A Light on Greece

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7637, 28 October 1915, Page 3

A Light on Greece

Gamble on Winning: the War. German Machination. - Moving swiftly about various countries, particularly Russia, Italy and the Balkans, is Dr Dillon, one of the world’s kesnest students of modern history (in the making). He is a brilliant oberver of the times, and happily hia pen is able to du justice to tbe clever mind. Withia the past few days the cable messages have shown how tbe Greek Court have been finessing for time, aod how tbs Powers of the Entente have been obliged to press for a definite policy. Wei', this mood of tbe,ruling clique in Greece was plainly set out by Dt Dillon in the September issue of tbe 11 English Review.”

“Greco?,” h® wrote, “under the Kaiser's brother in-law, Kiog Constantine, has alio out her moorings, and launched into anarchy, Anglophobia, and self-da atruotion with the cheerfulness of an adept of one of tho suicidal sects of the Russia of 200 years ago. “Sicoe K'og Constantine became, after the manner of his brother in law, the autocrat of his country, German propaganda has a free and fruitful field in Greece. The Kaiser delegated an his confidential agent to Athens Baron Schenk, who has an unofficial legation of bis own there with secretaries, and a sscrot fund, from whioh rivulets of German gold are continually flowing. 1 The Baron,’ as ha ia familiarly oalled* is assisted by Greeks of German ixtraotion. These Teutonic apostles have gathered aronnd them a numerous following composed of the many place-hunters and their friends, whose ambitions were hemmed by tho integrity of Ventzlos, a certain sprinkliog of honest but mistaken patriots, and of the Jews and Turks of the rewly annexed territories. In ji single province, under the eyes of King Constantine's agents, * the Baron ’ spent 600,000 francs (£24,000) for tbe purpose of defeating a Venizelist candidate.

“M. Cruppi, ex-Cabinet Minister of France, was recently in Greece, and tbe account be gives of what he observed in that country justifies tbe worst apprehensions of tbe friends of Hellenism in Franca and Britain. The lies oirculated by tbe Germans there, with the oonnivanoe of the authorities, are, be assures us, acoeptad as truth by tho masses. The authorities allow-every slight incident to be handled as a pretext to arouse or perpetuate feelings of animosity against the • Quadruple Allianoe ’ Salonika is a city given over to Gsrman and Austrian spies and plotters. •“Why/ M. Cruppi asks, ‘does Hellenic neutrality, whioh wa desire to sea amicable, and which is so officially, in reality display itseif in ill humour and hostility towards the four Allies ? How has this atmosphere been created ia a few weeks P We are not ignorant of the circumstances that potent influences are making themselves felt on tbe Sovereign.’ 'Those potent influences afford tbe olue to tbe enigma. They have been at work, to my knowledge, for some years. I never doubted that King Constantine was a worshipper of the War Lord, and a would-be imitator of the German Kaiser. But I had some hopes that the Greek people would disorimiuete between e consummate statesman and a chartered blunderer, or would at least perceive where their real interests lie Those hopes have not been fulfilled, and

it now fer the Allies to impress upon that little nation the old lesson : 1 What ever folly the Kiogs commit, the Greeks are brr ken. ’ ”

Dr. Dillon also expresses a belief that tbe disposition of Greece latterly has been to gamble on a winning of the war by Germany.