New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-21
THE GREEKS AT HOME.
AT ONCE sHREwD AND cHILpLIKE.
A GENERALLY FAVORABLE IMPRESSION CREATED
IN THE MIND OF AN ENGLISH OBSERVER
MISUNDERSTOOD BECAUSE OF
THEIR sHYNEss
From The London Telegraph.

-MIsUNDERsToop BECAUSE OF
THEIR sHYNEss
From The London Telegraph
The Greeks among the most curious ,spnd
Of the world and the difficult TO under i M
None OF the chronological labels IN co'hJy r psycho-
logical characteristics. They nave We pe and spene-
:.vey termed people OF ., a aarfe and reckless
OF NE and also nation o, oa "a for peace and
serupSIous s re ae OF the property Of their
neignbors. Neither statement Is WIZ" say ~ them-
selves that YOU must forty pounds oI -" ~
them before you can know th eiii; p ~ l. mucn
more diffcult 10 become acquainted for tne , eN
cellen, that YOU cannot eat any Sn Won w's'l
ai 6oei but but not fea an der tnei ow1 roofrse
1t Is. Of course almosi A. easy 10 s''l Frrnch-
man. - excuange ideas wi;h him upon any OPP
IN nnifcs p,,, this i a. most mere snop-door
acquaintance however long it may last he ~ neF bs
house and very seldom invites him thther: ana yei
is by means nhospitable. An lntiI"aIe e ~ the
chief cities of the kingdom. tells me ina nT''n ,p
he nor his wife has ever mace a 1r' inc natives
although they both spelk the language eiegan,lg
and fuently. and have no end OF Irha ~ ,ern I'm
The Greeks ike mos Orenta!s. are extremely re-
and curiously enough among other reasons be-
cause their ladies have mortal horTo r Si mo- po
sibly be open 70 criticism The final outcome OF
this state OF things IL that the Greeks lose more
than the foreigners b. this irrational shyness
KINDLY AND wARM-HEARTED
As q matter o. fact. they are kindly. warm
hearted people frugal a degree thai justhes tnsiF
kinship with the anc.en Spartans OF o.ack.ot On
ZANE. eloquent in way TIA reminas you 81 ,re
oraii1ns seemed endless and they are pasSg }Ia,
just to the extent required by tnis ,sr
trsGes hut in yerv many cases they have covered
rha-, Utfh
ike average English Ice. vii not pear mscn PIE
ness which results is unparalleled among the peoples
of Europe or the world. To hear an edu'ated tel,
a, one and the same time Is uncommon expert
During the present troubles ID eIets . .-r
Of the political situation given by Ahensns OF the
Upper Ten who would then WIND up with i i1,ili
to spite the Great Powers by dons some hclsllD1r
which schooboy Of eight would
cived are in some measure responsible for his loss
OF mental equilibrium. but only IN part. 10 great
extent IL Is Characteristic and abiding
II Il one OF the curious apparent -
the country and the people mat wnTea7 read r6T
write he bane Of the nation IS overeducation The
university and high SCHOOLS act as mhsnes tbs c6n
ing sll the clever or ambitious youth OF Ihs CUur
nv large numbers 81 whom are duly STAMPED every
year with the alemic seal ana Ssir f.fhers ever
had and less means of satisfying them Hence
c0n5rI %6o ean epeS al s and have
acquired large stores OF general or tecnncai k 9
congenia work.
POLITICAL AGITATION.
These individuals are dissatisfied with The es,ao-
nshed order Of things which makes no sPeclai pro,
social rformers or Poca agaors OF all rp afnsi
aap IN Greece IN Inc sense in which hese exist
in most constitutional iries Men. not measures
Cleavage The crowd follows one Of the. two men
whose heads are above those OF their fellows Inc
successful leader then provides places for the Few
CHOSEN
rhetoric for he many People change SIDES from
accuses them OF being renega1es In case Is there
any principle az stake The members Of the l.tt.e
sand drachmls year (roughy speaking $50 from
the State but in some cases mis- constitutes the sole
support 81 the legislators family
But they frugal and temperate 10 an ex-
Thrifty with, far more grace than other people
can throw into their lavish hospitality. A few
will support the life Of Greek for any length Of
time and his ingenuity IN ooiaining these Is
than the mere necessaries Of existence Somebody
saii that II you put two Greeks on a bleak. rocky
for years and viii always can each other adele"
Ho I people on ys o that Gi nd
barren island manage 10 exc out LIVELIHOOD under
sick at heart Yet they not only solve the prob
themselves with such simple dignity as a Spanish
hidaigo might well envy I have seen women
vie with me goats IN Plqcking herbs and srss ,s
Island Of Mos and yet prepare from the result
Of their labors soups. salads and other dishes
pearances far more effe1tually than the poor de-
vices % Charles Lambs retired Officer
FAMILY VIRTUES
The family life Of the Greeks Of today Is in every
respect exemplary II may well be dounted wne1ner
parental and hlial virtues flourish TO the same
extent as among this peopsS W b leT
Influences 81 Mahonetan risrule Conjuga! Inn
e eeis IN When the eternal French drama Is in
variaby served up are practically unknown here,
haer harronlously intertwined with the best ira
dit,ons % the West Each family Is community
epaI larre branches Not only in the Interior but
AZ Athens. Corfu Milos. etc. many families are 10
he found consisting Of several generations ali Nv,
ing in peace and amity in the same house, ana
governed by the unquestioned VIII OF the oides,,
married and Maria geaDlA children OF these are
all found pulling ogether as II anlGatra ~ or h
root ~ hat enthusiastic patriotism which IS one
Of the most striking characterstcs OF ne S nv
reiirion Cenerallg practical and shrewd In SPITE
Of apparent ideallsr me oT IeeE rs nairorsn when
ce hin, is he emhodlmen; OF Christianity as well
As ponticsa Athens Gave their luxurious life and It.
roarifold enioyrner7 and hurry or 70 the camp OF
Col3nel .to, even the very elements Of ncpent
I9zato- bedess hreadless. knfeless and fork
Jess rea nS poiitica traits IN tho Greek character
REPUBLICANS BY NATURE
.o- &c ,he,r pronounced leaning toward de-
Ano,nei The are republicans by nature. and
no Under The CONSTITUTIONAL monarchy more even
chA-e IA ,be I=raelites Of old under the despouc
thsh co,,i Whenever anything goes wrong tney
bethk themselves OF ne necessijg Of ~ ili
a repI'1,c -, NAV be a bad currant harVes' or
~ ~ the price OF export produce hui me rem
la. "a.,rro,s tho same And this tendency was
edy Is AVA va exaggerated by the late Premier "
Trcoups who has cauISG rg do 20 throne was
Before me present that monarch is. so 10 say. on
bis trial ard vii hq rs6 n 1 Which NAV result from
t 1 an sr,,on Of Europe Whether Greek repuonc
ne 80 areuable European counseis man
VIII ~ monarchy has been IS prooema'lcal-
Facts however are facts ,,,,o,,o, for sb,-n-
4'-...5 .be Greeks hdvs repura'lon LOT ShflP-
Ahrodu' Lsnrabeartedness which does them enor-
ness ana Ia' =. a. nossiblA bur unlikely. that their