Although M. Venizelos is naturally trying to induce the Allies
to do much more for the protection of the Greeks than will be possible—on the ground that the Greeks will be massacred if not protected ; though we fear that charges of massacre can be only too justly brought against the Greeks themselves— we must in fairness add that M. Venizelos has been able to exculpate himself from the charge of encouraging the Greek madness in Asia Minor. He did this in a letter to the Times of Thursday. In the letter he points out that he did indeed back Greek hopes in Asia Minor so long as the policy was sanctioned by the Allies, but when the sanction became limited to that of the British Government, and when King Constantine was again managing Greek affairs, he uttered a most solemn warning to his friends. He definitely predicted disaster. He quotes in full a letter which he wrote on July 3rd, 1921, to Athens, conveying this warning. It is a remarkably telling document because it was written at a time when the Greek Army was temporarily sweeping everything before it and was deeply impressing Mr. Lloyd George and filling the Greek nation with delirious joy.
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