Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27

The curtain rises upon another act In
the Greek drama Greece has peen sur
fering a long time for
YAadar lack Of a leader and the
leader has come in the
appears. person of NJ. Venizelos
NJ. venizelos is not Greek. but a Cretan.
which is perhaps the same thing. In any
event the Cretan has achieved what
seemed impossible. he has pacified the
warning elements at Athens. which, on
the personal Intervention Of NJ. Venizelos,
a9reed to the convocation of the national
assembly.
NJ VenizeIos. responding to the appeal
OF the Military League, went to Athens
and his first act In the work Of pacifica-
ton was to induce the cabinet of Mavro-
michalis to resign. secure the adhesion Of
NJ. Theotokis to the project of a national
assembly and the formation Of new
cabinet. IT goes without saying that the
success of NJ. Venizelos is the success of
| the Military League. which is the present
source of power of the Grecian politician.
cable from Athens gives the following
names as constituting the new ministry:
President of the council, NJ. Dragoumis;
foreign affairs. NJ Galergis; justice, M.
+ Wdi, LOICdSs {UATlUc, Sdpt
| Miaoulis: public instruction, NJ. Panajoto-
poulos. These names are more or less
| familiar to the public. The name OF NJ.
Galergis is mentioned as being a very
| distinguished diplomat. He is the grand
| son of Gen. Galergis. friend Of Napoleon
III, and longtime minister Of Greece at
Paris. under the second empire.
NJ. DragOumis on the 18th instant adj
dressed a long communication to the
| chamber, in which, with other things he
said that the f3nn nf M
bly, in extraordinary session was necessi-
tated as much by the condition Of inter-
nal affairs as by the foreign situation.
The Military League had agreed to dis
solve and all those desiring a return to
| normal state of affairs had decided that
there was no other alternative. The
premier said he would submit a program
approved by all the party leaders and if
| revision Of the constitution the crisis
| would be passed and the instrument re-
viviffed.
They had convinced the king that he
| was freed Of all responsibility, in con-
forming to the counsel
The King given by the statesmen;
ronv;ro.d all responsibility would
be borne by chiefs Of
party reunited around the throne and
| who had counseled to do what it had
been deemed their duty in order to pro-
tect the interests Of the country. Behind
| these stood the entire people.
The assurances given by the chiefs Of
parties that the Military League would
dissolve were categoTic. The Military
| League considered the convocation of the
| assembly as the announcement that the
mandate given them on August g at the
camp at Gondi had terminated. Before
| the Military League passes from the
Grecian political stage let US briefly re-
| hearse the events Of the last few months.
| The Mavromichalis cabinet succeeded
| that of NJ. Rhallys, which was overturned
| by military revolt. The garrison at
Athens encamped outside the city under
| manded the departure Of NJ Rhallys and
| a general amnesty, which demands were
| accorded. The new ministry, however,
| started upon a false basis. The weakness
| of the ca binet was an encouragement for
| the league. NJ. Mavromichalis deferred to
| the leaguers in suppressing the preroga-
| tives OF the princes in the army and the
superior commandment In effect the
| sons Of the king quilted the army and
Greece on leave OF absence which meant
| exile. The same day the official journal
| OF Athens published side by side two de-
| crees. one which gave leave Of absence
confided the comma ndment OF the 1st
| Corps to Col Zorbas. The chamber on
the 7th of October ratified the measures
taken several weeks before.
The power Of the Military League was
augmented during the session. It's
| wishes. expressed in brief words, were
printed in the Chronos and fixed the
order Of the day of the chamber. which
voted mutely. without examination and
without debate. If it manifested hesita-
league the corridors Of parliament were
quickly. and as IL by enchantment, filled
by members of the league. Those who
hesitated withheld their speeches and the
chamber voted.
| The Lapathiotis incident placed in full
light the dependence Of the cabinet. II
| is recalled that Col. Lapa-
LapathlotlS thiotis, minister of war,
| I.:l4 from the tribune, treated
the deputies with shocking
disrespect. All parties demanded his res
| ignation. NJ. Mavromichalis could not
compel it. Thereupon the minister of
| war; having achieved certain military
designs-among these, his own promotion
without the authority of the Military
League, was summoned by the latter to
resign and he obeyed at once.
| Some days thereafter Col. Zorbas, all
powerful, proposed to Ministers Rhallys
and Theotokis to vote twenty or more
new projects of reform. He demanded
also the resignation Of the minister of
the interior. guilty Of having accorded
| concession without the authority Of the
Military League Finally when the
| cabinet and the chamber did not act as
promptly as Col. Zorbas would have
Them he delivered his ultimatum. "If
| the chamber does not vote more rapidly
| the wishes of the army he said, 1.-THE
league will be obliged to take a definite
decision decision was quickly made,
and it was declared that the convocation
of a national assembly was absolutely
necessary The members NJ. Mavro-
michalis. Theotokis and Rhallys it will
be recalled were opposed. To them such
i a reunion would be unconstitutional un-
| til after the vote of the chamber. They
] deemed it inopportune and dangerous be-
cause of the trouble 1t would cause in
the public mind The league insisted.
NJ. Mavromichalis, conscious of his weak
ness, resigned.
NJ. Theotokis, former minister. is chief
of the parliamentary majority. and it was
| necessary to gain him over to cOllabora-
that this was accomplished by NJ. Venice
but distinguished in the councils Of Crete.
The reasons for the change Of policy of
M. Theotokis, who stands high in the
confidence Of the king, have been given to
| the correspondent Of the Temps in SUBJ
stance thus:
First the opposition of M Theotokis
was inspired by the fact that the convo-
cation was unconstitutional. The viola
/ uni fnr