THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1915. THE GREEK ELECTIONS.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13794, 15 June 1915, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1915. THE GREEK ELECTIONS.

Seldom in the history of any country have greater issues depended upon a h popular ballot than that which hangs }r upon the result of the election of the Greek Boule, or Parliament, this week, 2, tor.the complexion of the new (yham'ber *- may decide'whether Greece shall throw lfc in her lot with the Allies at an early date as M. Venezelos, the ox-Premier, desires, or maintain the invidious position she occupies at .present until her 7 future policy is shaped by extraneous events. M. Venezelos vacated the Premiership recently owing to his inability to secure King Constantino's approval of the policy he felt it to be in-, cumbent upon Greece, alike in honour and interest, to pursue, and the extent to which his views were shared by Greek statesmen was indicated by the difficulty the King, the brother-in-law of the Kaiser, experienced in securing a Prime Minister whose attitude was more, in sympathy swith his own. He found this statesman in M. Gounaris, who the other day denned tlio conditions required by the present Government as a preliminary to Greek participation in the war on the. side of the Allies. Those are guarantees cf the integrity of the Kingdom, and an assurance that the Allies will be successful. A record of the proposals M. Venezelos placed before King Constantiiie has recently been published,-from which 0 it appears that he originally favoured the cession to Bulgaria of an area of 1 2000 square kilometres in Western Macedona, on condition that Greece should be cede a similar extent of territory in Northern Macedonia, and ' that Bulgaria abandon her ~ routraliiy at the same time as Greetie, as her ally and 'the ally of the - Serbians. When Bulgaria concluded a war loan with Austria and Germany the idea .of territorial concessions was abandoned by M. Veuezelos, uniil it ■ became evident that Roumania would J not act unless Bulgaria did so, and the T Greek General Staff expressed the j opinion that an alliance of Greece, Iiou- ) mania, and Serbia, would be insufficient L without Bulgaria. The ■ considerations, ' and the representations of the Entente Powers, led M. Venezelos to re-open the discussion of concessions to Bui- i garia, which he believed would lead to ! the doubling of the area of Greece. In a memorandum ho said: "If we do not | participate in the war we shall, what- i ever be the result of the same, tin- ' doubtedly lose Asia Minor. If the Triple Entente is victorious these Pd'w- | ers will divide between them, or even 1 with Italy, not only Asia Minor, but ; the remainder of the whole of Turkey, while, should Germany and Turkey • emerge victorious, not only would tho I 200,000 Greek refugees at present-in { Greece be unable to return to their iiomes, but all that remains of Hellen- * ism in Turkey would be banished. In any case, if Germany - were victorious, sho". . would certainly absorb the whole of Asia Minor, c The wneral evolution of events, coupled ; ' with the proposals made to Greece, fur- ' nish a proof that certain Powers repose confidence in us and consider Greece an 1 important factor" in the reorganisation i; of the East/ and that at the moment of fi the collapse of tho Ottoman Empire . .these Powers would furnish us with fin- f, aucial and diplomatic means in order to C enable us to face the difficulties which a such tv sudden increase of territory ri wouM entail."• The moral obligation resting upon Greece was expressed by n ihe Premier ns follows:—"Even if our t] 'joining the Allies proved a failure we would at least maintain the estimation j r and friendship of the powerful nations g who created modern Greece, and who so ('• often .since have helped and supported [' her,.while our'refusal to fulfil our obli- m ' gat.ion's towards Serbia would not only tl destroy our moral 'status as a State, but sa would leave us exposed, without friends, a! and without -credit,'in the future." f/ f T'na'ble to secure acceptance of his con- or victions, M. Venezelos resigned office, tn but-he has remained tho foremost figure '. in Greece, ar.d the real leader of pub- j^ lie opinion. Unless tho "aspirations co of tho pooplo have been greatly mis- i'° understood by tho British and French -•orrcspondonts, the elections this week Q -hould materially assist in bringing \c ibout^ the long-deferred alliance of the ro Ualkan States ' c]o •hii to Hard frosts have been experienced in cc; S'aseby during iho past week (reports thi m- Otago paper). The ice is good, and in? •ikatinjv and curling have already *-oiii- en fenced. . ..- coi