antees not a word.[1]

The King called the Admiral (19 November) and, with perfect courtesy, yet
with a visible change in his attitude, expressed his astonishment at so
unexpected a version of the "Summons" agreed upon. The Admiral had no
explanation to give to the King. But to us he explains everything. The
French Minister at Athens was hostile to M. Benazet's amicable
arrangement, and repudiated his pledges, notably the one concerning the
spread of sedition. "We are not made to defend kings against their
peoples," he said. The French Government likewise completely ignored the
agreement, and the French Minister of War had dictated the lines on which
the claim was drafted. Admiral Dartige's comments on this volte-face are
interesting: "Without wanting to give the Greek Government the two
guarantees which it demanded, they claimed from it the fulfilment of the
engagements of which those guarantees were the counter-part. It was a
truly draconian and unexpected pretension," he says, and to base that
pretension on the Cavalla affair was "to misconstrue in part the reality
of facts." [2]

Why, then, was M. Benazet encouraged to negotiate? Probably there were
in France moderate elements strong enough to make it necessary to throw a
sop to them. But the extremists were the stronger party; and when it
came {153} to a decision they carried the day. However, be the motive of
the mission what it may, its repudiation meant that the old policy still
held the field. It was an essential part of that policy not to allow
Greece any attitude other than that of a belligerent. So, while the
Entente Cabinets continued disclaiming all desire to drag an unwilling
country into war and declaring that the only thing they asked for was the
observance of a benevolent neutrality, the practical exponents of their
policy on the spot continued to take steps in which Greece could
acquiesce only if she contemplated a rupture with the Central Powers.

In the evening of the same day (19 November) Admiral Dartige, at the
instance of the Entente Ministers, ordered their German, Austrian,
Turkish, and Bulgarian colleagues to quit the country in three days.[3]
The Hellenic Government, to whom the Admiral communicated his decree,
protested against this blow at the representatives of Powers with whom
Greece, in virtue of her neutrality recognized by the Entente, was on
terms of friendship and peace; pointing out that the step was a breach
not only