The North Otago Times THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1916. THE HOUR OF DESTINY.

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13655, 24 August 1916, Page 2

The North Otago Times THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1916. THE HOUR OF DESTINY.

Bulgaria's invasio.ii of Eastern, or Grecian Macedonia .seems more likely to straighten out the Hellenic tangle than to upset the plans of the Allies. The Bulgarians—traditional 'foes of the Greeks—will'not lie allowed to ride rough-shod over Macedonia, notwith- , standing the Government's orders ami. the hoarse protests of the Gounaris press, The Greeks will fight regardless of the vacillation ami shilly-shallying of the King of Hie Hellenes. It will be remembered that nt the end of June j last, Great Britain, France and Russia 1 presented a demand to the Greek Government insisting on the real and com- . plete demobilisation of the Greek army; f the immediate substitution for the ' Skouloudis Ministry of a business Cabinet; the immediate dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies followed by B fresh elections, and the dismissal of certain police officials whose attitude, iullneiiced by foreign guidance, bad facilitated the perpetration of notorious . assaults upon peaceable citizens and the insults which had been levelled at ilie Allied Legations and their members, The Skouloudis Cabinet immediately re--0 signed, and M. Zaimis who formed a 'i business Cabinet was authorised by 0 King Coustanline to accept all the dc- :' ninnds of Hie Allies. Great. Britain, France, mid Russia derive their title ' In intervene in Greene from their historic position as the Protectors of the _ Hellenic liberty, ns finally nuirmed in the Treaties of ISfili, which represent , the character of Hellenic constitutional .rights. .. J.ii presenting their Demands the Allies and Protecting Powers were is careful-to point out that the rigorous w . terms which tJiey had .been compelled to ~ impose'had been provoked by"the fault of the Skouloudis Administration, and that no vengeful sentiments were entertained by them towards the Greek '•' people, The complete acceptance of all the demands constituted a lesson in war diplomacy in the Balkans. M. Skouloudis and his colleagues, instigated and l, supported by the pro-German camarilla about the Throne, had actively hampered

and impeded the Allies since November in the execution of the policy which a former Greek Government had invited them to carry out, Protests and remonstrances based upon the soundest juridical principles and reiterated with the expenditure' of much eloquence and logic were met bv them with answers of bland impertinence. After submitting to this treatment for more than six months, the Powers at last agreed to try what a little action would do: Hardly had they begun it in the mildest of forms, when the resistance to their reasonable demands utterly collapsed, The Crown sanctioned them, the Skouloudis Cabinet subsided into the nothingness from which it was summoned; and -\r, Zaimis, who had undertaken to form a Government in its stead, was credited ■with sentiments of neutrality genuinely "benevolent" towards the Allies, All the proposals, it need hardly be insisted, were in complete accord with the friendly sentiments which the .Powers who have been the protectors of modern Greece since her re-birth, cherish towards her people. The Allies' Note, which was explieitely endorsed by the Italian Minister on behalf of his Government, ere•\tfd a profound impression, Commenting on it, the Hestia deplored the ill' advised policy of; the Skouloudis Cabinet, which not only prompted the Pro> tenting-Powers to take measures •for safeguarding their own and foreign interests in Greece, but also compelled them to intervene in order to secure the constitutional liberties of the Greek people. Great Britain, Russia and Prance are the guarantors of the independence of Greece, but they guarantee Iter independence as a constitutional State and not as a province of Germany or n plaything of Kings. The Treaties of 18(1,1 by which (he present, dynasty was recognised are explicit on the point. The hour of destiny for Greece has tili'lU'k. Election or no election she must decide, and ,in her decision rests her fate and the fate of her dynasty, The Greeks have an unholy hatred for Mie Bulgarians and the merest rumour of Btilgar atrocities will spread through Greeee'like a prairie lire and the Greeks will be up in arms in no time. The very impotence of Greece may be her salvation, Indeed, the cut-throat Bulgark •nay yet find that they have precipitated Hie landslide by bringing both Rumania <ind Greece under the standard of the Entente Powers.