KING CONSTANTINE'S LATEST OFFER TO THE ALLIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16096, 9 December 1915, Page 5

KING CONSTANTINE'S LATEST OFFER TO THE ALLIES.

PROTECTION AGAINST ATTACK IF THEY RE-EMBARK. WILL NOT WITHDRAW GREEK TROOPS FROM SALONIKA. PASSIVE RESISTANCE IF ALLIES USE COERCION. By Telegraph.—Pies* Association— (Received December 8, 8.35 pan.) New York, December 8. In an interview given to the Associated Press, King Constantino .♦aid: " Greece, like America, is tryjng by every honourable means to guard her sovereignty. What is happening in Greece may happen in America, Holland, or other neutral countries if a precedent is established. Greece endeavoured to accommodate the allies, for whom she has always felt the keenest sympathy and gratitude. She also aided, in every way consistent with her neutrality, the too-long-delayed campaign 'to assist Servia, yet the allies demand, in the form virtually of an ultimatum, the withdrawal of? Greek troops - from Salonika, which is equivalent to all Macedonia, leaving the population unprotected against Bulgarian irregulars, and all the horrors of Belgium's devastation in the event of the allies being driven back into Greece." GREECE MAY BE TURNED INTO A SECOND POLAND. King Constantino added, in reply to a question, that Germany had promised to respect the integrity of Greek territory, but that would not prevent the Germans and Bulgarians, in case of military necessity, pursuing-the retiring British and French, and transforming Greece into a second Poland. The King denied that the intervention policy was the expressed •will of the people. When M. Venizelos was re-elected, the people elected him not for his policy. The mass of the people of Greece understood nothing ■of foreign policy. M. Venizelos might have expressed the personal opinion that if allied troops were landed Greece would not resist, but such arrangement was made without his (the King's) assent. The minimum allied army, in his opinion, needed to accomplish anything in the Balkans was 400,000. As these men were not forthcoming, it was evident that Greece must pay the penalty for the failure of the allies' Balkan venture. GREECE WILL NOT BE FORCED OUT OF NEUTRALITY. King Constantine emphasised that if the allies would assure him that if driven back to Greece they would re-embark their troops and consider the Balkan campaign ended, he would guarantee them the protection of the whole Greek Army against a Teutonic attack whilst embaiking. He would not do more, and would not withdraw Greek troops from Salonika or the frontiers. He would rot permit Greece to be forced or cajoled out of neutrality. Asked " What if the allies resort to coercion 1" the King replied: '•' Wo will protest to the whole world that our sovereign rights are violated, and resist passively as long as we humanly can, being forced to a course we know to be prejudicial to the liberties and happiness of our people." Asked what would happen when Greece was unable to hold out longer, the King replied : " We will be compelled to demobilise and await the course of events. What else can we do?"