GREECE BEFORE THE WAR OF 1 897. 219 brethren who are still in Turkish slavery are impediments to her routine work of internal progress. The finances of Greece have been the subject of much discussion ; to enter into details would require a long treatise by itself. A clear state- ment has been published by Joseph D. Beck- mann, in November, 1892. It is contained in a pamphlet, entitled "Les Finances de la Grece, 6tude composee sur la bare de documents au- thentiques." Up to 1880 the Greek foreign debt (nominal — perhaps but half of the money they owed has ever reached the Greek treasury) amounted to 256,000,000 francs. With that year began a series of heavy loans, amounting up to 1892 to a total of 539,448,421 francs, and bring- ing the total public debt (nominal) up to the stu- pendous figure of 818,476,339 francs. Of this sum 130,192,159 francs constituted the floating debt. This constant borrowing of money had a de- moralizing effect on the nation; nevertheless with all her borrowing Greece was not utterly reckless. Tricupis had a constant and rational policy. It was to develop the country by means of highways and railways, harbors, lighthouses, and, above all, to re-establish sound money. In
