The Corriere della Scra of Tuesday published an extremely interesting
interview with M. Venezelos, who said that twice since the war began the Triple Entente had asked Greece to send troops to the help of Serbia. The attitude of Bulgaria had prevented Greece from doing so. When the operations at the Dardanelles opened, the Triple Entente once more inquired whether Greece would intervene. The Crown Council was summoned, and M. Venezelos proposed that fifty thousand men should be sent against the Turks and that Greece should demand in return the vilayet of Smyrna. The Staff made some objections, and M. Venezelos then suggested that only fifteen thousand men should be sent, as well as the Navy, and that the use of a naval base should be granted to the Allies. The Council next objected that it would be impossible to defend the vilayet of Smyrna, but M. Venezelos pointed out that if the Allies were victorious Greece would be the neigh- bour of Russia and Italy in Asia Minor.
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