ITALY AND GREECE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17857, 1 September 1923, Page 15

ITALY AND GREECE.

GRAVE SITUATION DEVELOPING.

ALBANIAN FRONTIER MURDERS.

(BT CABLE—PESSS ASSOCIATES—COPTEIOHT.) (AUSTHALIAS; A3TD X.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) PARIS, August 30. Tlie Ambassadors' Conference decided to telegraph to the British and Italian Governments, asking them, in view of the gravity of the situation, to join in an energetic protest against the assassination of General Telliui. They invite the Greek Government to open an enquiry into the subject. The "Petit Parisien" publishes a message from Turin saying that the Italian Fleet has been, ordered to concentrate at Taranto. One division only will be sent to Athens if Greece furnishes reparation for the outrage. LONDON, August 30. The Milan correspondent of "Tho Times" says that, following a demonstration outside the Greek consulate, when tho Hellenic coat of arms was torn down and a harmless noisy bomb thrown, guards were placed outside the Greek, Albanian, and Jugo-Slav consulates.

Part of the Italian Fleet, which was off Tirahto, has been ordered to suspend manoeuvres and hold itself ready to leave for an unknown destination. Demonstrations against the Greeks are reported throughout Italy. The Government has called on the Press and Fascist forces to assist in the maintenance of order and discipline. The Athens correspondent of the Central News Agency says tho Gover-nor-General of Epirus, the Greek delegation, and the Eoumanian consul at Janina attribute the massacre of General Tellini and his party to tho Albanians. The murders were committed two miles from the Albanian frontier, where there is visible trace of the perpetrators' flight. SOME, August' 30.

The Albanian Legation states that a band of Greeks committed the murders 12 miles from the Albanian border. The crime has arousec! the d coyest consternation in Albania', whore the victims are regarded as martyrs to Albania's national cause. It is infamous calumny, the Legation states, to suggest that Albanians committed the crime.

MUSSOLINI'S ULTIMATUM.

DEMANDS REGARDED AS HUMILIATING.

ATHENS, August 30. Cabinet met immediately on receipt of tho Italian Note and decided to agree to indemnify the relatives of the murdered men, but to demand a modification of the stipulations, which they regard as humiliating. It is believed that in the event of a deadlock Greece proposes to submit tlio . matter to the League of Nations at its forthcoming meeting. An official communique states that the Greek Government has expressed profound regret to the Italian Government, and has' so informed the Italian representative at Athens. A Greek destroyer has already left the Piraeus with an expert commission to assist in the investigation of the crime. (Received August 31st, 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, August 30. Tho rapid concentration of the Italian fleet at Taranto, and the notification that the ships have been ordered to clear for action, have caused a sensation in European capitals, though it is recognised that the technical instructions issued to the navy do not necessarily mean war. The outstanding fact is that Greeco is not prepared to make an abject submission to Italy's demands. The latest telegrams from Athens show that Greece accepts Signor Mussolini's demand for the payment of £500,000 as an indemnity, but declines what she considers the humiliation of a compulsory State funeral for the murdered men, and a salute to the Italian Fleet. [Signor Mussolini's ultimatum to Greeco demanded a complete official apology at the Italian Legation in Athens, a solemn funeral in the Cathedral at Athens in the presence of all members of the Greek Government, capital punishment for those guilty of the murders, an indemnity of £500,000 within five days, and full honours to bo accorded by the Greek Fleet to tho Italian Fleet which would be seni to the Piraeus. The "Westminster Gazette" reported that Signor Mussolini's- Note to Greece stated that the massacre was the resulc of the persistent campaign defamatory of Italy and the Italian Military Mission, which had been conducted bv the Greek Press.]

A CASE FOR LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

CRITICISM OF SIGNOR MUSSOLINI.

(Received August 3lst, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON. August 30. The "Daily Telegraph's" diplomatic correspondent points out that it is inconceivable that the Greek Government should wish • to pick a quarrel when, it has just managed to restore full diplomatic relations with Italy. It is mischievous to talk of war between Greece and Italy, as both are members of the League of Nations, and bound by a solemn undertaking to submit their disoute to mediation and arbitration by the League. Neither daro flout the covenant of the League. The "Daily Express," in a leading article headed "Serajero,' 7 denounces Italy's bad example and says: "Italy 3 ultimatum has an ominous ring of 191-L ODinion throughout the world will regard precipitancy with profound regret. Presumably Greece must rive way as she is weak and has no friends in Europe. Signor Mussolini doubtless expects "to strengthen his hold on the

Italians by a spirited national policy, but if this is Fascist diplomacy it does not seem to differ much from international Bolshevism.''' (Received Angust 31st, 8.30 p^n.) PARIS, August 30. Official circles at the Quai d'Orsay (French Foreign Office) point out that in Serajevo the world already has had an example of the incalculable consequences of precipitate action; so it is hoped that Italy will combine prudence with firmness and avoid anything which may bring about war. Tlm "Journal des Debats" 6ays: "Signer Mussolini likes to act with the rapidity of a thunderbolt, especially when the prestige of his country is concerned," but the paper warns the Italian Premier to tread cautiously.

The mention of Serajevo in the above messages is, of course, a reference to the murder of the Austrian Archduke and his wife at that town in 1914, which led to Austria's ultimatum to Serbia and the Great War. Article 12 of the Covenant of the League Of IVations says: "The members of the League agree that if there should arise between them any dispute likely to lead to a rupture, they will submit the matter cither to arbitration or to enquiry by the Council, and they agree in no case to resort to war Until three months after the award by the arbitrators or the report by the Council."

STRONG BRITISH COMMENT.

(Received August 31st, 10.35 p.m.) LONDON, August 31. Tho "Daily Telegraph" says the Italian Note to Greece "seems to go far beyond tho demands which wo might expect to be addressed to a friendly natioji. We especially regret the tonp of the semi-official statement issued in Rome, which laid a charge of crime directly upon tho Greek Government whom it accused of moral, if not actual complicity. Wo find it utterly impossible to believe that the Greek Government can have had any complicity, however remote. Sufely, if ever there was an international incident suitable for reference to the League of Nations it is this." The ''Morning Post" reminds Italy that in 1904, when Hull fishing boats were fired upon on the Dogger Bank by the Russian Baltic Fleet) Britain submited that outrage, which was equally grave, to an International Commission.

A telegram from Athens dated Thursday Btates that the Italian demands have not yet been published there.

IDENTITY OF THE MURDERERS.

GREEK PREMIER'S STATEMENT.

(Received August 31st, 8.30 p.m.) ATHENS, August 30. The Premier, Colonel Gonatas, declares: "We can give moral satisfaction without implicating our country's honour, because tho crime was committed in Greek territory. For the same reason we may grant a money indemnity, but we have serious doubts whether tho assassins are Greeks. Wo presume they are Albanians." (Received August 31st, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 30. Officials of the Italian Legation in Athens informed a "Daily Express" correspondent that they were absolutely convinced that Greeks assassinated General Tellini and his party. Greek animosity for the fixing of tho GraecoAlbanian frontier had been evident for a long time, especially towards the Italian members of the Commission, on tho ground that the basis on which the Commission determined the frontier was unfavourable to Greece, and there had been incidents daily. (Received August 31st. 9.15 p.m.) ATHENS, August 30. Tho Greek reply will bo handed to' the Italian Minister at midday to-day. It rejects the' statement that tlio crime was committed under tho eyes, of the Greek authorities, and declares that the nearest Greek post was ten kilometres away, and separated from tho soene of the crime by a tliick forest. The reply rt<lds: "There is no indication that the assassins are Greeks. If the Italian Government possesses proofs, the Grook Government will be glad to have them."