overthrow the established government, this must be taken
into consideration. This exasperation was particularly aroused by the
bombardment of the Royal Palace and the neighborhood thereof, in this,
an open city, at the very moment when, an armistice having been
concluded, it was hoped that peace would finally reign. Nevertheless,
the Royal Government is decided to punish every person guilty of
committing illegal acts and exceeding instructions, and a severe
investigation will be begun to this end so soon as acts of this nature
are brought to the attention of the Royal Government. In this
connection the Foreign Minister considers it his duty to recall to
your attention that by his note of November 28 he warned the neutral
powers of the tragic position in which the Greek nation was placed as
a result of measures taken against Greece and of the consequences
which the French admiral's insistence on obtaining Greek war material
might well have."

A further explanation of the Greek point of view, with special
reference to the street fighting in which the Allied troops were
engaged, was contained in a note sent to the United States Government,
on December 9, 1916. This communication was, in part, as follows:

"Please bring to the knowledge of the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs that the Royal Government, with two letters and several oral
declarations, had informed the French admiral of the impossibility of
delivering the war material they were summoned to give away. Despite
these warnings the admiral decided to land a certain number of
detachments which in several columns proceeded from Piraeus to the
capital, which was under military control. The detachments occupied
some of the outskirts and repulsed the royal army, which only at that
moment decided to defend themselves without any orders. After the
morning skirmishes between the Allied detachments and our troops, a
truce was decided upon, at the request of the admiral. Despite the
armistice, however, and after firing had ceased, the Allied warships
bombarded several parts of the city and fired not less than
thirty-eight shells, seven of which were directed against the Royal
Palace. There can, under these conditions, be no question of treachery
or of an unprovoked attack."

After the fighting and rioting had continued for some forty-eight
hours, quiet and order seem to have been reestablished in Athens. Then
followed a period of secret conferences between members o