The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 245, 8 February 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1898.

TllE question of Ibe administration of Crete has bei n dragging its weary way along; for many months, but has now i cached a si ago from which the end is in view. It is now reported that England, France and Uussia ure resolved upon the appointment of Prince George of Greece. A previous cable informed us that Jtussii Lad overcome Germany's opposition to this appointment. There is a belief held in Constantinople that the Sultan will not retire from either Thessalian or Cretan territory without righting. Eich of the concerted Powers have expressed their most ardent wish to put an end to the present state of things in Crite. That this has not been done is due to the suspicion which one Power entertains of another. The incident with regard.to the appointment of Colonel Schaefer to the governorship, appears to be very absurd. All agreed in dispatches to his appointment, bat neither of them was prepared to nominate him. The policy of Turkey is to oppose tbe appointment of any other man than her own nominee, sLe has not nooii-

nated any man because she knows full well tbat no Mahometan would be accepted and the Sultan could not possibly put forward any other. It would perhaps he impossible to find any man equally objectionable to the Porlo thin Piinco George, and there is no niau whoso appointment is more natural, us a large majority of the Cretan population are Greeks. It lias been recognised for many years that Crete would eventually be annexed to Greece and the CL-eck population forced a war upon Turkey with the view of making the date of the event an eatly one. They did this in spite of the assurance of Europe, that tbo party which commenced the war would not be allowed to benefit by victory, if it attended their arms. It is questionable whether the appointment of Prince George would not be a departure from the spirit at any rate of this intimation. In the meantime Crete is in a state of anarchy, and for very sb?me the diplomatists of Europe will-be forced to come to some understanding and act upon it. The appointment of Prince George: would be most certainly according to Greece an advantage, after, if not in consequence of the war she had provoked, and would in prac'ice deprive the Sultan of any little power over Crete which he may have previously wielded. It remains to be seen whether the Powers will act upon the agreement attributed to them, and if so whether Turkey will quietly submit. If sbo does not, the natural inference is that she will be wiped out and remain no longer a source of danger to the peace of the world ; but before that result comes about a terrible war must be anticipated.