No. 246.
Mr. Read
to Mr. Evarts.
Athens, June 27, 1878. (Received July 17.)
Sir: The Greek Government has received an official telegram stating that the representative of Greece, Mr. Delyanni, received permission yesterday to enter the congress.
According to the Stoa, informed as it says from official sources, the Greek representative will speak to-day and explain before the congress the claims of Greece upon the neighboring Turkish provinces and Crete. It is moreover reported that the reasonable requests of Greece will be satisfied by the congress by annexing to her a great part of Epirus, Thessaly, and Crete.
In the mean time, as I have had repeated occasion to remark, the Greek Government does not neglect preparations for eventualites. One of the government organs states that it has contracted a new loan in Paris for 50,000,000 francs at 8 per cent. interest and 1 per cent. sinking-fund. The Greek press with pride declares that the contraction of this loan at this time, when even the greatest nations find money with difficulty, is a triumph for the Greek nation and government. Of course this action must be ratified by the Chamber, which is not now in session, but which will not hesitate to indorse this measure.
Public order was lately disturbed in Canea and other cities of Crete. Massacres were committed by the Turkish troops upon the unarmed inhabitants, whose houses are also burned. The Greek Government propose to send one or two ships down there, being informed that even the life of the Greek consul is in danger. According to a communication of the general convention of the Cretans to the consuls in the island, there are 2,050 persons without roof or without bread in the province of Apocorona alone.
I have, &c.,