GREEK REBELLION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 89, 13 March 1935, Page 7

GREEK REBELLION

VICTORY FOR AUTHORITIES. LITTLE SUPPORT FOR VENIZELOS FRENCH PAPER’S ASSIGNMENT. (United Press Association.—B'v Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received March 13, 11.40 a.m. PARIS, March 12. The Paris Soir newspaper, in the hope of securing a “scoop,” dispatched an aeroplane to Crete with a wireless operator and a woman reporter, who entered an urgent plea that the rebels should be instructed not to shoot. They, however, shot down the aeroplane at Cane a in mistake for a Government machine' the pilot skilfully landing without injury to himself or the passengers. The reporter promptly wirelessed that the population had suffered little and that no' blood had been spilt. She added that the rebels leaders, prior to departing on the Averoff, looted tho treasuries at Candia and Oanea. This received an immediate official contradiction. An Athens message says that M. Vcnizelos in an attempt to constitute a Government in Crete received little support. General Zaimis issued a message to the nation thanking the armed J forces for their loyalty. The Soir’s woman reporter, Made- j moiselle Titayna, actually secured an interview with M. Venizelos aboard j the Averoff, but the text of it is copyright. THE AVEROFF TO SURRENDER. M. VENIZELOS ON ISLAND. Received March 13, 10.50 a.m. ATHENS, March 12. It is reported that the Averoff landed M. Venizelos, his wife, and rebel officers on the Italian island of Cassos. after which the Averoff proceeded to the Salamis arsenal, near Athens, with the intention of surrendering. TOURISTS SUCCEED TROOPS. GAIETY HEATHENS. RETURN TO NORMALITY. Received March 13. 11.55 a.m. ATHENS, March 12. The city is brilliantly en fete owing to the national victory involving the surrender of thousands of rebels, the majority of whose high officers have fled abroad. The streets are crammed with people singing patriotic songs, the trades unions parading with banners and bands. Crowds gathered at the residence of M. Tsaldaris, whose address was enthusiastically acclaimed. The British pleasure cruiser Letitia arrived witli 375 tourists and was welcomed by the British Minister, Mr S. P. P. "Wateriow, who assured them of safety. Aircraft will resume flying over Greece on Wednesday', Imperial Airways reverting to Uie original sclicdulo. M. Venizelos will probably be regarded as a political refugee, as a result of which he may not he handed over to Greece

General Papoulos, ex-commander of the. Anatolian rebels, surrendered and General Anagostopoulos, the commander of Serres, fled in a motor-lxrat with five officers. General Kamcnos will he interned at Karlovo with his companions. A report says that M. Tsaldarisr apologised to the Italian Minister for a Greek warships shelling the Italian consulate at Kavala. The captain of the Italian steamer Sorelli Leoni discloses that the Government forces fired on ! her when leaving_ Salonika. A Greek mine-layer explained that this was a warning. The captain protested and resumed his voyage. A Paris report says that General PJastiras is taking refuge in a village in the Department of Yar, under an assumed name. ORDER IN CRETE. SURRENDER OF AVAR SHIPS. AUTHORITIES SUPPRESS REBELS. ATHENS, March 12. The revolt in Crete lias ended and Government authority has been reestablished in all the Aegean islands, including Mitylene, Samos, and Chios. All the rebel warships, except the Averoff and one submarine, surrendered to the Government at Insuda Bay. Officers from the destroyers Psara, Leon, and Nireus had previously boarded the Averoff, which steamed away in a north-westerly direction with M. Venizelos and his wife. One hundred rebel officers arc aboard and it is believed that their destination is Rhodes. The Government casualties in the Macedonia fighting were 11 killed and 28 wounded. A sum of £160,000 which was looted from local banks has been found on the captured rebels.

The Mayor of Athens lias called on the people to give thanks for the victory at a mass meeting this afternoon.

| Decisive victory for Greek Government troops marked the operations I against the rebel forces in Macedonia ito-day. Government troops, advancing jat dawn on the rebel position at . SeiTcs, did not meet resistance and pushing eastward occupied Demirhissar. Tlie rebels in full flight evacuated the town of Drama. Rebel officers are fleeing northward, leaving the men to look a four themselves. Three thousand were captured. An earlier message stated that General Kondylis, in reference to Crete, said: “If the rebels continue their resistance rvc shall first negotiate pacifically. Unfortunately, however, At. Venizelos seems to have become crazy, I deliberately’ delayed opening hostilities to prevent needless bloodshed in which wo have been highly unsuccessful.”

Major Sampson, British Military Attache at Athens, has arrived at Sevres. He sjieaks highly of the conduct of the campaign. Interviewed by the United Press after crossing the frontier, General Kamenos admitted that efforts to overthrow the Tsaldarijs regime must temporarily, at any’ rate, be considered lost. ’ General ” Kawenos’s stall’ has been disarmed and will be sent to Sofia. General Kamonos’s chief of staff, Colonel Panyagiopmilos, pulled out a revolver and committed suicide as the rebel leader’s party crossed the Bulgarian frontier. The News-Chron-icle’s Athens correspondent says that two rebel officers, besides the chief of staff, committed suicide in the field. General Kamenos and Iris officers took £120,000 from the Serves hank before their retreat. Cavalry and bombing ’planes completed the rebel rout. Remnants of the rebel troops will be hemmed in, and are expected to be disposed of. in a day. The Daily Mail’s Athens correspondent says It is estimated that the rebellion cost the authorities £12,000,000,

this consisting of currency’ confiscated In- tlie rebels, military ’expenditure, damage to warships and property, and loss of business.

Following the collapse of the rebellion in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, aerial bombing ceased in order to avoid endangering non-combatants. The Consular authorties at Athens believe that no foreigners were injured. The Government has undertaken to safeguard the lives and property of foreigners. The Physicians’ Association passed a resolution characterising the revolt as the worst treason in Greece’s history, and describing M. Yenizelos as a common impostor, allegedly coming of a family suffering from hereditary insanity. The association has offered its services to members of the Government free. SURRENDER OF CRUISER. Sir Pereival Phillips, the Daily Telegraph’s special Athens correspondent, reports that the surrender of the rebel cruiser Helle at Kavalla was effected in dramatic circumstances. The Ministry of Marine at night received urgent radio messages from Sub-Lieuten-ant Vakoloponlos aboard the Helle stating that all the combatant officers had fled ashore following the bombardment by the Government destroyer flotilla. He was left in command and I put the ship at the disposal of the Government, requesting orders of the Ministry, which sent instructions, also a message for the sailors, which SubLieutenant Vakoloponlos read to the crew by the light of an electric torch. This said that the Government was convinced that the sailors and a large proportion of petty officers had been forced into the revolution unwillingly. Now they were masters of the ship the Government urged surrender. SubLieutenant Vakoloponlos received the crew’s unanimous submission and left the harbour within an hour, steaming as directed by the Ministry to a point, off Kasandra promontory, south-east of Salonika.