TURCO-GREEK QUESTION.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3782, 10 February 1881, Page 3

TURCO-GREEK QUESTION.

The Daily News of 20th says :~We, cannot -believe that- Her Majesty's Government will encourage f the,idea of re-opening the discussion as . jto the frontiers'of Greece.. If the Euro-'-pean Powers allow much more dalliance with Turkey we do not see how a serious European crisis is to be avoided. Greece cannot long stand the strain and exhaustion ,of her .present .armament, and her present.national resolve. So long as the "' Greeks "liaVe reason, to" believe that is^ acting for them they will .probably < be ' induced ;tb keep back from perilous action. Bat if they really perceive that the whole, question is once ' again to drift into a hopeless eea of verbiage, discussion, and diplomacy, we cannot doubt, that they will follow Macbeth's desperate course,, and " try the last." Such a resolve might :be,| imprudent, mighp{eyen be fatal to many.) , of their .best national, interests ; but no one,c,an l say ,lba£rifc_ would be .unreasonable or undeserving of respect.- The example , ,and the .froakiiiceess, of Italy form a terrible temptation for such & State as .Greece. 1 iltaty wtfsbidden to bc-patient, rwas assured that public opinion was with her, and told that diplomacy was working * Steadily for her, = but she found, in fact, nothing but,delay and disappointment. She risked all, imperilled the peace .of all Europe, on ; a desperate course, r and she v "got all she asked for. in the end. We sincerely hope that Greece will not be tempted* too rashly, .to follow Italy's example. "Tbefc^iyre conditions* of dif- ■ fercnce between ihiVtime and that which might .tell heavily against the Greeks. But in -order that &he should be kept back , from rashness it is above all things necessary that, she should feel confident in the resolve of some at least of the Great European.Powers not to allow her much longer to^fr the victim of Turkish stubbornness and Turkish craft. The London' Times op December 21st saysV-^-Greefc Ministers are not accustomed to " stand " very long in any case, and though we sympathise with the dis- ( ' appointment of the Greek,.,population, graver interests are involved in the settlement of this controversy than even the satisfaction of the most legitimate Hellenic ambition. If the Great Powers are able to agree upon .a, scheme of arbitration, and if Turkey is* willing to be bound by the award, it will be ijecfssary to remind the Greeks very forcibly .that they must, not stand in the European tranquility, and that their immunity from attack on the part of the Turks has been due to the constant and vigilant intervention 41 JSurdpe. The supposed objections of thkiiii''P,owers ' which adhere to the BerH«f; Conference-as. absolute and final iCannot:sbe- in the faceif^itbe:';fa.ct l «hktw%% Powers will not unite to ■ enforce'Vth'at policy. For this result Franca j|g "'chiefly responsible pbiit; whatever mayjbe^tße" distribution of the blam^, ttopraclicarbJßrect ishardly to be .controverted* '"'T^ptqraw back from *arbitratfon if,'b'^ usecuring the submission of the disputants'beforehand, a settlement can be made certain, because the conference has presented a statement already, is ',to;. give up the substance for * the shadow. The objections from the opposite point of view, urged by those, who are averse from accepting any more^stririgent obligations, would be equally met Vby the .proposed submission. If "the; 'Porte is ■foolish enough to miss such a chance of escaping from such an untenable position without loss of drgtiftyV and probably '^^'tb''B6ini^ab«t»ptial^.djrftntage, it would 'deWrrejany, -mistertuneß tn&t may follow. If Greece defeat thg.^project, as the Russian "; newspapers" hjnt, she will cease to merit the sympathy and protection of Europe. •->ii.