SERBIA'S BETRAYAL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 594, 5 January 1916, Page 10

SERBIA'S BETRAYAL.

J GREEK OBLIGATIONS DENIED. THE DISCLOSURES OF VENIZELOS. The reports we have had of (he exact treaty obligations by /winch Greece was bound to help Serbia have been scanty. We know that exPremier Venizelos, realising the impossibility of obtaining the King's consent to fulfil those obligations, gave permission for the Allies to land at Salonica in order to carry out the pari that should have fallen to Greece, and was then forced to resign, but the brief reports of the historical sitting of the Greek Chamber on October 4, did not give a proper idea of Vcnizelos's speech, which contained information of highest importance concerning those treaty obligations. The following translated extracts from the speech, made from the reports appearing in Greek newspapers, and published in the "Manchester Guardian," are therefore of more than ordinary interest.

"At the lime when the present great war, involving the entire world, broke out I was at Munich. I went thence to Brussels, where I had to meet the Turkish Grand Vizier with a view to conferring with him on the subject of the /Egean Islands and arriving at an understanding with him. At Brussels I found a telegram from M. Pashitch (Serbian Prime Minister) informing me of the outbreak of war and asking me abr/:it the attitude which Greece was going to assume towards Serbia in virtue of the alliance between them. I replied to M. Pasuitch that 1 could not give him a definite reply before returning to Athens and calling together the Cabinet and consulting the King; but I deemed it my duty not to leave my colleague of the allied nation in doubt as to my personal opinions during the live or six days that were necessary for my return to Athens. "I replied then to him telegraphically that without being able to give him a reply engaging Greece 1 would inform him of the opinion which I would submit to the Counicl of Ministers and to the approval of the King. I told him then that Greece would not be able usefully to come to the assistance of Serbia in the European war which was about lo commence. She could render Serbia Only one service on the basis of the treaty, but that would be a valuable one. Greece could stand at attention with her arms ready and declare that if Bulgaria were to attack Serbia Greece would attack Bulgaria. Such was the assistance which a loyal interpretation\of ihe treaty imposed upon Greece as regards Serbia, since the dispatch of the Greek army to the centre of Europe would be but a small enterprise at a moment when the principal enemy would be lying in watch on the right (lank ready lo rush and lo destroy the Greek and Serbian armies by cutting their communications with Salonica.

"Approved by the King." "On my return to Alliens this opin-

ion was approved by the Council of Ministers and the King. It was communicated as an official reply to the Allied State. And the Allied State recognised that an assistance of this kind corresponded entirely to the engagements assumed by us and interpreted loyally." At this moment a deputy interrupted, recalling the crisis in the spring of 1911 when Greece was in a serious diplomatic conflict with Turkey, and asking what had been Serbia's reply to an enquiry of the Greek Government as lo her attitude in case of a war with Turkey. M. Yenizelos replied:— "The Serbian Government replied by pointing out the exhausted state of the country after two wars and her inadequate state of preparedness for a new war. It therefore advised us lo use all our efforts io avoid an armed conflict. But il declared at the same lime thai it would address a Note to Turkey drawing her attention to the fact that a war between her and Greece would not leave Serbia indifferent. Serbia thus behaved at that juncture as a sincere friend and perfectly in accord wiili the obligations of the Ircaty. "But, as 1 said, thai opinion was not only the opinion of the Cabinet over which I presided at flic beginning of the war. This view of our treaty obligations was also shared by the Cabinet which succeeded me in February, 1!)1.~>, and in assuming power made (lie following declaration through tin; mouth of M. Gounaris:—'But a supreme duty i.s imposed upon the country lo discharge