Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-13
Exaggerated Ideas Of National
Prowess Find Credence.
BooTBLACKs TALKING
Heroes. Single-Handed, Stay Their
Thousands Of Moslems, If Pic
lures Are Authentic.

The Greek colony of Washington Is
aSitated In day and night dreams these
Greeks are killing the hated Turks by
the score figuratively wiping from the
face of the earth every son of the Otto
man empire.
Yes. we whip the Toork. We kill EN-
Toork no good exclaimed Simon Nico-
ladies, one of the brightest of the Greek
shoe shine boys In a Pennsylvania ave-
nue. shoe shine shop. Every Greek boy
there. with just bare understanding OF
what Simon said, waved his hands IN
the air. talked fierce in Greek at the
rate of 800 to the minute and inwardly
vowed death to the Moslem foe.
= News Is Devoured.
Since the start of the latest contro-
yersy a month ago these Greeks, head
ed by the boy or man best able to read
a few sentences OF English, daily sur
round the afternoon and morning papers
and eagerly drink in every word in the
DISPATCHES telling the progress OF the
row over Crete between turkey ana
Greece The dispatches are explained
hy the most capable Greek, ana theh
every single soul curses the TURK IN the
modern Attic and adds all he knows OF
the American vocabulary OF improper
ejaculation.
If YOU want your shoes neglected just
start a rumpus by some chance renaa ,,s
that Turkey intends TO give the Greeks
the worst drubbing of their lives Inen
YOU will see human powder play Fourth
Old Story of Strife.
IFS the old story of the most ancient
of hatreds between peoples of that part
OF Europe. dating from a time long be-
fore when
AT midnight in his guarded tent.
The Turk lay dreaming of the hour
When Greece, her knee in suppiiance
bent,
Should tremble at his power"
Every Greek boy is taught hatred OF
Turkey from the time he is Dig
enough to understand word or tne
United States he brings all the hatred
Greek navy big. Sixty ships de-
! clared Simon TODAY. Three big battle
ships. big as United States. Blow turkey
shjps out OF water!
And in his glorious belief of all that
is printed about the prowess OF ms ma
/, tive land he haulS out much-DetnuHDeu
Greek illustrated history of the troubles
between the two nations. II has Deen
handled so often the chapters have parted
and been put together again with shoe
strings bought for sale to American pa
irons at cents per pair.
Believes in Paper Navy.
1t will hurt Simon awfully bad If you
insinuate that the alleged Greek battle
ship Is nothing more than a small-sized
cruiser in these diggings. He will turn
page after page and show you illustra-
tions of Greek battleships engaged in des-
perate combat with Turkish battleships,
the Turkish vessel invariably having
big hole bored in one side and sinking
fast
It's bloody doings. and the Turk is al
ways badly done up.
Then he will turn to the Greek ad-
mirals and other officers. gloriously be-
CARRIED in gold lace uniforms and fine
swords. and show you the men who did
the work. Then, as Simon warns up to
the job, he will turn picture after pic
ture of the Greek army charging upon
/, the Turks and boring them full of
: bayonet holes or Strengthening them In
great wads with his trusty rifle.
Simon warns up to the job, while every
:. Greek boy around stops his work upon
; the feet coverings of the patrons to
listen to what Simon is saying.
: Pictured Deeds Of Tremendous Valor
Look here urges Simon, as he points
to picture of a company or two OF
Greek soldiers routing an army of 10000
Turks, the dead Saracens piled so high
the Greeks are compelled to climb over
/; the mountain of corpses to charge upon
the routed enemy. Next is a picture of
single Greek. his face aname with
patriotism and the lust of battle, Staying
: single-handed a band Of Turks he has
surprised.
: II think there are 100000 dead Turks
: in those Greek pictures ventured an
American. II haven't seen more than
half dozen Greeks who have gone over
TO join the Greek hosts OF old.
If the stories we get in history of
: the achievements of the classic Greek
are as ridiculous as these, then l think
ancient history should be rewritten
= Simon caught only a few of these
words, or 1t might have been necessary
10 call in the police.