-Germanism. The Daily Telegraph's Athens correspondent states that apart from the silage extermination of Venizelists and the treachery and insults to England and France, we ought to know of the deliberate insults shown towards our diplomatic representatives. Mr. Rcndle, secretary of the British Legation, was thrown into a barn and afterwards dragged to the police station. An .apology has not been forthcoming. The Athenians are in a state of blue funk, expecting a naval bombardment. OMir'OUS NEWS. CONCENTRATING MUNITIONS AT LARISSA. BLOCKADE BEING FELT ALREADY. Received Dec. 10, 5,5 p.m. Athens, Dec. !). Correspondents .state that the roads to Thessaly are filled with Government waggons, with arms and ammunition, which are being freely taken up to the mountain villages and distributed from Larissa. The blockade is being felt already. Greece is a country of comparatively short commons, and has for nearly a year been living from hand to moutn. The stoppage of steamer traffic is felt A week of famine will soon convince the Greeks of the predicament wherein King Constantine has led them. ALLIED NAVAL FORCE AT SYRA. Received Dec. 10, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. 0. An Allied naval force lias landed at Syra. A replaced functionary was arrested, as well as several suspects, ensuring tranquility. (Syra, or Syros, is a small island of the Cyclades group, Greece, ten miles south-west of Tino. During 1010 the dockyard at Syra arsenal was equipped with modern British machinery.) THE ATHENS ATROCITIES. DRASTIC ACTION YfANTED, London, Dec. S. Lord Denman, in a letter to the newspapers, states that he visited Athens in July and met a number of prominent Venizelists, some of whom Were suffering from the present outrages. The lot of the humbler Venizelists must be even .more serious, and there was reason to fear that many had been done to death like rats. In the streets of Athens atrocities had been committed, which were equal to the enemy's achievements in Belgium and Serbia. The change of Government must not delay for an instant drastic action on iho part of the Allies, for every day is precious. The new Foreign Secretary must realise the inadvisability of recognising two governments, and King Constantine must be held to strict accountability for IIJ3 complicity in the crimes committed. A BRIBE BY AUSTRO-GERMANY. Rome, Dec. 8. A wireless message states that Austro. Germany offered to open Greece's land communications if Greece would declare war against the Entente. THE BLOCKADE COMMENCED. Paris, Dec. 8. The Greek blockade -begins at eight o'clock this morning. Ships belonging ti other Powers are allowed till eight o'clock on Sunday morning to leave blockaded ports.