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‘day, there are two things to marvel at. One istthe wicked
subtlety of British policy, and the other the adroitness with which
Tino frustrates it.
Never before in her entire history has England so betrayed to
the world her cruel and selfish nature as in her treatment of Greece.
And rarely if ever before has the monarch of‘ a small state so
.cleverly foiled the aims of powerful oppressors, as King Tino by
- his policy of inaction.
For ten months nearly, or at least since her shameful defeat at
the Dardanelles, has England tried to force King Constantine to
mhkehis people fight for her, as she has coerced other small races
in leading them to their doom. The defeated horde of ill-trained
and dispirited British troops was shipped from the Dardanelles to
'Saloniki. Their forces were gradually augmented by French troops,
of which only a small proportion came from France, for France
hasfew men-to spare. Cochin Chinese were sent to Saloniki. All
the Serbs who had survived warfare and plague were herded there.
Montenegrins, Italians and other races were run together, into a
mongrel army.
Then England stepped aside. For shameful deed: were to be
done, and it has ever been British policy to use other races in the
execution of her evil plans. She made the Frenchman her dupe.
She tickled foolish French vanity by placing this useless hetero-
geneous horde, speaking a dozen different tongues, its units ‘utterly
without cohesion, under French command. And ever since, Britain's
minister has stood at the side of Sarrail, the empty peacock, whisper-
ing in his'ear, pressing him, pushing him on and on, to fulfill Eng-
land's will. ' ' '
Sarrail, filled with vain power, head of an army that was never
meant to fight, falls into ,eaeh trap and pitfall that the English plant
for him.
When it was seen that Greece could not be coerced to fight for ,
England, having Serbia's fate before her, Greek fortresses were
seized. Then the Greek army was demobilized. Greek commerce
was destroyed. Greek merchant ships were seized. Every method,
however contemptible, was tried in order to force the hand of Con-
; stantine.
King Tino protested. He argued, he pleaded. But he refused to
join the Allies. Nor would he be goaded into active opposition
against his enemies. He did nothing. His strength has lain in his
weakness.
How could -Sarrail's mongrel army move against the fighting’
Bulgarians, trained in years of warfare, when a Greek nation lay
in its rear, ready to crush its remnants in defeat?
‘Tino's policy of inertness and inaction has caused almost as
many heartburnings in London as the German Emperor's successes
in Russian Poland and Serbia.‘-
On‘September 28th control of all news sources from the Greek
‘ ,Kingdom was seized by the Allies. Huge stories, emanating from
London, and sponsored by Reuter’s Agency, announced that the
King of.Greece had yielded and would enter the.war on the side
of the Allies. The pro-British newspapers on this side took their
cue, headed by the Times, which ran long articles to the elfect that
Greece was the sixteenth nation to join in the W313 '
‘ On the following day there came a despatch from Berlin, by wire-
less to Sayville, which stated that the Greek M inirter in Berlin had
informed the German Government that the Greek ceu.rar.rhi[: had
been abolished, and that his Gom'rmne'ut, therefore, declined respon-
ribility for new: dcrpatclzer from Greece. mt
Again England had failed to force King Tino’s hand. Subdued
stories were published by Renter's and other suborned British news
agencies, that "negotiations between the Greek King and the Allies
were progressing.” I . ,
' Suddenly, on October 11th, came the announcement that the
French naval authorities had forcibly taken over all the ships of the
Greek Navy. fl‘ he neutral world, which had beentdeceived, was now
enlightened. Tino again submitted.
Three days later‘ came despatches quoting King Tino: ‘'1 Pfefef
to lose my throne than to endanger Greece. I am convincedthat in -,
fifteen days,Rumania‘will exist no more. A’ If Greece went to war .
then, 'after'the conquest of Rumania, the irresistible German forces .
., fHEnLANo iibiii
.'W,H'AT WILL. HAPPEN ATHENS HEXPLQDES;
I . ‘ AS the Greek drama unfolds itself before our eyes from day to
i‘
would be directed against Greece and she would ’share the fate
Serbia and. Roumania." ‘
This interview had been suppressed for three days by the British n
It caused the politicians in London to gnash their teeth;
CCHSOI’.
law
or-
VVhat could one do with such a King? ‘ V: ‘
Tino has absorbed the subtle qualities of, the race he governs. He’ '
is made of rubber. His enemies squeeze him until he appears toibc
crushed, but the moment they relax their grasp, he rebounds.
x. .,
Everything was done to. encourage revolution in the unhappy
country. The traitor Venizelos, bribed with English money, gath-
ered about him the evil-minded and traitorous amongst his country- A.
men and went into open rebellion.‘ England through her corrupt
news sources, tried to convince the world that the Greek nation
stood behind him. '
But the seizure of their fleet as thelculmination of the coercive
measures, evidently proved a shock to Greek susceptibilities." This
wavering, subtle nation, which had scarcely known its own mind in
this sea of intcrnationalpolicies that had Ewept upon it, suddenly
awoke to the fact that its life was threatened. A reaction set-id.
Athens suddenly flamed up into a riot againsttlie Allies. ,Mobs;
waved the Greek and American. flags and marched to the United. -
States Legation, seeking support and sympathy for their oppressed‘
nation. I - .
Poor Greeksl They heard the‘American fleet was on its wayito
free them. They little know the aid such as they may expect from
the man who occupies the White House. '
But the Greeks made demonstrations against the British and‘ '
And they hissed the French sailors who had’
They hooted. thr'ee]'
French Ministers.
been sent to occupy their public buildings.
hundred French marines who marched through their streets with
fixed bayonets, accompanied by an automobile filled with rFranco- .
A reign of terror has been started in the’
British secret police.
Greek capital. The French police, swarming through the city, with
all the secret, sinister authority of Gallic procedure, as exemplified
in the days of the French Revolution, are terrorizing Athens.
The. other day, John Dillon, in the House of Commons, com-
plained to Premier'Asquith, that: “There have been sinister rumors
that the British Government regards the Saloniki expedition with‘
. ,
evil eye." - t
,VVith evil eye, Dillon? Yes, you are right. Britain sees now that
It has failed because of ‘ ‘
the policy of Greek coercion has ;failed.
King Tino's elastic obstinacy, his power of weak-non-resistance.‘
which slowly, step by step, has compelled his opponents to resort to I, .
harsher and harsher measures. Their oppressive steps, silently
watched by the world, have made even the partisans of England‘
and the friends of France, blush for their misdeeds. , ‘
Last Sunday in New York, a Venizelos demonstration was en-
gineered, in order to help dispel the impression gaining ground that
the Greek nation is being ground under the heels of her oppressors.‘,- . '
And the French newspapers have come out with pathetic Latin
stories that France is helping Venizelos to liberate his country, a
she helped VVashington in the American Revolution. . ‘ ‘,
But it will not do. For mark this. v n .
I t was French mar-inc: who seized the Greek navy. It war: French
mariner -who were hissed in the streets of Athens.
How cleverly England has plotted. English troops have not beerh
hissed! ‘
Greece is a powder barrel. The explosion may come any day. t
The streets of Athens may run with blood, when the enraged popu-
lace tires on French troops and the soldiers answer back with vol-
leys sent into defenseless multitudes.
And on that day Mr. Dillon's suspicions will become a certaihty.
Hypocritical England, which engineered the coercion of an‘ un-V (
happy country, but instigated a credulous and vaingloriousi race to‘
perform the evil task,-hypocritical England will raise her hands
in horror’ and cry: “English hands are’free from this blood-guiltf
this oppression. English honor is not'stained with the shedding of
the blood of Greek people.
“Sarrail has blundered. The French are too emotional. Had an
Englishman been in command-of the Allied army in Salox1il<i,'this‘
dreadful day wouldpnot have‘ occurred.” ‘
’ I’ C. A.,C.
4