The papers of Thursday published a memorial addressed by the
Cretan Executive Committee to the Powers. The sense of it is that there is only one solution of the Cretan problem,—annexation to Greece. And it is argued that the Powers by their own action have made any other solution impossible. In 1908, when the Cretans proclaimed union with Greece, the protecting Powers took no action, and they even withdrew their troops while the matter was still undecided, as though they took no exception to the wishes of the Cretans. The weak point of the argument is that no allowance is made for the march of events in Turkey. We ourselves have always desired the union of Crete with Greece, but from the moment when Turkey reformed herself it became impossible to treat the Turkish Government in the summary fashion in which it was right and necessary to treat Abd-ul-Hamid. We hope that it may be possible to continue a working arrange- ment in Crete under the nominal suzerainty of Turkey, or, better still, to induce Turkey to part with the island in return for compensation. But it is out of the question simply to flout the national sentiment of the Turks, which is now running very strong. That would be a short cut to war. We notice that the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs has stated in Paris that in no circumstances will the suzerainty of the island be abandoned by Turkey.
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