Η ιστορία του λαυρεωτικού ζητήματος: το λαυρεωτικό ζήτημα (1870-1873): ο ρόλος του κράτους και της διπλωματίας

Abstract

In 1865 a French-Italian company, H. Roux et Cie, requests from the Greek State the exploitation of the mines that still existed from antiquity. In a land of 14.500 acres the company will build the establishments and in a few years the desert area of Laurium will become a company-town full of life. At the same time the Company requests the permission to smelt the ancient remains (scories and ecvolades). This request will provoke conversations and recriminations in the Parliament because its members believe that the company Roux et Cie becomes richer and richer exploiting the wealth of a country without paying the real value in taxes. At the same time a Report on Laurium from two French specialists (Daubrée and Chevalier) becomes known and represents extravagant the profits of the Company. The Company protests presenting the difficulties, while the matter of the land's ownership is still open. (The municipality of Keratia and the Greek State, both claim the land). The government by Coumoundouros suggests a new Law referred to the exploitation of scories and ecvolades. The Parliament will reverse the conversation asking if these remains are national wealth or not and if it is legal to cede them to foreigners. In an atmosphere under pressures the Ecvoladic Law will become law of the state and it will prevent the company to exploit the ancient remains. Serpieri reacts by protesting to the ministers of Italy and France, while Roux from Paris does the same. The Greek Government accepts pressures and impeachments, because with a retroactive law it tries to get more taxes, higher - but fair to its opinion- and to calm down the protestations of the voters. The firm intervention politics of the Great Powers form negatively the situation, provokes Government's unsteadiness, of which King George takes the advantage to make his position more stable and stronger. During the period 1870-1873 five governments will be declared and will have the authority to terminate this affair. The political personalities involved will try to find a solution. This affair will have many phases: an economic (mining) affair will become a law one and then diplomatic. The intervention of other countries will make it international. The Laurium Affair, as it is known from the official papers and correspondence, is referred in many publications and books of diplomats and special scientists, Greek and foreigners, and became the title of this thesis. The company will be transferred to Greek capitalists fellow countrymen by A. Syngros. The company (establishments-mines-technology) will be transferred to a Greek company (in the majority of the shares) but Serpieri will remain as Assistant Manager. What the two opponents (Greek State Government and the Roux, Serpieri et Cie) have gained? The Greek political world restrained its field of action after all the pressures and the intervention of the Great Powers and was obliged to give up their national wealth to an exploitation with no profit for the State. Serpieri has under control the new Company and preserves a small Company of his own (The French Company); but the exploitation and smelting of the ancient remains is the main job of the new formed Companies in the area. The profit will be transient because till the end of the century the economic conditions will be transformed internationally. King George has gained steadiness and has been considered a factor of power. He also has the authority to intervene in critical situations. The mining works started in Laurium revealing a new perspective for the Greek economy. The deserted area of Laurium was transformed into an industrial one. In the area ore dispersed in great numbers, scories -masses rusted- or ecvolades -ore overflowing from the soil- gave its position to kilns, wagons transporting the plomb to the port, buildings. The workers lived in sheds but later on they moved in houses which formed neighborhoods with the names from the workers' towns and countries: Italianika, Spaniolika, Myconiatica. J.B.Serpieri was the designer and visionary of this one professional town, where workers contributed in the progress of the area. They also followed the expressed ideas by the management. In the designs of the town of Laurium churches were enclosed, orthodox and catholic, because the workers belonged to both beliefs. Later on, the Directors built the Market and the Friends of Music Society for the Philarmonic of the town. Till the end of the century a railway will connect Athens with Laurium, hotels and an Elementary School will give a full image of the town of Laurium. So, we see that this new town has all the characteristics of an industrial town: a mine, as a center, and the building and houses around, while the owner manager is responsible for the productive process and director of the workers' ideas and aspects. It is very difficult for someone to describe the birth and the progress of a town step by step. It is more difficult to see the goals of the manager and his decisions. The economic progress of Laurium, the relations between the company and the state, their conflict and other problems, all these are the different aspects of an issue. They emphasize the role of the area from an economic aspect and as a political one too, because the succeeded one another governments and the palace played a game as allies or opponents. The intervention of the European countries that hurried to help their citizens gave the diplomatic aspect. The diplomacy of the European countries, France and Italy, the politics of the Greek Government are in the center of our interest. At the same time the phantoms of external intervention in Greek affairs were present. Usually this intervention was expressed by arms or by diplomatic pressure. Trying to make these matters clear we studied the diplomatic archives of France and Italy, because the stockholders came from these countries, of England for its policy was very close to the Greek State, of Austria for a proposition of an international intervention under its aegis. So, we studied the microfilmed diplomatic papers of England, France and Austria and the published papers of Italy. We also studied the History Archives of the Ministry of External Affairs of Greece: correspondence, official propositions, referenda of the intervened European and other countries (e.g. Russia). We found a file from the Ministry of Economy concerning the Laurium Affair of this period. We studied in every detail the discussions of the Greek Parliament, proposition, questions, discussions concerned the Ecvoladic Law and every political change or decision concerned the Laurium Affair. We could not study the Archives of Laurium which are in the Industrial Park because the restoration works took place the period of the research. So we could notincorporate in our thesis the social classes and their possible role at the time being. The State General Archives are classified and disposed to the public till the year 1863, so we could not get any information from there. Nevertheless, the Ministry of External Affairs had a complete series of economic elements, as referred. The Laurium Affair became famous, so it gave many studies and articles, publications from persons involved in any way: politicians, diplomats, experts of any kind. Our interest was focused on the position and aspects of the political leaders of the country and their influence to the public. So, we decided to skim the newspapers of this period which are microfilmed in Benakeos Library. During the famous conflict between the Greek State and the Company political aspects were expressed by important personalities - political men and the palace. Meanwhile the economic future of the company was at risk. We also revealed the political process of a newly born state that was influenced by the intervention and the political decisions of the Great Powers. This part of the research, on political and diplomatic matters reaffirmed the title of the present thesis.