File No. 868.00/95
The Consul at Saloniki ( Kehl) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 14.]
Sir: I have the honor to append a copy of a communication from Mr. N. Politis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Greek Provisional Government, wherein he solicits the recognition of his Government by the Government of the United States. I verbally informed the Minister that the American Legation at Athens is the competent channel through which a communication of this nature should be submitted. Mr. Politis replied that he had already addressed Minister Droppers in regard to this matter, but had not received an answer. He doubted whether his communication had reached Athens, and therefore would appreciate it if I would make his wishes known to the United States Government.
The supreme authority of the Provisional Government is vested in a triumvirate composed of ex-Prime Minister E. K. Venizelos, General P. Danglis, and Vice Admiral P. Kondouriotis. The Cabinet of the Government is composed of twelve ministers. Governmental and municipal affairs of Saloniki are conducted by adherents of the revolutionary party. Royalists have been removed from every public office in Saloniki and vicinity.
Unlike a de facto government which by its own strength has expelled the regularly constituted authorities from power and replaced them with its own functionaries—or where a portion of the inhabitants of a country separate themselves from the parent state and possess the power to establish an independent government—this de facto or Provisional Government was created by the will and power of the Entente Governments. Without this aid the revolutionary movement would have been short and ineffective.
The de facto government installed at Saloniki is of undefined jurisdiction and power. As to jurisdiction, most of the larger islands of the Kingdom have adhered, in a manner, to the revolutionary movement. Macedonia and Epirus are not in full sympathy with the government here. To the southwest of Saloniki, on the Chalkis Peninsula, the Royalists were too strong for the Revolutionists, who required the assistance of French infantry to save the situation. As to the sovereign power of the local government, it is limited to that which suits the convenience of the armies of the Allies operating in Greece.
The Provisional Government, to use their own appellation, has been recognized as such by the Governments of Great Britain, France, Russia, and Egypt. Great Britain has appointed Lord Granville, lately counselor of the Legation at Athens, as its diplomatic agent [Page 53] to the Provisional Government; France has nominated Robert J. D. de Billy, counselor of the Embassy at Rome, in the same capacity; and the Russian Government has signified its intention of also appointing a diplomatic representative.
The Provisional Government, with an army of less than 3,000 bayonets in the field, declared war on Germany and Bulgaria, and thereby admitted itself into the ranks of the belligerents. The Entente military forces in Greece will not permit the Royal Government to exercise its sovereign right of maintaining law and order throughout the Kingdom. The Allies contend that they have full and just cause for their attitude towards the King. In view of this unique and abnormal situation and in view of the circumstances under which the Provisional Government was created, its right to recognition by a neutral government is considerably impaired.
As a matter of form, this Consulate has recognized the Provisional Government, and feels that such semiofficial recognition is ample under existing conditions.
I have [etc.]