The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-03-26
CONSTANTINE IS. GREEK KING.
NEW KING WILL TAKE OATH OF
OFFICE FRIDAY.
Will he Proclaimed "a Constantine
MI I'm Historic City OF Athens
Now in Capital cf Grcccc-Chamber
OF Deputies to BE Summoned to
Take Oath OF Eealty To- New Rulcr.

Athens, Greece. March 19.-Con-
stantine will take oath as king of the
Hellenes Friday. lie arrives at Athens
tomorrow.
IL Is expected that the king will be
proclaimed as Constantine MI, the
last byzantine emperor having been
Constantine NJ.
The chamber of deputies will be
summoned tomorrow To take the oath
OF realty to the new king, after which
the ministry will resign. Messages OF
coincidence and sympathy for the
royal family, the Greek government
and the Greek nation poured into the
capital all day. The first message
from the head OF a nation received by
queen Olga came from President
Wilson.
All Greece mourns the death of a
sovereign who had done so much,
particularly during the past year. to
advance the prestige of the nation.
Emblems OF sorrow are DISPLAYED on
all sides and manifestations of grief
are even more marked among the
poor and lowly than among those of
the higher classes.
Premier Venizelos, after eulogizing
King George today for his great SER
vice during his long reign, asked the
chamber of acclaim Constantine king
To which the deputies responded with
cheers.
In his first message to the Greek
army King Constantine from the fort
ress of Janina promised that he would
ever concentrate all his efforts to his
land and sea forces TO which war had
indissolubly bound him.
Queen Olga, accompanied by sew
eral members OF the royal family,
Ia now on her way to Saloniki. She
suffered greatly from the shock of
the announcement of the kings TAX
ing on but before her departure show
ed that resolution which had actuated q
her early in the war in going to the
field To care for the wounded.
From the fortress of Janina, which
he recently captured from the Turks,
King Constantine addresses his first
message TO the Greek army. 1t was
as follows:
The impious outrage on the sacred
person OF King George deprives us OF
our leader at a moment very critical
for the Hellenic nation. l am called
by Providence To succeed my never
to-be-forgotten father on the throne
over which he so long shed lustre
and honor.
'T bring this news to the knowl-
edge OF my army. TO which / have
devoted my whole life and TO which
successful and unsuccessful wars have
bound me. declare TO IL that.
marching always at its head. 1 will
never cease To concentrate my solicit
tude on my land and sea forces,
whose glorious exploits have brought
renown to- our fatherland."
Premier Venizelos, in announcing
the death OF King George TO the
chamber OF deputies today. eloquently
eulogized his majesty's services TO his
country during his long reign and
referred I'm laudatory terms TO his
successor. King Constantine. When
the premier asked the chamber to
acclaim Constantine as the new king
tho deputies responded with cheers
and the people in the galleries Joined
In the manifestation. The leaders OF
the parliamentary opposition after
ward paid tributes To the late king.
one deputy declaring him a national
martyr who has fallen et his post
while guarding the interest of the ma
ton"
The chamber decided TO go into
mourning for six months. and a pro-
pOsal To erect a national monument
In honor of the dead king was voted
by acclama:ion.
The body OF the king will he
Drought To Athens and Inferred in
the mausoleum which he had con-
structed on one OF the hills at Tatoi.
where he was accustomed TO spend
the summer.