GREECE. 



319 



guns, 7 6-pounder quick firers, and 18 smaller guns, 

 2 older armor-clads, 4 small cruisers, 12 old gun- 

 boats, and 17 first-class torpedo boats. 



Commerce and Production. Zante currants 

 are the most valuable commercial product of Greece, 

 which supplies the world's requirements. About 

 7,000,000 bushels of wheat, 3,000,000 bushels of bap- 

 ley, and 5,000,000 bushels of corn and other grains 

 are produced annually. Wine, olives, and silk are 

 other important products. The product of olive- 

 oil soap in 1896 was 8,240 tons. The mineral prod- 

 ucts include manganese and hematite iron, galena, 

 zinc, and magnesile ores. The total value of the 

 imports in 1896 was 118,162,400 drachmai. compris- 

 ing wheat and meslin. for 29,202,475, textile goods 

 for 22,953,525, coal and raw materials for 14,243,- 

 825, timber for 5,386,675, fish for 4.864,025, sugar 

 for 3,786,450, hides and skins for 3,362,775, and 

 other articles for 29,362,650 drachmai. The total 

 value of the exports was 69,989,425 drachmai, com- 

 prising currants for 23,208,175. ores for 14,617,675, 

 wine for 5,337,575, fruit for 4,089,200, olive oil for 

 3,063,250, tobacco for 2,704,100, sponges for 1,622,- 

 750, silk and cocoons for 1,173,500, olives for 1,131,- 

 550, cognac for 951,700, soap for 437,550, emery for 

 287,275, leather for 231,800, and other articles for 

 11,108,325 drachmai. 



The values, in drachmai, of the commerce with 

 various countries in 1895 are shown in the follow- 

 ing table : 



Communications. There were 591 miles of com- 

 pleted railroads in 1897, and 300 miles under con- 

 struction. The telegraphs had a length of 5,065 

 miles, with 6,000 miles of wire. The number of dis- 

 patches in 1895 was 1,448,738, of which 941,565 

 were internal and 507,173 foreign ; receipts, 2,107,- 

 464 drachmai. The post office transmitted 4,225,- 

 000 internal and 4,845,000 foreign letters and postal 

 cards, and 5,165,000 internal and 2,838,000 foreign 

 papers and samples; the receipts were 1,627,399, 

 and expenses 1,605,584 drachmai. 



Settlement of the Debt. The result of the 

 Turkish war left Greece practically at the mercy of 

 the conqueror, with a defeated army, dangerous in- 

 ternal conditions, and finances, before disordered, 

 now bankrupt. By the intervention of the powers 

 peace was made saving Thessaly to Greece, but in- 

 volving the payment of a large indemnity. The 

 Porte would not agree to evacuate any territory 

 until the first third of the indemnity was paid. 

 Greece could borrow no money except on the con- 

 dition of an international control. On July 9, 1897, 

 M. Hanotaux proposed a guaranteed loan of T.- 

 4.000,000, the amount of the indemnity. On Aug. 

 23 Lord Salisbury proposed to the French Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs to inquire of the Greek Govern- 

 ment as to what revenues would have to be hypoth- 

 ecated and what should be the organization of the 

 control, and two days afterward he suggested that 

 the loan of T. 4,000,000 be guaranteed.by England, 

 France, Russia, and any other powers that might 

 be willing. An international commission, in which 

 each of the six great powers was represented, was 



