Minister Jackson to the Secretary of State.
Athens , April 21, 1905 .
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 257 of the 4th instant I have the honor to report that the Cretan Parliament was opened yesterday with the customary speech from the high commissioner. Prince George of Greece. In this speech the prince spoke of his visits last summer to various European capitals and of his efforts to bring about the union of Crete to the Kingdom of Greece. He said that the powers had not thought the moment opportune, and he expressed regret at the existing revolutionary movement, as being calculated in his opinion to still further defer the fulfillment of the general wish. After the delivery of this speech the parliament, in which were included the ten members appointed by the prince, passed a resolution declaring that the union of Crete with Greece has taken place and recognizing Prince George and his government as representing the King. The prince was asked to communicate this resolution to the powders. There was a movement toward taking the oath of allegiance to Greece, but apparently it was decided that no oath should be taken at all for the present.
While the international troops in Crete seem to have the active revolutionary movement well in hand, the armed insurgents being still shut up in Therisso, protests have come from and sympathetic meetings have been held in all parts of the island. The Cretan courts no longer are recognized, and Greek stamps, etc., are being used on legal papers. Cretan flags have been replaced by Greek, and custom duties are said to be exacted according to Greek rates. Although tourists who have visited the island recently in connection with the archaeological congress were not aware that any revolution was going [Page 507] on, it now seems possible that what might be called a passive revolution will be of more effect than an active revolt could have been. * * *
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