M. Venizelos informed the Greek Chamber on Friday week that
he had come to an agreement with Italy with regard to the twelve small Greek islands, between Crete and Asia Minor, known as the Dodecanese. These islands were occupied by Italy during her war with Turkey in 1912 and are still held by her. The Turkish Peace Treaty assigns them all to Italy. M. Venizelos by patient diplomacy has now induced Italy to transfer eleven of the islands to Greece. Italy is to retain the island of Rhodes for so long as Great Britain holds Cyprus. With these exceptions, all the isles of Greece, where burning Sappho loved and sang, will thus be reunited to the mother-country, together with the Greek-speaking lands of Thrace and Western Asia Minor. It is a triumph for Hellenism and for justice. We con- gratulate Signor Nitti no less than M. Venizelos on the new agreement. The fate of the islands is less important than the establishment of amicable relations between Greece and Italy.
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