_The following statement by Premier Venizelos was published in the
Corriere della Sera of Milan on Oct. 29, 1914._
The Greek Government has declared its neutrality and will abide by
this policy. Notwithstanding this, she did not deny her treaty
obligations to Servia, and is resolved to fulfill all the terms of
this treaty should the _casus foederis_ arise.
It is understood that Greece does not desire this _casus foederis_ to
arise.
Our relations with Turkey have been strained for some months. But
after the negotiations of Bucharest some agreement was reached
regarding the refugees. Those in Europe will learn that the Greeks
expelled two hundred thousand persons from Thrace and Asia Minor. One
portion of them we have settled in the islands. Besides those there
are about fifty thousand Turkish refugees--though not persecuted--in
Macedonia. A mixed committee was to arrange the exchange of these
refugees at the beginning of the war. As to the question of the
ownership of the Aegean islands, the Hellenic Government considers the
question settled from an international standpoint, not only by the
treaties of London and Athens, but also by the unanimous decision of
all the European powers.
The Government declared that it was ready to satisfy Turkey regarding
this question, under the _sine qua_ condition that the islands would
continue to be occupied and administered by Greece in the same way as
all the other provinces of the Hellenic Kingdom. After an exchange of
views on the subject, it was decided that I should meet the Grand
Vizier in Brussels, but the war prevented this.
Afterward, this desire was again expressed, that the negotiations
which originally were to take place in Brussels should open elsewhere.
To this end both parties sent delegates to Bucharest in order to find
some solution of the island question, but again this meeting failed to
accomplish anything.
Turkey proposed an adjournment of the negotiations to a more
propitious time, alleging that the general conditions in Europe, and
her internal troubles, made it impossible for her delegates to
continue the discussions on the island question. Unfortunately the
plight of the Greek populations in Turkey is becoming worse every day,
and large numbers of refugees are coming daily to Greece.
Regarding Bulgaria, I can say nothing, except that she keeps repeating
her intention of remaining neutral. At the same time Bulgaria did not
mobilize, therefore we have not taken this measure ourselves.
But naturally--and this must be taken in its widest meaning--when the
flames of a conflagration are licking one's door one must take all the
precautionary measures. Is it not right?
Regarding Epirus, we declared clearly that we have no designs upon
Avlona.