Greece defies "Great Powers"

[johnalexis]

1897

"Matters in Greece are growing more serious. Much has happened within the
last few days.

On further consideration of the offers of the Powers, Greece refused home
rule for Crete, and declared her intention of carrying out her plan of
reunion with the island.

She boldly defied the Powers, and declared that she would yield only to
superior force.

In replying to the note from the Powers ordering her to withdraw her
troops from Crete, her Prime Minister, Delyannis, said that while Greece
would not leave Crete, there should be no fighting with the Turks unless
an attempt was made by them to carry the war into Greece itself. Unless
the Turks invade Greece, the Greek army would only remain in Crete to
protect the Christians there. If, however, the Powers made matters too
difficult for Greece in Crete, she would of course have to protect
herself.

This reply put Europe in a very difficult quandary. Greece says she is
ready to fight the whole of Europe rather than leave her brothers in
Crete in the power of the Turks.

The Powers, having threatened to make her obey if she refused to comply
with their wishes, are now aghast at the prospect of having to fight with
the heathen Turks against the Christian Greeks, or else steam back to
their respective countries, snubbed and ridiculous.

They have long been conferring together to prevent any further misrule in
Turkey, and to efface this monarchy, which is a disgrace to Europe, and
they find that, by their too hasty interference, they have put themselves
in the position of having to uphold the Turkish misrule against their own
convictions.

The Turks are so convinced that Europe is going to stand by them, that
large bodies of them are parading the streets of Canea, crying for the
blood of the Christian "dogs," as they call them, and apparently expecting
that the Powers are going to help them in a general massacre of the
Greeks.

This state of affairs is particularly dreadful, because, at the time of
the massacre of the Armenians by the Turks, not one of the European Powers
fired a shot to prevent it. All that was done was accomplished by talks
and conferences with the Ambassadors.

Now, when Greece tries to free her Christian brothers from the grasp of
the Turks, these same Powers train their guns on the Greeks, and lend the
Turks their aid to force the Christians back under the control of the
murdering Turks!

It is a monstrous situation, and one that makes every honest man hate the
diplomacy and politics of nations that make such things possible and
necessary.

When Greece sent her defiant answer to the Powers, they had a long
conference, and after much talk, decided to send their Ultimatum to
Greece.

An Ultimatum means a final condition, which, if refused, will break off
all attempts at settling matters peaceably.

The Ultimatum of the Powers was written in two separate letters.

The first requested Greece to withdraw her ships and soldiers within six
days.

This has been presented.

In case Greece refuses to withdraw, the second note will be given her.
This states that the Powers will immediately use force to make her do as
they desire. This of course means that war will be declared.

It is said that the Greeks are not likely to obey the wishes of the
Powers, and that the King of Greece intends to refuse, and then to take
his own course.

It is said that King George has declared himself quite ready for a war
with Turkey, and that he does not intend to allow the Powers to tell him
what he is to do.

Greece is making preparations for war, has called out her army reserves,
and is massing her troops all along the Turkish frontier, expecting that
the war will be on the mainland, and not on the island of Crete. Greece
expects that should war be declared Turkey will at once try to cross her
borders and conquer her. If Turkey does not attempt this, Greece will
cross into Turkish territory, and endeavor to reconquer the various
ancient Greek provinces which are now under the rule of Turkey. The
Servians, Bulgarians, and Montenegrins are also arming and rising, and
will side with Greece in case the war breaks out.

If you look these little countries up on the map, you will find that they
lie on the Northern side of European Turkey, while Greece is on the
Southern side. If these countries do really come to the aid of Greece,
Turkey will find herself between two enemies, and will have a difficult
war to fight.

[Illustration: Types of Greek Fighters.]

It is not true that Russia is at the bottom of this Cretan trouble.

She has evidently been acting sincerely this time. She has warned Greece
to stop her quarrel with Turkey, has sent word to her that she very much
disapproves of the way she is behaving, and as Greece has not listened to
her protests, she has finally broken off all diplomatic relations with
her. This, you remember as in the case of Venezuela, means that Russia and
Greece are no longer on speaking terms.

Russia is very angry with Greece for refusing her advice, and Greece feels
very bitterly toward Russia for helping in the bombardment of the Greeks
at Akrotiri.

So deep is the feeling between them, that when the Russian court sent the
appointment of Honorary Admiral of the Russian Navy, as a compliment, to
Queen Olga of Greece, she returned it indignantly, saying she could not
hold any rank in a navy that had fired upon Greeks and Cretans.

Europe is still looking around for some one on whom to cast the blame for
the Cretan muddle. The present idea is that England is the guilty party.
This last report may not have any more truth in it than that about Russia,
but it is now, said that England is bent upon conquering the Transvaal,
and securing South Africa for herself, and that she has stirred up all
this Cretan mischief, so that Germany and the other European Powers may be
too busy at home to look after her abroad.

Whoever is to blame, the Greeks are going steadily ahead. Fighting
continues, the Greek arms being mainly successful.

Turkey has tried to send fresh troops to Crete, but has been prevented by
the Powers.

The ports of Crete are closely blockaded, and the island is running short
of food.

There is a story that when the Greek fleet was ordered to leave Cretan
waters by the Powers, its commander, Commodore Reinecke, replied that he
would only obey the orders of his own government, and that, though the
Powers sank his ship, he would not move until he had his country's orders
to do so."


Where are these people when we need them??????????????????

[Tsontos]

Can you post where you got this from please john?

Where are these people when we need them??????????????????

Who?

[johnalexis]

Originally Posted by Tsontos

Can you post where you got this from please john?



Who?

Men and women who will defend Greece and its interests and not bow down to the "Great Powers" of today.

These men and women are non-existent today.

Even Queen Olga refused to accept a medal because the country that wanted to present it to her had attacked Greeks.

Link :

http://infomotions.com/etexts/gutenb...5428/15428.htm