PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOY?.

Otago Witness, Issue 3276, 27 December 1916, Page 61

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOY?.

HI.—VENIZELOS, THE BALKAN BISMARCK.

Last week T told you how Venizelos became the President of the Cretan Assembly, then crossed over to Greece and became Prime Minister, and carried out reforms under George I, the father of Constantine, and how he, with General Eydoux, a French general, reorganised the Greek army so effectively that at the present day it is said that Greece can now throw into tho field about 200,000 men. It is somewhat of an irony, too, that Venizelos, who resisted the attempt to limit the constitutional powers of the King, should now be hunted from pillar to post and hated by the man who, with his father, owes so much to his foresight and statesmanship. The present position, too, shows that a democracy is easily swayed, and that anyone who acts for a democracy with, the purest of motives need not expect a lasting reward. Men who study men know this weakness, and use it to further their own advancement. Further, the army which owed so much to him, and which in two wars, following rapidly upon each other, showed how effectively he had had them organised—this army, too, has largely turned against him, conveniently forgetting that had it not been for him there would have been no Greater Greece. German gold has clone its work too well. THE BALKAN FEDERATION. In May, 1912, the Greek army carried out splendid grand manoeuvres under the direction of General Eydoux. " During the operations the Bulgarian and Serbian attaches would not stir an inch from the French general's side; they took note of everything, observed everything, got all the information they could for the reports that were impatiently awaited by their Governments. The Bulgarian attache kept asking Genera] Eydoux, "Is the Greek army really ready? How many men can Greece put in the field?" There instantly followed the Graeco-Bulgarian Treaty of Alliance and the Military Convention. EUROPE OUTWITTED.

" The extraordinary thing is that the mobilisation of the Hellenic forces and the military conventions of Greece took the foreign diplomatists absolutely by surprise. . . ." One is credited with say-

ing: "We were deceived by M. Venizelos's smile and his continual pacific speeches. We thought Greece was absorbed in internal organisation. How could we imagine she would take such a serious step without consulting Europe?" If they gave the military organisation any thought at all it was only to regard it as bluff. The night before the declaration of war the Turkish Ambassador was at the .theatre, and he and his friends were laughing at the " comedy " of mobilisation. The perpetual smile and impassive countenance scored up to the last moment. MACEDONIA THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE. Since 1908 the Powers had been concerned at the ill-treatment of the Christians in Macedonia, and had endeavoured to get reforms effected; but when the Young Turks came into office the efforts were relaxed, the Powers thinking that matters would improve under the new regime Indeed, the Christians were treated worse than before. The Balkan sovereigns realised that neither from Turkey nor from Europe would reforms come; so Venizelos planned to unite the Balkans against Turkey, just as in previous years Bismarck planned to unite the German States and kingdoms against France. And just as a united Germany under Bismarck found France an easy prey, so the United Balkan States under Venizelos found Turkey an easv prey. But here the similarity ends, for* whereas the German States after victory kept together and planned a worldwide Empire, the Balkan States, stirred up by Austrian and German intrigue, disintegrated, and allowed the enemy to recover some of what he bad lost. THE SECOND WAR.

Bulgaria, aiming at being the Prussia of the Balkans, and ignoring the Treaty of London, marie unprovoked attacks upon Serbia and Greece in June,. 1913, in spite of the Tsar's warning. As Venizelos was desirous of maintaining peace, he—Serbia following suit—agreed to accept the Tsar's arbitration ; but Bulgaria was determined to get possession of certain positions before anything could be done. The war was short and shnrr>. Rumania closed in from the north, Serbia from the west, and Greece through Macedonia, and Turkey occupied Adrianople. By July 8 (1913) Bulgaria saw the case was hopeless, and ate humble pie bv asking Russia to mediate; but the Allies, not in the humour to be played fast and loose with, were determined to teach her a lesson. Nations, like individuals, must be taught that they cannot spread ruin and misery in an irresponsible manner and not.be punished for it: and lam out of patience with pacifists who in the present war are willing to let Germany up before she acknowledges she is beaten, before she admits the wrong she has done, and offers reparation. Bulgaria then and Germany now have shown themselves to be unscrupulous, conscienceless bullies, and must be treated as such. The Treaty of Peace was signed at Bucharest after almost interminable discussion, Bulgaria holding out for Kavala, and Greece was as determined to hold it and the Island of Thasos opposite; but in the end Bulgaria had to be content with Dedeagntch. " Salonika and Kavala are now Greek territory by treaty, at any rate; but what the war will decide is in the lap of the pods; and as Serbia was denied an outlet to the Adriatic, she was given the use of Salonika. THE KINGS AND VENIZELOS.

Vcnizelos practically committed George I to war with Turkey—first Balkan war, — knowing that he would avoid taking a decisive step until too late; and when arguments failed against tlio King, he said'to

him three times with quiet enrphasfsf ''Your Majesty, the Grown Prince entirely agrees with me." A short time afterwards George I was assassinated, and the Crown Prince became King.

When the second Balkan war was successfully concluded Constantino XII sent Venizelos the following telegram.-—"J thank you for announcing the signing ol peace. God has sent a rich blessing or your work; in the name of the country an<j in my own name I erpress my royal thanks. A new and glorious era is open« ing before us. In proof of my gratitude and esteem I confer upon you the Grana Cross of my Royal Order bf the Saviour. You have deserved well of your country." And it is to this Venizelos and his fol< lowers that that IT is now shewing such base ingratitude. Perhaps I should have mentioned that the second Balkan war was largely the result of not having laid down a dehnito redrawing of the Balkan map in the event ol an allied victory; but the collapse of the Turkish armies gave the Allies a much greater opportunity of clipping Turkish power than they had anticipated, and Bulgaria developed a megalomania. When th» delegates to the Bucharest Conference had settled the differences between Rumani* and Bulgaria, Radeff. a Bulgarian dele* gate, well known for his anti-Hellenic pn* paganda in Macedonia, remarked £p Majo resco, a Rumanian delegate: " Now thf thing is done. The Rumanians have got what they want; we can do what we lik« with the Greeks and Serbs." This irritated the Rumanian Cabinet, and "they replied by a categorical assertion of solidarity. ' Really, we must give thos* people a sharp lesson,' exclaimed Majo« resco."

Confronted by this attitude, Bulgaria abandoned all counter-propo?als excepting the demand for Kavala. They did not get it, but treacherously attacked Serbia and Greece, with the result we have seen —a collapse as great as, if not greater than, that of Turkey in the war.

What is Tino's game ? Has he really sold Greece, or does he really think that Germany will win? Is he afraid Germany, in any case, would invade Greece and place her under a merciless military rule? I have an idea that Germany is false to Turkey, and purposes dominating Constantinople herself, because it commands thtf Black Sea and throttles Russia, and because it also commands the Bagdad route. In the event of her coming out dominant, has Germany dangled territory in Asia Minor and ebewhere before Tino'a eyes, and so secured his friendship?

VENIZELOS AND THE GREAT WAR.

This phase I cannot enter upon, for I have already exceeded my space. Fancy the average man doing more than he ought to! A little later on J? may return to this. In the meantime, if you want t<* know more about this Greek statesman, who has been Joyal in building up a Greater Greece, get . " Eleftherios Venizelos : His Life and Work," published at 3s 6d net by John Murray. A great deal, but not all, of my three Chats upon him have been taken from, or suggested by, this volume.