Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-02
GREEKS ARE GOING
TO NATIVE LAND.
Many Thousands Will Soon Re.
turn to Witness the Famous
Olympic Games.
THOUSANDS RESIDE IN UTAH.
Passing of Special Law Makes II Easy
To 90 iiomc NOw--IIic Rigid
Military Requirements.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Butte, Mon, Jan. lit Is known thai
this coming spring and during the
month OF April, 1890, al Athens, Greece
viii be held the famous Olympic
Games for which the GreCian govern
ment mas been AT great pains to re-
N1le, 20 that the ancient glory of
Greece from an athletic point of view,
may again be seen, The approaching
festival Is one OF the results OF the ef.
forts, backed by private contributions
from wealthy Greeks The present iuea
is to hod these games every lUul years,
both with the nope OF interesting the
youth OF the country in annette pur-
SUITS, ana reviN ing interest IN olden
times and scenes That have been ianl-
GUS Tor centuries.
CONsULS ALL AT WORK.
Besides the Grecian governments
work, It seems that all the Greek con-
suls In the United states are energetic
ana working very hard tor the good
OF their country, 50 as to obtain from
tue ranrUaa ana steamship companies
an excursion rate. ana here Is how IL
started. George n. TsolOmit, vice con-
sui for Greece In Butte "A month or
two ago, approached the officials OF the
Northern Pacific Railroad company In
this city, to whom he explained al,
about the famous Olympic games
also that there are several thousand
Greeks In this country who are going
home TO serve IN the national army.
and, for which explanations are made.
EXCURSION RATES.
In the meantime he suggested to the
officials and urged them in kindly
way of taking up the matter with their
headquarters, proposing for an excur-
sion rate from America to Greece in
favor of the Olympic games, also for
the many Greeks bound TO go home
| The eastern railroad and steamship
companies found the vice consuls po.
sition all right and now are figuring
about the excursions rates.
So, II the efforts being made by the
vice consul OF Butte who IL working
together with the eastern Grecian con-
suls for the excursion rates. Is sue
cessful, there will be many thousands
Of Greeks to take advantage OF It to
go home and square accounts with their
government.
RIGID MILITARY LAW.
The law of Greece is that every male
citizen between the ages OF 2l and 81
| years IL subject TO Consumption and
must serve In the national army from
one TO three years, according to the lot
| he draws.
Many thousands of young Greeks left
| their native land TO avoid military duty.
| and by that act made II impossible for
| them ever TO return 10 Greece.
Last summer the ministry and cham
| Der of deputies, realizing that the
young men OF Greece We're emigratips
| too rapidly. passed n law provlling that
all male citizens subject TO military
duty between 1898 and 1909 who were
| not In the kingdom OF Greece to serve
| their terms might return and square
| accounts with their country by serv-
| ing three months in the army and pay
ing into the national treasury 500
| drachmas, equal to about sl20. Tns
| law Is In effect nov.
| RESTORED TO FULL RIGHTS.
All those taking advantage Of It will
| be restored to their full rights as citi.
| zens and thereafter will be exemp,
| from all military obligations. There
| are in the United States about 10000
| Greeks, and OF that number fully 20
| 000 are subject to the new law.
1t Is believed that a large majority
| of them will go back to Greece. pay
| their fine, take their three months In
| the army as vacation see the Olym-
| pic games, and return to the United
| States with a clear conscience and light
hearts.
Greeks cannot avoid their obligations
| to their country by taking out natural
| ization papers. because naturalizations
| are not recognized In Greece unless a
royal decree and permission to fore
swear allegiance 20 the king OF Greece
Is first obtained, and such permission
can only be obtained by person who
| has fulfilled his obligations to his coun-
| tau