The morning news., 1897-03-18
KING GEORGE OF GREECE.
No Reigning Family So Wen Equip
ped For the Duties of Royalty.

From the New York Tribune.
OF all the reigning families in Europe,
there is none that is so well equipped for
the duties of royalty as that of Greece.
Mentally, as well as physically, the sons
of King George are superior to the scions
of every other dynasty in the old world.
and while the sovereign himself is re-
ported after more than thirty years ten
ure of the throne, to be suffering from
kidney troubles, yet the latter interfere
so little with his administration of the af-
fairs of his kingdom that it may be ques-
toned whether the ailment is not imagi-
nary and devised for the purpose of af-
fording to his majesty an opportunity, as
well as an excuse, for spending few gay
weeks every year at Aix-les-Bains and at
Paris.
Prince George, the sailor son of the
king, who is in command of the Hellenic
squadron In Cretan waters, is the Anak
of old world royalty, surprising in stat
ure weight and muscle every other prince
of the blood in Europe. He is devoted TO
athletic sports, and was one of the prin-
ciple organizers of the revival of the
Olympic games at Athens. When he was
in Japan with his cousin, the present Car
OF Russia, ne unuOuDleuly SdNeu the itt-
ter's life by telling to the ground with
blow of his stick the fanatic, who, having
already struck once at Nicholas of Rus
sia with his heavy, keen-edged sword, was
in the act of delivering a second stroke.
Prince Georges stick is a familiar OBJ
iect to the members of the courts of
Athens, ST. Petersburg and Copenhagen.
1t is of gigantic size and weight, was cut
especially by the prince in the woods
around Poros, the naval arsenal of Greece,
and resembles those pieces of timber
which cane and umbrella dealers display
in front of their stores or in shop windows
for the purpose of advertisement. This
stick was the despair formerly of Georges
family and attendants, who repeatedly
urged him to abandon it for less con-
spicuous and less Goliath-like cane. This,
however, the prince refused to do, and
even in the act of bidding adieu to his
father before his departure for the far
east with his cousin, he resolutely declin-
ed to leave it behind, declaring that it
was his mascot"
on the occasion Of his visit to st. Pc
tersburg, after his return from the Orient
by way of the United States, the late czar
managed to have 1t abstracted from the
effects of his young relative, but subse-
quently sent it after him to Athens, mag
nificently mounted in gold and precious
stones, and adorned with a jeweled in
scrptlon consisting of the words: ITO
Prince George, for Valor" 1t would be
interesting to ascertain whether the
prince has this mascot" with him on his
present expedition for it is difficult to
imagine any Russian admiral, captain, or
even sailor, raising finger against its
owner
1t may be added that Prince George has
many another act of gallantry to his
credit beside the preservation of the life
of his Russian cousin Two years ago,
when, during the course of a terrible hur-
ricane raging in the Bay of Piraeus, the
waves caused a boat to capsize in which
a sailor was attempting to reach the ship,
Prince George sprang into the
angry sea without moments
hesitation, seized the sailor. and,
after considerable difficulty, sue
ceeded in bringing him within reach of
one Of the ironclads, where he was able
to grasp hold of the ropes which were
thrown to him and to fasten one of them
around the body of the entirely exhaust
ed man.
Prince George has four brothers. of
whom two are mere boys. while the other
two-Constanttne and Nicholas-are grown
up. Nicholas is a stalwart young artillery
officer, not such a Hercules as his sailor
brother. but still above the average hight
and weight He is popular in French mill
itary circles and Is much liked in Eng
land, where he has spent a good deal of
time with his uncle and aunt the Prince
and Princess of Wales, who are warmly
attached TO him. He Is at the present
moment on the Turkish frontier OF his
fathers kingdom, ready to defend It
against any invasion by the troops Of the
sultan
Constantine Is the eldest OF the broth
ers and has already achieved considera-
BILE distinction and fame for his decision
of character and for the mastery way
I'm which he has dealt with difficulties Of
one kind and another that have cropped
up during the annual absences OF his
father, when he Is invariably intrusted
with the regency of the kingdom Mar
ried TO a sister of the German emperor.
with whom however he has not been on
speaking terms for three years-infact,
ever since his wife abandoned the Luther
an church to Join the Greek national
faith-he is probably the most popular
member of his family with his fathers
subjects on several occasions. whom the
government OF the day has attempted TO
enforce measures that were both unpop-