Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-10
GREEKS AS DEGENERATEs.
English Traveller on the Modern In
habitants of HeIlas.

1t is beautiful corner of the earth,
where every prospect pleases anu only man
is--disappointing. He falls painfully be-
low his surroundings and his name. Tho
men do not inspire confidence, especially
when one meets them on the lonely hill
side. They may be all right. but appear
ances are against them. They are tall
and swarthy. but without the fine features
the dignified demeanor common to most
OrIentals. And. then. their dress! 1 often
find English people refusing to believe that
the Greeks really wear those incredible
more generally worn in Greece than kits
are in the Highlands. and much more alb
suro. They consist of a fabulous number
of yards of some white material. which
locks like highly starched muslin, stand
ing out stiff and barely reaching to the
knee exactly like a ballet dancers skirt.
bandages: on the body is worn a short
jacket, as brilliant in color and material
as possible, and on the head bright cap
with long tassel. The whole is an exact
presentation of the stage bandit, with all
his tawdry finery and melodramatic sug-
gestion; and when one encounters such a
rifle that looks like q legacy from the Sar-
acens. with various knives and pistols. one
feels transported into barbaric age, when
human life was cheap and murder the
main business of the day.
10 be honest, l was never molested by
any of these gentlemen; but one day had
Il
panion of mine to turn his back on pair
Of them. He was convinced that they
would plug us from behind. so sinister was
their appearance. The fsher-folk are
shade or two worse than the rustics, and
the town rabble more villainous than
either.
nary, European dress or uniform. AS for
the ladies, doubtless they are charming;
PbI,Ia but alas 81 for the beauty Of Helen 9t
ary heroines! Looks are a matter OF taste,
and 1 have neither the wish nor the right
Greece 10 see in fhs fscs e
bling what We have learned from sculpture
tainIy be disappointed. The common % people
appeared to me neither clean nor Indus
many are rank thieves. But, all the same,
they are not wholly degenerate. Did not a
Greek win the long distance event at the
least, they excel They are the finest divers
In the world: and exclusively engaged for
sponge fishing, the headquarters OF Which
is on the Island OF Aegina--pronounced En-
gina, with the Il" short. Classical scholars
The degeneracy Of the modern Greek Is
shown in nothing more plainly than In the
wretched appearance and abounding dirt of
his towns. Athens, OF course, Is a city
apart where classical association swallows
up all other impressions. And Corfu pre-
b aspect s on superficial sur
front are very charming. and the hotels
well enough; but the back quarters and the
slums. into which few travellers venture to
penetrate, are nothing less than pestilen-
tial. Yet Corfu Is a show place-the Brigh-
ton of Greece. In all the Ionian Islands it Is
to see the signs of an absolute
arrest of progress, followed by decay which
fell upon the people from the moment when
the stimulus of British civilization was re-
moved. There are the half finished houses,
showing now s. enterprise and progress were
away. Patras, the commercial capital fIs
mean and squalid, without a redeeming
feature. The disorder of Greek finances
needs no explanation to any one who has
seen the Greek at home. He Is good for an
empty and vainglorious excitement but OF
real effort and progress. of anything APP
to Western civilization, ne seems
quite incapable when left to himself-St.
James Gazette.