Letter from Evr. Mavropoulos to E. Venizelos asking him to take an interest in the question of the Greek currant, setting out the reasons why the channelling of Greek currants into England has become problematic and why he himself is remaining in London.

3 μπορέσουμε εύκολα να ανακαλύψουμε τα βαθύτερα αίτια του κακού που έχει ήδη επικρατήσει στη σταφίδα. Εξετάζοντας τη ζωή και την εξέλιξη του προϊόντος από μια τέτοια σκοπιά, τολμώ να σας αναφέρω με πεποίθηση ότι η ελληνική σταφίδα κατά το τρέχον έτος πράγματι ήρθε σε άγρια σύγκρουση με τον κίνδυνο που την απειλούσε από πολύ παλιά. Η συρροή των περιστατικών σε βάρος της ήταν τέτοια, ώστε, από τη δυσμενή γι' αυτήν και ενδεικτική έκβαση που περιείχε, υποχρεώθηκε, ήδη μοιραία παραπαίουσα, να διαβεί τις πύλες που λίγο πριν ήταν ακόμη κλειστές και οδηγούν προς στάδιο βέβαιης παρακμής της. Την πίεση αυτή την ένιωσε η σταφίδα όχι τόσο από τα ανταγωνιστικά της στοιχεία ή από άλλες συνθήκες που κατά κάποιον τρόπο τη βαραίνουν, όσο από την πτώση της αγγλικής λίρας από την προ ολίγου χρυσή στάθμη της, και από την εν συνεχεία, ήδη επιτευχθείσα από τους Άγγλους, οριστική επιβολή της λίρας τους, με τη μειωμένη αξία που έχει σήμερα, σε όλα τα σημεία και με όλους τους τρόπους τους, από τη διεθνή συναλλακτική αγορά, των εμπορικών τους βλέψεων ή συμφερόντων. Εξ αυτού λοιπόν προέκυψαν οι κατά το τρέχον έτος σημαντικότατες ζημίες των Ελλήνων γενικά εξαγωγέων

3 kuru üzüme musallat olmuş bulunan kötülüğün daha derin nedenlerini kolayca keşfedebileceğiz. Ürünün yaşamını ve gelişimini böyle bir bakış noktasından inceleyerek, size şimdiden güvenle belirtmeye cesaret ediyorum ki, Yunan kuru üzümü cari yıl içinde, uzun zamandır kendisini tehdit eden tehlikeyle gerçekten de çetin bir karşılaşmaya girmiştir. Onun aleyhindeki olayların birleşmesi öyle olmuştur ki, kendisi için elverişsiz olan ve işaret eden sonucu nedeniyle, kesin çöküşüne götüren aşamaya açılan, kısa bir süre öncesine kadar kapalı olan kapılardan, şimdi kaçınılmaz biçimde sendeleyerek geçmek zorunda kalmıştır. Kuru üzüm bu baskıyı, kendisiyle rekabet eden unsurlardan veya onu ağırlaştıran başka koşullardan o kadar çok hissetmemiştir; asıl, İngiliz sterlininin bir süre öncesine kadar sahip olduğu altın düzeyden düşmesinden ve bunun ardından İngilizlerin, bugün sahip olduğu düşürülmüş değerle, sterlinlerini uluslararası döviz piyasasından başlayarak ticari bakışlarının veya çıkarlarının bütün noktalarında ve her yoldan kesin olarak kabul ettirmeyi başarmış olmasından hissetmiştir. İşte bundan doğmuştur cari yıl içinde genel olarak Yunan ihracatçı

3 able easily to discover the deeper causes of the evil that has already prevailed upon the currant. Examining the life and evolution of the commodity from such a vantage point, I venture to state to you now with confidence that the Greek currant this current year has indeed come into a fierce encounter with the danger that has long threatened it. The concurrence of circumstances against it was such that, by reason of the outcome which that concurrence contained, unfavourable to it and indicative, it was compelled, already staggering fatally, to pass through the gates, closed until shortly before, that lead toward a stage of its certain decline. The currant felt this pressure not so much from the competing elements or from other conditions weighing upon it, as from the fall of the English pound from its former gold level, and from the subsequent definitive imposition of their pound, now achieved by the English, at its reduced value as it stands today, at every point and by every means, from the standpoint of the international exchange market and of their commercial designs or interests. Hence arose the very considerable losses this current year of the Greek exporters in general,