The army reserve is that part of the military force of a country which is not made a portion of the regular standing army. For instance, our States Militia, or National Guard, is an army reserve. The men belonging to it can follow other professions, and need not be soldiers all the time; but they learn how to be soldiers, and can be called on by the government whenever soldiers are needed.
Our standing army is very small. We have only about thirty thousand men in it; but our National Guard, the reserves that would be called out in case of war, number over ten millions.
In Greece there is a penalty of $200 for any man belonging to the reserve who does not answer the call of the country, and, moreover, neither distance nor citizenship in another country excuses him. If he does not answer the call, he will be arrested and imprisoned whenever he sets foot again in Greece.
The United States Consul-General from Greece has been notified to call for all the Greeks in this country. They have answered willingly, and are arranging their affairs so that they may be ready to leave the moment war is declared. They are endeavoring to charter a ship to take them back. Over a thousand of the Greeks in this country answered the call the first day it was made.
It seems almost sure that war between Turkey and Greece must come, and to this end Greece is hurrying troops, arms, and provisions to the Turkish frontier, every available steamship being chartered to aid in the work.
A number of the warships of Great Britain and the other Powers have appeared near the Piræus, and it seems likely that some sort of a blockade may be maintained.
In Crete itself, fighting is still going on. The allied Powers are making a very determined effort to subdue the Greeks.
The Italians have forcibly put the Greek consul out of Canea. They took him into custody, and put him on board a Greek war-vessel, with a warning against trying to re-enter Canea.
The correspondents of the Greek papers have also been ordered to leave the city, and they, too, will be forced to leave, if they do not go quietly.
The British went to the town of Selino, which was being besieged by the Cretans, forced the insurgents to desist, and rescued the Moslems who were besieged, bringing them away from Selino under a strong escort of British soldiers.