GREECE'S NON-INTERVENTION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 27 May 1915, Page 3

GREECE'S NON-INTER-VENTION.

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"The Corriere Delia Sera to-day publishes" an interview with M. "Venizelos, in which the Greek statesman confirmed the report that, he had resigned, as he. was .of opinion that Greece should intervene in the war. He denied ] however, that*he had hinted that Greece might „ obtain Constantinople. The ex-Premier said that twice since •?. rar . broke Jout the 'Triple Entente Powers asked Greece to send men, to the help of Serbia. The attitude' of Bulgaria, however, prevented Greece from" doing so. When the Dardanelles operations began the Triple Entente' Powers - semi-orficially enquired in Athens'whether the King was disposed to intervene. The Crown Council was convened, and M. Venizelos proposed that 50,(X)0 men 'should be sent to aid i&Q Allies against"- the Turks ? . and urged that in exchange for' this help Greece should obtain the Vilayet of Smyrna. Owing to, the objections raised by the staff M. Venizelos reduced his proposal to the' suggestion that 15,000 men should -be despatched m addition to the co-operation of the Greek and the use of a naval base by the Allies. The Council then asked whether M. Venizeles would guarantee the safety of the territory received in compensation in Asia-Minor, and M. Venizelos pointed to the fact that in recent times he had twice unconditionally engaged .the whole forces of the kingdom and had obtained more than he expected by them-. The Council pointed to the, impossibility of defending Smyrna against the Turks, but the ex-Premier showed that if the Allies were ' victorious Greece would be the neighbor of Russia and^ltalyin Asia Minor, and that these three Powers could assist each Other against' the Turks. ,M. Venizelos further affirmed that Germany would not wrest the masSK. in c s? as m Great Britain. Ihe Council rejected these reasons on the ground of the possibility of an invasion of Greece in spite of the assurances to the contrary given last May by the staff. .. M. Venizelos expressed his deep disappointment that Greece should neglect- this opportunity which he said might never present itself warn. He said he would shortly my bis views before a series of public meetings m different parts of Greece. —Reuter, Rome. March 16.