The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-19
KING CONSTANTINE
BECOMES HERO IN
WAR WITH TURKS
New Ruler of Greeks, Once
Unpopular. Rises to Fame
Az Warrior
is BROTHER-IN-LAW
OF GERMAN KAISER
Has Not Spoken to August
Relative for Number of
Years on Account of
Religious Matters

NEW York, March 1s,-King
Constantine, the new ruler Of Greece.
four years ago. and before that time,
was most unpopular In his own king
dom. where today he is a hero, classed
with the ancient warriors OF the his
toric land. The ruler for whom
Greeks all over the world, as we'll as
In Greece, have been buying chaplets,
swords, jeweIed wreaths, as the 1iber-
ator of the land. from the thrall of
the Turks, has heard outside the
palace walls at Athens and at his
own chateau OF Tatoi. the cry of the
mob that he and his father abdicate
in favor of his own eldest son, Prince
George; he has had the military
league Of his ewa army and navy
against him to the extent of mutiny,
ne has been inveighed against in the
parliament, and publicly scored in the
newspapers for political reasons. Now
when he returns to Athens. not only
as king. but as commander of an
army that revived the glory that once
was Greece's thee will be no limit to
the popular enthusiasm.
II was not known in New York
city today whether II will be King
Constantine. XIII, or King Com
stanttne. T.. when the time comes to
ascend the throne of the Heilenes.
The last ByEantia emperor. centuries
ago. was Constantine XII. and as
the kingdom now may embrace con-
siderable of the ancient territory of
the empire of the east. the ancient
title may he selected. but among
educated Greeks OF she city 1t was
thought that new line Will be in
stituted.
soIdicrly and Reserved.
Constantine's, Duke OF Sparta, eid-
est son of King George, was born
at Athens. August ?, 1868. He was
educated by tutors, VINO were brought
from I4eipsic, and one of the accusa-
tons against him has been that he
has always shown the effects of Ger
man influence, Tall. soldierly in APP
pearance. quiet. reserved almost to
the point of shyness. in the ordinary
every endeavor TO avoid the crowds.
He is a soldier. Just as his brother,
Prince George. took to the sea. SO
did Prince Constantine incline TO the
army, and his military education was
received from the best instructors In
Europe.
The king has always been known as
man with opinions OF his own, even
to the extent of going out after a
ministry which he thought was going
contrary to the best interests of the
country. The Trikoupes cabinet ran
contrary to his wishes. and the Tri-
koupes cabinet went out of office
/ There was great hue and cry al
that time about the interference OF
the royal family. but at the next
election the people stood solidly by
the crown prince.
Kaiser His Brother-In-Law.
/ King Constantine Is brothers-in
/ law of the German emperor, although
/ 1t is said the royal brother-in~ la "
have not spoken for a half dozer
years, He was married at Athens
October -. 1889, TO the Princess
Sophia, of Prussia. sister OF Emperor
| William. and the trouble came not sc
long after that when the princess be.
came a member OF the Orthodo,
Greek church. The kaiser is a Luth.
eran, and he objected to the change
There are five children by this mar,
riage-Prince George born July 10
1880; Prince Alexander. born in 1898
| Princess Helene, born in 1896: Prince
Paul, born in 1901. and the Princes.
i Cyrene. who Is nine years old.
Undoubtedly King Constantin.
uiu ihucn 10 keep his father on the
throne for so many years There
i had been threats to dethrone him, Il
none OF which did the old Kins
George seriously object. The onl,
point he ever made was that he woulf
not abdicate. But for years he ha.
preferred the lights of Paris and tn,
baths OF France to his own kingdom
During the meantime King Constan
tine always acted as regent, and h,
administered with all the flrmness tina
an exceedingly jealous kingdom wouit
permit him.
Change In Public Spirit.
How jealous they may be was shown
in the attitude of the subjects afte
the Crete fiasco, when the presen
king was accused of involving hi
country unnecessarily. There wer,
just as sharp structures following tn
previous war with Turkey In Thes
sally. where 1t was said that his con
duct had not been princely. That tn
criticism was unjust has long sine
been acknowledged, but at that tim
there were loud demands that he re
sign the succession.
The change In public spirit has com
with the years since then when Greco
has been reviving her military spiri
and preparing for the contest In whicl
she has won an ample revenge owe
Turkey. A similarity OF names, an,
an ambition of King Constantine ma,
have had something to do with it