TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1910. THE GREEK POSITION.

Northern Advocate, 5 December 1916, Page 2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1910. THE GREEK POSITION.

The news which comes to hand from Greece to-day does not provide pleasant reading. No surprise can be felt that open hostilities should have broken out between the Royalist troops and the Allies, but the announcement is none the more acceptable for having been expected. The full details explaining the position are not yet to hand, but the cables apparently disclose some dirty acts of treachery upon the part of King Constantino or those directly responsible to him for their actions. The Allies have thoroughout endeavoured to work amicably with Greece and in the full spirit of the hitter's pledge to extend benevolent ■neutrality. But the duplicity a in! proGerman inh-iuec s'» flagrantly displayed in Court and Ouvcriimcnl circles has made anything- like a working agreement impossible In the earlier stage" of the war the Allien certainly wished to bring Greece to a realisation of her treaty ami obligations to Servia, ami they hoped that an honourable presentation of the position would meet with response, from the Athens Govern meat. Put as time passed it became abundantly plain that Greece was determined to shirk her duty. The Allies accepted the inevitable, ami then endeavoured to fix the promise of benevolent neutrality upon lines which would guarantee safety for our forces. Entente Ministers practically said: — "Very well, if you will not tight with us will you leave the field free and play the gam*;?" To this appeal the honour of Greece was also deaf. There were many professions, but no genuine effort to live up to pledges made. Time after time the pro-Germans have pulled the strings at Court and Ministry after Ministry has been dismissed bc.-aiise it could not su-cessfully follow the devious path of deceit anil intrigue involved in the -Court programme. The menace behind the Allies grew, ami the I'oyal plotters rejoiced in its growth. Operations in the Malkans were hampered and the enemy prospered by the advantage of time. Then to make doubly sure that, no Allie.l move wouM endanger the German cause the an-h act of treachery was perpetrated in the admission of the Bulgars to Macedonian strongholds. Honest ({reeks, with M. Yenezilist at their head, then broke adrift from the party bent upon :he sacrifice of the country to the Moloch of German militarism and a Provisional Government was formed f<» ISsist th,. ,\||i,.;:. |.\, r n t j n|(l j t ),„,■,,,,1 is if the danger to his throne would mpel the King to face the issue in i, manly, honourable manner, but, the •respect was short-lived. Gorman in-luem.-o again obtained ascendancy ami .ledge after pledge has been broken intil this last act of open conflict. )ur troops have been fired upon and latightered by forces treacherously rganised in the German cause. We emandeil in fairness that as a linal ledge of his sincerity King- Const.'inine should remove his armed menace roni our flanks and rear. The pledge t •as given and broken and donl.lv iven and broken when the troops * t uuled under peaceful assurances and j. ■ere then shot down by the hirelings c I' the Central Powers. The Allies will a nlv weaken their own cause if fhev s ■i not demand full and complete re- j nation. "fhe gun of |he -warship-; a

may bring some reason to the Germanridden Court, but no half measures will bo satisfactory. Greece should be made to take her stand on one side of the fence or the other, aiid the time is not inopportune to force the issiio; There is an old saying thiit it is better Jto have tth Open enemy than a false friend, and the time is up now for a declaration.