The Gisborne Time PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1909. THE EVACUATION OF CRETE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2565, 28 July 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Time PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1909. THE EVACUATION OF CRETE.

Yesterday marked an important epoch in the history of one of the smaller nations of the world, for a commencement was made in withdrawing foreign troops from the little island of tho Mediterranean. Crete does not make a big showing on the map, for it only comprises some 3000 odd square miles and the population' is but a third of our own. Of these 33,500'ai'e Moslems and 270,000 Greeks. These latter would appear to have inherited something of the spirit of their heroic ancestors who gave Thermopylae to history for they have, during hundreds of years, constantly fought fqr independence and against the dominance of the overshadowing Ottoman Empire. The island was conquered by the Turks as far hack as 1669, but'the inhabitants never really submitted, and continually rose in insurrection against their masters.. big Powers' stepped in eleven years ago and,, whilst recognising the nominal suzerainty of the Sultan, insisted upon autonomy . being given to the Cretans. British, French and Russian troops wore, established in the country' ■ for. v the maintenance of order and ..they have remained there lever si nee..under the provisions of an international, arrangement. What the Cretans have wanted throughout has been union with Greece, and whilst tho Powers refused, to actually rob Turkey of. this portion of her territory they conceded something in appointing the son of. 'the King of Greece as High Commissioner. The Powers agreed last" year to. gradually withdraw their troopsfront, the Island, holding that the native soldiery is now quite competent to maintain, order. In October of last year Crete declared officially for union with Greece, and a proclamation to that, effect was issued. The reply of the Powers to this action was that the desire of the "Cretans would receive their friendly consideration, abut objections have since been raised by the Turks and the national aspirations of .the people do not appear to have ’ made.any further headways,. It is almost certain th'atTf Abdul Hamid had still been Sultan .the. Union would have been* sanctioned by tho Powers ere tins, for Britain is strongly in.its favor, hut tho revolution has materially altered the situation. It may reasonably be asked: M ould it -be right to. take away another possession from Turkey at,the very moment when she is sin^f.ely;'jirocl'siimt!ig. ; -hqr noble ’intentions -to .the .world P She , Iffis Tso, far heeu-;bitterly rewarded; fo'r-Yvhat .all • agree' wds a.niost righteous reydltitian ■ ; r ' .-/A. ■' ? h. :

by the loss of Bulgaria, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. Moreover, the final loss of Crete will enormously embarrass the Young Turks at home. As it is, one of the chief arguments of the reactionaries is that the Yeung Turks dernand- . ed power largely because they said that the Turkish Empire was crumbling away under the Sultan’s misrule, and that the country’s honor was no longer safe in his hands,' but that no sooner had they safely installed themselves in office than they lost Bulgaria, BoevJa, and Herzegovina. If after those losses the Young Turks consent to the loss of Crete, the reactionaries might fairly say that they would rather that the Empire crumbled away at the Sultan’s rate than at the new rate. Britain is in a rather awkward position over tho matter, for, having earned the wholesouled gratitude of the dominant party in Turkey - through warmly espousing tho cause of the Young Turks when their ultimate success was in doubt, the Mother Country would possibly lose the entire value of this goodwill by making any exertions towards conceding to tho Cretans their legitimate demands. Tho best solution of the matter would be for Turkey to voluntarily relinquish all claims to tho Island, and such a step would, in all probability, prove to be in its own interests. The Turks have quite sufficient in hand in their laudable endeavor to re-build the Turkish nation in its own territory without retaining the care of a small island which geographically is of no value to it and the inhabitants of which are entirely out of sympathy with the Mohammedan race. Crete is Greek in geographical position, in customs, thought, and language; if Turkey asserted a more direct control over her, she would undertake the impossible task of conciliating a hopelessly sullen and rebellious populace. Further than that, she would drive into fury tho large Greek element in the rest of the Turkish Empire. Probably a monetary payment to Turkey by the Cretans as the price of national freedom will ultimately provide tho solution of the Cretan -difficulty.