e and simple: "We admitted
officially the right of Greece to neutrality, and yet we laid hands
upon part of her national life, even upon the secrets of the private
life of every Greek. It was the execution of the plan which the
admirals assembled at Malta had repelled in March, 1916. Well might
the Germanophiles point out that Germany did not act thus in Denmark,
in Sweden, in Holland; that a victor would not have imposed {142}
harder terms of armistice." These measures were entirely the work of
the French Government: the French Admiral himself disapproved of them
as much as did the Ministers of England and Russia.[4]

The Hellenic Government could not be deceived by pretexts which their
very authors despised. But neither could it argue with persons
accustomed to

"Decide all controversies by
Infallible artillery,
And prove their doctrine orthodox
By apostolic blows and knocks."

It could only protest and submit.

The Hellenic people proved less discreet. What could be the motive of
such measures? they asked. Were they intended to prevent or to provoke
troubles? The answer lay under their very eyes. From the moment when
M. Venizelos left Athens, the Allies did everything they could to
assist his partisans in following the Leader to Salonica. Their
warships patrolled the coast picking up rebels, and giving them a free
passage: even entertaining the more important among them as the
personal guests of the Commander-in-Chief on his flagship. But now
they took the movement openly under their direction. With an excess of
zeal which the British Minister deplored and the French Admiral himself
condemned, the French Secret Service at Athens organized convoys of
insurgents which defiled through the streets of the capital escorted by
French marines under French officers in uniform.[5]

The resentment of the Greeks was intense; but the consciousness of
impotence served as a curb on their emotions. It is true that one day,
as Allied aeroplanes flew over Athens, they were greeted with derisive
shouts: "Not here; to Berlin!" another day, as a band of rebels were
convoyed through the principal streets by the French, the crowds gave
vent to lively protests; and every day the newspapers told the
champions of Liberty and Justice what they thought of them so frankly
that the French Chief of the Police Control had to warn their editors
to desist on pain of suspension. But of active hostility, such as any
western