THE MODERN GREEK.
[TO TR. EDITOR Or TR. "Srscraroa."] SIR,—The following remarks are taken from a private letter just received from an English gentleman long resident in Greece, and, as they show the modern Greek in a more favourable light than that in which he appears in your recent article, I hope you will find them interesting and admit them to your columns to redress the balance a little.
. . . Now, with the war, we are collecting money to distribute to the families of the reservists called out. About five thousand of our island have gone to the front, and close on two thousand more are said to have gone from America, Egypt, and elsewhere. You will understand that many families remain destitute. Much money used to come from America, Egypt, and elsewhere, and this, for the present at least, must cease coming. All hope now that the war will not last long. All the Allies have worked and fought magnificently, and the Greek army has not shown itself in any way inferior to the others. It is supposed to be composed of close on 150,000 men, including Cretans and volunteers. and all have done their duty like heroes. The army is no longer what it was in 1897, namely, an armed rabble, but a really and thoroughly organized army. The feeling of the country has also changed much. In 1897 there was much shouting and bragging, while this time there has been no fuss at all. All the reservists presented themselves at once, determined to do their duty, and knowing there was much serious work in hand. No one expected the series of victories and quick advance, but all had confidence in the army and in the Government which has been working hard for the past couple of years with such happy results. Prevesa was taken by assault on the 1st of November. A small Greek torpedo-boat (not a destroyer) entered the harbour of Salonica during the night and successfully torpedoed a Turkish battleship which was there—an old one it is true, but still a battleship, used, I think, as a coast-defence vessel. The Greeks owe much to the French and English missions which have reorganized their army and navy. They learned to have confidence in themselves, and to feel as real soldiers and sailors, which they did not do before. I suppose the Crown Prince also has his merit, and he has behaved splendidly during the war ; and the Prime Minister, Venizelos, who planned and arranged everything, has shown himself a real and capable politician quite able to cope with his European confreres."
Previous page
