Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-07
that came under the fostering interest of

that came under the fostering interest of
the Greeks.
The rulers Of the nation gave themselves
to the development of a physical beauty
that remains until today the model for
all peoples.
They had systems of exercise, they per-
ritted only the marriage OF couples phys
ically perfect and suited to each other.
and in infancy the effort was begun to
bring up a child in way that would
assure his physical perfection.
This work produced a people such as
was never known before and probably
never will be.
What men and. women of that day
looked like is proved by the most ad-
mired statues that still survive I'm the
worlds greatest art galleries, and these
statues are the work Of Greek scuptOrs.
marble tributes to the physical glories of
their own race.
That is the Greece that was. the Greece
to rule which any monarch counted the
greatest of titles. The worlds most pow
erful warriors battled and spilled rivers
of blood in the hope of being able to add
to their titles that they were supreme
over the most cultured country in exist
ence.
But now that ancient glory survives
only in memory. There are no great
orators or playwrights now, nor has the
standard of physical beauty been main
tanned, the wealth that once was has
passed out of existence, and King George
rules over country plastered with debts
and struggling for bare existence.
In place OF the territory that once was.
Macedonia, Epirus and the islands Of the
Aegean sea, the land controlled by the
crown of Greece has shrunk down to the
seventeen parts whose biggest has an
area of 3.013 square miles, and whose
smallest is only PIT.
The total population OF the entire coun-
try is only 2,43aSO6, less than half a
dozen cities of the world.
Nearly one-haf OF the limited area of
% 600 square miles is occupied by for
ests, marshes or rocky tracts. and Is not
susceptible to cultivation.
One-third of the entire population
makes its livelihood from agricultural
pursuits, and nd. the ;. sea, scale OF educa'ioh
No country in Europe unless 1t be
Switzerland or perhaps the western part
of Scotland has such an extended, va
ried and irregular mountain system as
Greece; But there Is no material value
to the land in this mountainous feature
unless the marble quarries be excepted.
Reminder Of past sculptored glories,
Greece today has some of the finest
marbles in the world. not only in purest
white. but in varied colors. and 1T can
be found In almost endless quantities
in any part of the land. In any other
country this could be turned to most
profitable account. but II nets little for
this country OF sloth and indifference.
The present government of Greece
Is a constitutional monarchy. It's head.
George 1, who bears the title of the
King Of the Hellenes." is the second
son Of the King of Denmark. He was
elected to the throne by the national
assembly held at Athens March 1s.
1858. and landed in Greece November
=, 1868
He is now sixty-four years old, and
has been on the throne for forty-six
years.
But George has never been thorough
ly happy in his place of power.
II Alphonse Daudet the great French
novelist, had had King George in mind
when he wrote his wonderful novel
Kings In Exile" he could not have
drawn a more notable portrait OF the
monarch than the one he perhaps nn-
consciously did.
King George has a certain ability. and Is
not without courage. He proved his brav-
cry in the war with Turkey. sbut he has
not been able to submit to the misfortune
OF being ruler OF a land whose resources
have dwindled till they amount almost to
nothing George could perhaps. discharge
with dignity and success the functions Of