STATE OF SIEGE

Wairarapa Age, 5 March 1935, Page 2

STATE OF SIEGE

CONSTITUTION SUSPENDED AT ATHENS. ‘ TWO OPPOSITION LEADERS ARRESTED. FIVE WARSHIPS STILL HELD BY MUTINEERS. ATHENS, March 3. A state of siege has been proclaimed at Athens, and several articles of the Constitution suspended. M. Tsaldafis has taken over the portfolio of the Foreign Minister, M. Maximos, now in Paris, who resigned prior to the revolt. Admiral Douzmanis becomes Minister of Marine, and M. Sehinas Air Minister.

The Opposition leaders, M. Cafadaris and M. Papanastasiou, were discovered hiding in M. Venizelos’s house and were arrested.

M. Venizelos is reported to have issued an anti-Government proclamation, inviting Cretan Senators and Deputies to attend a special meeting. While the Government has detained Senators and Deputies representing Salonika, quiet prevails on the mainland. Courts-martial are being constituted for the trial of rebels, but the mutineers retain possession of five warships, which are believed to have reached Crete. The extent of the damage three warships suffered by Saturday’s air bombing is not yet ascertainable. The cruiser Averoff was again bombed at Souda Bay, near Canea, to-day. Artillery have been dispatched to Kara Point, ten miles from Salonika, which is under martial law, in order to bomb rebel ships if they attempt to enter the harbour. It was officially announced later that aeroplanes had bombed two rebel warships. The damage is unknown.

According to "The Times” Athens correspondent, Cretan Venizelists revolted when the rebel fleet approached and superseded the Governor by a Cretan colonel.

The Arsenal Paymaster Siochus was fatally wounded when delivering an ultimatum to the rebels at the Evzones barracks. He was buried without a demonstration in the presence of a large crowd.

The police have discovered stores of hand-grenades, rifles, and ammunition in the house of M. Venizelos. The first intimation of revolutionary activity in Macedonia is the news that Government troops captured Serres from the rebels, who are withdrawing eastward. The War Minister, M. Kondylis, is going to Macedonia shortly to supervise operations. M. Metaxes is replacing him at Athens. Several important non-political personages are offering their services to M. Zaimis in the hope of restoring unity.