GREECE & THE DARDANELLES

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 522, 18 May 1915, Page 7

GREECE & THE DARDANELLES

AN "EXPECTANT NEUTRALITY." The history of the recent Cabinet crisis m Greece is given by a correspondent- of the 'Economist' as follows: — At ' the beginning of the operations now m progress m the Dardanelles, M. Venizelos, then Prime Minister, presented a memorandum to' the King, urging that Greece should join the attacking Powers, and intimating that if his advice was not taken he would resign. Then Colonel Metaxas (Chief of the General Staff ad interim) sent a note to M. Venizelos declaring that no part of the army could be spared from defending the new frontier, and stating that he would retire if any of it was diverted to form an expeditionary, force. M. Venzizelos requested the King to convoke a Crown Council of ex-Premiers, which met on Wednesday, March 3 ; he also recalled the' former Chief of Staff, General Dousmanis, who had been suspended, m January owing to a dispute with himself. General Dousmanis apparently consented to the despatch of one division of troops only, m conjunction with the Greek fleet, to co-operate with the Allies m the advance to • Constantinople. M. Venizelos held that diplomatic considerations were more important than military questions, and that- Greece should be ready to co-operate with the Allies to any extent required. The Council met again on Friday, March S, when'M. Venizelos pressed his views, and M. Theotokis (Premier m 1909) urged that the co-operation should be limited to the despatch of the fleet and an expeditionary force, and that the German and Austrb-Hungarian Governments should be made to understand that it was not an act of war against them, but was forced upon Greece by her historic feud with the Porte. M. Venizelos repudiated this limitation, and stated that,' as regarded the alleged danger from Bulgaria, his own information led him to believe that if Greece moved the Bulgarian army would march, not on Greece, but on Adrianople. However, there, were rumors of Bulgarian preparations for a move on Salonika, -and 20,000 Bulgarian irregulars were stated to be already on the Greek frontier m Macedonia. The Council adjourned . pending the King's decision, and on Sunday afternoon His Majesty sent for M. Venizelos, and stated that he had determined to remain neutral. M. Venizelos resigned, declaring that his party — the great majority of the Chamber — would support no other Government, and M. Zaimis, an eminently able and moderate statesman, was invited to form a Ministry. He failed, however, and the King then sent for M. Gounaris, who had been Finance Minister under M. Theotokis, and is closely associated with his party. M. Gounaris succeeded m forming a Ministry, which contains M. Zographos, the ex-leader of the Epirote insurgents, and two other supporters (m principle) of a forward policy. It has issued a declaration to the effect that the kingdom urgently needs a long period of peace to organise and consolidate its new territories, and must -therefore maintain neutrality; but it is hinted that Servia need not be apprehensive that its obligations to her will not be fulfilled. The Greeks of tiie kingdom and m foreign countries are enthusiastically m favor of "unreserved co-operation with the Allies; the Budget is not voted, the Chamber must soon reassemble, and a General Elec- ■ tion would only emphasise the popular determination. King Constantine's decision is variously ascribed to fear of Bulgaria and gratitude to the German Emperor for having (as it is believed) saved Kavalla for Greece m 1913. But his attitude is described as " expectant neutrality," and he may desire only to 6how Germany and Austria-Hungary that the popular pressure on him is irresistible.! Apparently, too, Bulgarian opinion is divided as to whether the araiy, shall assist the Turks or attack them at Adrianople. [A message last week stated that M. Venizelos has been recalled to Athens.]