Greece and the Allies, 1914-1922Abbott, G. F. (George Frederick)
History
Greece and the Allies, 1914-1922
Abbott, G. F. (George Frederick)
Greece -- Foreign relations; Greece -- Politics and government -- 1913-1917; World War, 1914-1918 -- Greece
"I charged M. Dimitracopoulos to form a new Cabinet. He declared himself
ready to continue the conversations opened recently by M. Zaimis in the
hope of bringing them to a happy conclusion. Before accepting
definitely, he thought it necessary to sound the views of the Powers on
important questions of an internal order, and went to the _doyen_ of the
Diplomatic Corps, the British Minister, whence he carried away a very
clear impression that, not only the coercive measures would not be raised
before mobilization, but that they might be intensified, notably by
direct interference in personal domestic questions, and that, even after
mobilization, the measures would be only relaxed. As to the question of
elections, after having demanded by the Note of 8 (21) June the
dissolution of the Chamber and new elections, which we accepted, now they
demand that the elections shall not take place, without, at the same
time, allowing the existing Chamber to meet. M. Dimitracopoulos has laid
down his mandate.
"Under these conditions the situation becomes inextricable. The military
and naval authorities of the Entente foment and encourage in the country
a revolution and armed sedition, and they favour by every means the {124}
Salonica movement by continuing the vexatious measures and restricting
all freedom of thought and action. The Entente Ministers paralyze all
Government. Thus the country is pushed towards anarchy.
"Such conduct not only conflicts with the assurances which they have
given us, but excludes all practical possibility of reconsidering our
policy freely to the end of taking a decision in a favourable direction.
For the rest, Greece divided would not be of any use as an ally. It is
necessary that there should return in the country comparative calm and
the feeling of independence, indispensable for taking extreme
resolutions. It is necessary that confidence in the sympathy of the
Entente should be restored. A resolution to participate in the war taken
under present circumstances would run the risk of being attributed to
violence and of being received with mistrust. More, that resolutions may
be taken without danger of disaster, there is need of circumspection and
discretion, so as not to provoke an attack from the Germano-Bulgars who
are in our territory, before we are ready to lend real assistance to the
Entente. A more definite declaration of principle, which would have to
be kept secret in the common interest, would be of no practical value.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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