25 DECEMBER 1909, Page 1

The Athens correspondent of the Times in a message published

last Saturday says that the Cretan politicians are disputing whether or not the Chamber should be summoned. One side wished it to be summoned before Christmas in order to supersede the Provisional Government ; the other wished that the General Assembly of the island should be convoked at once, arguing that a meeting of the Chamber was unnecessary. It is probable that the Assembly will be convoked in any case, and it is believed that it will arrange for the election of Deputies to the Greek Parliament. It would then dissolve, announcing that the island would henceforth be governed from Athens. If these tactics should be upset by the pro- tecting Powers, or by Turkey, a Revolutionary Assembly would be called into existence, like that which managed previous risings, and Crete would be again in chaos. In that case the Powers would probably land troops once more, but the Cretana know perfectly well that they have very little to fear from such intervention. They have gained nothing but advantage from the action of the Powers in the past.